Anyone ever receive a ridiculous tax assessment on a project?

Glad I'm in Bama! Anything over 30 years old qualifies for a "Vintage vehicle" tag, $25 one time fee, no taxes except a sales tax when it changes hands.

Less than 30 years old, they have the appraisal figures in the computer pre programed. Even at that, my 99 F 150 only appraises at about $2500 at most. My tag this year was less than $50 total, and $30 of that is the tag fees, Older vehicles are even cheaper.

 

Similar here in Oregon too. Antiques are based on half the diference from 1900 and today's date. This year that means a 1956 is an antique. I have three vehicles that I paid $64 each to license forever. No sales tax here either, so the $64 each is the grand total.

 

Even New York is better, as they still go off the bill of sale. I turned one in once that said two cents and got away with it - an old clunker I actually got for free, it was just easier to have a reciept than go back and get them to sign the gift form - but I paid sales tax for $1.00 as that's the least the computer would accept. I didn't argue given that was a whopping 8 cents. Normally, though, I use the actual amount of the sale because I never pay much for a car to begin with. If they wanted to argue I could show them state surplus auction results where they sold their own cars for about scrap price, 10 years old and still running.

On top of that, 1972-back don't use titles, it's super easy to register one even without paperwork, and the registration fee goes by the vehicle's weight. I've had them change the weight before when they felt a car was showing too heavy on the paperwork I gave them, before, too. I think my '50 Chevy is about $70 for two years. Even my big one ton van was around $200 with the title fee ($50).


NC is messed up because they tax your car like most states tax real estate, you pay annually - you pay them for the priveledge of owning a car, and you have to pay it even if you're not using the car. That alone would keep me from ever moving there. If you let a car sit off the road for more than a few years, the tax bill runs up so high that all you can do is sell the car out of state. Maybe there are tricks to beat that but I haven't seen anyone post them.

 

I just picked up new tags for my OT '06 Chevy that books on the high end at $14,800, also my '00 GMC that books on the high end for $5900. Tags for each were the same at $62.75.

Yet the same book shows my '48 Fleetline as high booking at $11,150. I find this strange, since the GMC is my daily driver and the '48 is only half in the shop with the other half in the attic.

To the OP, there has to be a way to dispute the value of the property. There is no income tax in Texas, but the property tax assessment each year is sent to the owner and a method of dispute is provided on the back of the assessment. If there is no means to dispute the valuation prior to paying the tax, then there are only a few options. First, refuse to register the vehicle and trailer it around as a show vehicle. Second, pay the tax and suck it up. Third, pay the tax and dispute the valuation while hoping for the best. Fourth, register the vehicle using an address not in NC. Fifth, sell the vehicle and give up.

 

Correction; I believe we're taxed twice a year. Once in June and once in December. I'm about fed up with it. I own the car(s) outright (all four), I paid the property taxes when I registered it (them) for use on public roadways. They are MY property. To tax me twice a year on a car I own outright, not making payments on, is ludicrous. Why stop there? I own four TV sets, too. What's stopping them from taxing me for owning four TV sets? No different than owning a car outright.

 

If you bought the car from an individual, the tax you paid when you registered it was sales tax, and not property tax. If you'd bought it from a licensed dealer, then he would've collected sales tax as a part of the total sale price. If you buy from an individual, they don't care what any bill of sale says, and you're going to pay sales tax based on the book value, or on an appraisal from a dealer. The state put this in place a number of years ago to stop people from buying $15K cars from individuals and then showing up at the tag office with a bill of sale for 500 bucks to avoid paying the sales tax.

A bill comes for property tax in NC about 60 days after you renew the tag. They use some "book value" for that valuation, but I've never talked to anyone who could tell me what book it is.

They could've made an error in looking up the value in the book, as I've never seen a NC tax valuation that far away from actual value. The Mecklenburg Co tax collector's office should be able to tell you what the book value is. If the amount they've put on it is the book value, then there's an option to get an appraisal from a licensed dealer to establish a different value. You might have to get two appraisals, not sure on that since I've never had to do it.

I paid this year's propery tax on my 08 Corvette a couple months ago. Just looked in my checkbook, and it was $266 total for city and county, and wouldn't be a whole lot different from that amount if I lived in Charlotte. I'd say something's definitely wrong with their valuation on your car.

Failure to pay the property tax isn't a good idea. If its not paid within 90 days after the due date they will put a block on you that prevents you from being able to renew the tag on any car you own, or get a tag for any other car you might buy, until the tax and late fee is paid.

 

I've never liked property taxes. I can go along with income tax and sales tax because those people have money to spend. Property taxes can force people out of their homes and make them sell what they spent a lifetime accumulating. Real estate tax wouldn't be so bad if they didn't include school taxes on it. Instead of a tax deduction for children there should be a surcharge.

 

YUP,


Also, here in Oregon the special interest registration is pretty cool. I have all of my old cars that way. It is similar in cost to a normal car but just once, not annually. Not in anyway based on value.

It is really nice not having a sales tax here, but, they sure nail us on income tax, and in our county, annual real estate tax is outragious. They get it one way or another.

 

The franchise tax board in California challanged the amount I put down for my '32 sedan for the purpose of collecting sales tax. I sent them a copy of the bill of sale, photos, and copies of the price guide. The problem went away.

Charlie Stephens

 

I like your surcharge idea. Have you considered running for office?

Charlie Stephens