Jump to content

yearly taxes on RV's


Augie

Recommended Posts

Not too sure if this has been discussed or is covered under some other thread dealing with LLC's.

Everybody know the the state will get sales tax when you purchase a RV or other vehicle, but what about other yearly taxes like state excise taxes or personal property do we have to pay? What states have the lowest tax rates and is there a chart that someone came up with with all the states?

 

My situation is a bit different as I want to relocate out of the northeast, find a place and travel from there in a B or C.

 

TIA

 

Jeff

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are NO annual taxes in Florida for your RV. The sales tax is 6% in Marion County (Ocala). Other counties may be slightly lower or higher. There is also NO required annual vehicle inspection.

 

All vehicles registered have a one time Impact Fee for the plate. Cars are generally $225 plus registration fee. Our coach was approx. $400 plus registration fee. The renewals are very reasonable. Coach - $60, Jeep - $45 for one year each. If you turn in a plate, the system retains the fact you have already paid an Impact Fee for that plate so there will not be another Impact Fee (there will be a $36 plate replacement fee if you need another plate later) unless you increase the number of vehicles you have registered. If you sell a vehicle and do not replace it right away, just keep the plate. In that way there will not be the replacement plate fee.

GS Lifetime #822128658, FMCA #F431170

 

2012 Airstream Mercedes Interstate Extended Class B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you look at choosing a state to declare as your domicile as a fulltimer, most people do consider tax rates in the decision but from all that I have observed, most of us base the choice mostly on what others report and only research a few states for ourselves. With 50 different states, each of which have their own laws, it would be quite a challenge to actually look at all of them. There has been much written about tax friendly states for those retiring and moving, but very little of that was looking at things from the view of an RV fulltimer, mostly because there really are not that many of us, when compared to the population of the country.

 

To look at all taxes as viewed from the retiree standpoint, one of the best that I have found recently would be the Kiplinger State by State Guide. published in November of 2014. As good as this one is, it does take a position of a physical move to the state like most such guides do. If you wish to look only at taxes associated with vehicles, there are fewer of those but I did find one that seems to be pretty accurate, as far as it goes. In looking at vehicle taxes it is very important to look beyond the state taxes because many states also have county, city, and local taxes that are added to the state sales taxes, registration fees, and other local taxes applied to a vehicle. The F & I Tools Guide seems to be pretty complete but it is important to download the associated documentation of your chosen state, just to make sure. In addition, be very careful in your research as many states have different methods of computing the fees for an RV as compared to a car or truck. In addition, not all states define what is an RV in the same way.

 

There is a very important thing to remember as you do this research and that is that only a few states will accept a mail service as an address for vehicle registration or driving license. The state which you believe will cost you the least may well not allow you to use the address which you have in mind. Many people have put a lot of effort into these investigations before you and so I suggest that you might be better served if you were to start looking by checking out the three states which are by far the most common choices for RV travelers to use as a home/domicile. The states of TX, SD, and Fl all share four factors which are the primary reasons that those states are by far the most popular for use by full-time RV travelers. None of those three have any state income tax, each off them have reasonable costs of vehicle registration, all accept a mail service address as legal for registration & driving licenses, and none of them require your physical presence in their state for any period of time in order to qualify as a state resident for legal purposes. There are no other states which I am aware of that qualify in all four of these features.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We don't have then in Ohio.

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I am not mistaken Montana does not have a sales tax that is why may people start an LLC there and register their RVs there. There seems like Oregon does not have the sales tax, but not sure. Texas does not have a state income tax but does have a 6.25% sales tax on any vehicle and if you own property the tax on it is pretty high. Property tax on my $300,000 house is $5,000 a year but again there is no income tax. There is no individual personal property tax but there are on businesses.

Dave Watkins

Highland Village, TX

2014 F-350 Dually

Open Range 349RLR

 

VisitedStatesMap.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you use the Escapees address in TX, the county will give you a pass on jury duty. SD will remove you from the jury duty list. Don't know about Florida.

That might be a factor if you are a long way away when you get the notice or if the weather would pose a problem.

Clay(WA5NMR), Lee(Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats)
Full timed for eleven years in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N Workhorse chassis. Snowbirds for 1 year. Now settled down in western CO.
Honda Accord toad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

$130.00 fifth wheel sticker in Polk county. $240.00 truck registration in Polk county. $7.50 fifth wheel inspection any licensed trailer inspection station in Texas.

 

Dave

2004 Volvo 630 left tandem with 12 speed Freedomline

2014 Sandpiper 35 ROK 42' fifth wheel

Western Golf & Country Cart (EZ-GO frame)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Minnesota you pay a license fee based on the value of your vehicle. Unless it qualifies for RV plates. The clerk was amazed at how cheap the plates were when my Mercedes Sprinter was new. Plus, I bought personalized plates which you only pay for once and keep forever even if you sell that vehicle. Of course, being RV plates they are only good if I buy another RV. But, they are sitting in a closet waiting for that to happen.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inspections indeed have changed in Texas. County gets their share when you get tags. Inspection station needed proof of insurance when they inspected the fifth wheel. I had copy of policy with me. Know you need it for rv's, don't know if you have open trailer hauling atv's, etc.

 

Dave

2004 Volvo 630 left tandem with 12 speed Freedomline

2014 Sandpiper 35 ROK 42' fifth wheel

Western Golf & Country Cart (EZ-GO frame)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inspections indeed have changed in Texas. County gets their share when you get tags. Inspection station needed proof of insurance when they inspected the fifth wheel. I had copy of policy with me. Know you need it for rv's, don't know if you have open trailer hauling atv's, etc.

 

Dave

There is no requirement for insurance on a fifth wheel. The only insurance required by Texas law is liability, and it is not required on trailers. The tow vehicle liability insurance covers the trailer. If your inspector required you to have insurance on your fifth wheel, he was mistaken.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Minnesota you pay a license fee based on the value of your vehicle. Unless it qualifies for RV plates. The clerk was amazed at how cheap the plates were when my Mercedes Sprinter was new. Plus, I bought personalized plates which you only pay for once and keep forever even if you sell that vehicle. Of course, being RV plates they are only good if I buy another RV. But, they are sitting in a closet waiting for that to happen.

 

Linda Sand

That is a tax for sure.

Retired USN Engineer

2020 Ram 2500 Bighorn 6.7 Diesel

2014 Crossroads Zinger 27RL (Traded)

2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

Link to comment
Share on other sites

. Know you need it for rv's, don't know if you have open trailer hauling atv's, etc.

 

There is no requirement for insurance on a fifth wheel. The only insurance required by Texas law is liability, and it is not required on trailers. The tow vehicle liability insurance covers the trailer. If your inspector required you to have insurance on your fifth wheel, he was mistaken.

Also, not all RVs are required to be inspected. All RVs that weigh 4500# or more must be inspected.

 

Texas DPS

Motor homes and RV’s with a gross weight over 4500 pounds are required to have annual safety inspections. Motor homes in EMISSIONS counties are also required to have the appropriate emissions test performed.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I stand by what I said. The inspector asked to see the insurance for the fifth wheel. I know the 4500 lb. requirement. This is why I hesitate to post on this forum too often because I am apparently never right on any thing. Folks on these forums are really smart.

2004 Volvo 630 left tandem with 12 speed Freedomline

2014 Sandpiper 35 ROK 42' fifth wheel

Western Golf & Country Cart (EZ-GO frame)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I stand by what I said. The inspector asked to see the insurance for the fifth wheel. I know the 4500 lb. requirement. This is why I hesitate to post on this forum too often because I am apparently never right on any thing. Folks on these forums are really smart.

 

I was not doubting your word or disputing what you said. I was simply pointing out that the inspector was mistaken. I had an inspector do exactly the same thing the last time I had my trailer inspected. He, too, was wrong.

 

Go to this page http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/inspection/inspectionCriteria.aspx and in the box "Select a Vehicle Class" choose "Trailers or Mobile Homes" and it will take you to a page showing what the inspection requirements are for a trailer. Directly above the Number 1 item of "Brakes" is the instructions to "* Check for evidence of Financial Responsibility on towing vehicle". That is the only insurance requirement for getting your trailer inspected.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know the 4500 lb. requirement. This is why I hesitate to post on this forum too often because I am apparently never right on any thing. Folks on these forums are really smart.

I'm sorry that you feel that way. I mentioned the 4500# limit because not all RVs must be inspected and there are some of us who are below that limit. It wasn't that I thought you didn't know, but that I wished to make sure that those new folks who happen have smaller RVs are aware. Of course, all motorized RVs are also required to be inspected.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So what insurance did you show the inspecter? Was it the insurance for the vehicle you were towing the 5W with and were you getting it inspected at the same time? That might be your answer as to why he asked but of course there are surely plenty of inspectors that make that mistake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FYI, I just paid renewal registrations for two farm trailers and they didn't have to be inspected. This was in Montgomery County Texas.

I did it online and paid with a credit card. I had expected to have to get then inspected because of the new law. I may have to do with them being farm trailers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

RVers Online University

campgroundviews.com

RV Destinations

Find out more or sign up for Escapees RV'ers Bootcamp.

Advertise your product or service here.

The Rvers- Now Streaming

RVTravel.com Logo



×
×
  • Create New...