sales taxes

packnrat · January 3, 2018

well i am looking to buy a new fifth wheel to move into when i retire in so many years. but due to the cost of such.

was hoping maybe where i buy it can effect the sales tax penalty. and then the reg tax.

aka: need to save here. as the rig i am drulling over is going to cost a bundle. esp now that we cannot deduct the interest on the loan.

jjwicklund · January 3, 2018

Doesn't matter where you buy it as much as where you register it. We purchased our present 5er in Tennessee but paid sales tax when we registered it in South Dakota.

packnrat · January 3, 2018

so even a delay in registering would cost a tax penalty?

drat.

was hoping i could "shop" around for a good sales tax rate state to buy it.

so would i have to pay a sales tax in the state i bought it, and the state of reg.

forgive me i have never bought across state lines before.

this would require me to wait till after i retire to buy it. as no way am i going to pay ca there 3 pounds of flesh.

Kirk W · January 3, 2018

6 hours ago, packnrat said:

so would i have to pay a sales tax in the state i bought it, and the state of reg.

While that can occasionally happen, it isn't the case in most states but you do need to make sure. In most states, if you buy there but do not register the RV you will not pay sales tax and will be given a temporary plate to take it home with you. When you go to register the RV and get plates for it you will then need to pay the sales tax. In most cases, if you have paid the sales tax in another state before you register it they will give credit for the sales tax paid and you will only be charged any additional tax if the state of registration has a higher sales tax than the state where you bought it. In general, you have 30 days in which to register the RV once you take delivery.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you buy out of your home state and do not pay sales tax, when you register it in your home state they will charge the sales tax which means that you won't be able to roll that sales tax into the financed part of the price like they would if registered in the same state where you register it. We have done this several times and the DOT just adds the sales tax to the other fees that are associated with vehicle registration. The same would be true if you bought your tow truck out of state.

packnrat · January 3, 2018

ok got it.

looks like i must wait till i get out of ca, as the sales tax here is almost 10%, in some counties. (sales tax at the store different than dmv sales tax?). at least 7-8% in my county.

i need to find this out,

as i am looking at what might be a very pricey (not seen the price of yet) fifth wheel. it is 39 ft long. but really only a 34 footer with a side loading garage for a moto.

it would give me a "easy" way to get around and lots cheaper than using the tow truck. or pulling doubles.

pss: i pull 48-53 footers and some doubles, now so no issue for me there.

lenp · January 4, 2018

If you are thinking the doubles route, be aware that many states will not allow it - even if registered elsewhere. I personally know people who have either been ticketed or made to unhook the second vehicle before proceeding in both Oregon and Florida. And don't forget that many states have maximum RV tow combination limits of 65-75 feet. Not saying you can get away with it but?????

Lenp

packnrat · January 4, 2018

your friend had problems. maybe they were over the length, weight, tow limits of the tow rig??

i am licensed class A with doubles/triples endorsement.

it is 100% legal to two doubles in all 50 states, pending you are not over length, and your tow rig is rated for what you are towing, (weight, braking ability)

this is something some local cops will not know about. and happily most reg folk do not. as it is not for everybody.

must have a class A with endorsement, first must be a fifth wheel,

and yes i have towed in was, ore, nv, ca, id, az. never a problem. had many a leo see me local, county, state, dot inspectors never a problem. including driving past inspection houses, (aka: scales)

my tow set up is less than 65 ft. and the second trailer is a small unit so i know i am under braking weight.

note i say braking, not max weight, there is a difference.

what was your friend towing? did all axles have brakes? brake away connections? was he over the rated braking weight of his truck? the gross weight of the truck?

with all this said. no i do not want to tow doubles all over the place. it is a hassle to do, and the rv i am looking at to tow doubles would place me over the braking wight of a pu truck. and would have a place on board to carry a moto, so a second would not be needed.

as a after thought? maybe not allowed if one has a non commercial class A?

Chad Heiser · January 4, 2018

3 hours ago, packnrat said:

it is 100% legal to two doubles in all 50 states, pending you are not over length, and your tow rig is rated for what you are towing, (weight, braking ability)

Commercial and recreational are two different sets of laws. Not every state allows recreational doubles. Each state sets its own rules in this area, as well as length and braking requirements. If you plan to tow recreational doubles (which I do on occasion), you need to familiarize yourself with each states rules when you visit those states. Each state has separate length, doubles and brake requirement laws that must be followed when towing recreational. Just because you are legal in state A does not mean you will be legal in state B when you cross the border.

In the commercial world, the regulations are set nationally and as long as you remain on the national network you are good. There is no equivalent system for recreational. Everything is state by state.

packnrat · January 4, 2018

then it is something i need to look at.

as for the past 35 years i have lived under dot rules. not state rules.

but seeing as in ca pu are regestered as commercial. one would belive dot law apply.

Chad Heiser · January 5, 2018

10 hours ago, packnrat said:

but seeing as in ca pu are regestered as commercial. one would belive dot law apply.

Only if you meet certain criteria, but generally no. CA calls a pick up a commercial vehicle because it’s “primary” purpose is to haul a load. The registration has nothing to do with how it is actually used. How you use it determines what class of license you will need to drive it (commercial or non commercial DL). You can permanently mount a shell to a pick up and then it is no longer required to have commercial registration because it’s “primary” purpose has been changed. It really isn’t worth getting hung up on some of the “different” things CA does versus other states. Just know that an RV is a non commercial vehicle (unless you intentionally do something to make it commercial) and as a result you will be subject to each individual states’ rules instead of a standard set of national commercial rules.

The only thing reciprocal between states related to driving a non commercial vehicle is drivers license and vehicle registration. In other words if your home state issues a particular class of license to drive your rig and another state requires a different class of license to drive the same rig, you are still legal to drive your rig in that other state with your license. Likewise if your home state issues a valid registration to your vehicle, that registration is valid in all states even if another state won’t allow your vehicle to be registered that way there. Everything else related to the vehicles is set by each individual state and you must abide by that state’s laws (length, double, triples, braking requirements, speed limits, road restrictions, etc.).

Kirk W · January 5, 2018

On 1/3/2018 at 3:16 PM, packnrat said:

looks like i must wait till i get out of ca, as the sales tax here is almost 10%, in some counties. (sales tax at the store different than dmv sales tax?). at least 7-8% in my county.

i need to find this out,

You may also want to take a look at the fees to register the planned RV in CA and the other states that you are considering. And remember that if you plan to live in the RV as your permanent home you will need a different level of insurance on it than is found in a typical RV insurance policy. We call that a "fulltimer's clause."

packnrat · January 5, 2018

all i know for a fact, is after i can cut bait i am out of ca.

but would be better to have a larger rv before i can move.

i have a little 24 ft now. have lived in it for a year. walls are tight.

aka: just add cash.

HomeSweetRV · March 10, 2018

Buddy registered his in Montana under a business name to avoid taxes.

We bought ours in quartzsite but the sales guy registered it in CA to avoid tax.

We paid tax when importing it.

SWharton · March 10, 2018

How long are you in CA each year? 365 days? If less, and depending on CA laws, you might want to change your legal domicile to a different state and register everything in that state. You will need to do some research on CA laws about this though.