Taxes for AS

[Kevin245]

Just got back from the Tax Assessor's office and DMV.

Property Taxes = $18.50

Out of State Title = $10.00

Tags and Registration = $15.00

The Joy of Vintage Ownership = Priceless


After reading Jim & Susan's Full Monte Thread I'm glad that at least something about my upcoming restoration project is cheap.

[StevenG]

Jerry, I've bought a couple of old Model T Fords, which needed work and I restored. My inclination is to get the title, tags, and taxes done before I start work. After that, gov't tends to leave me alone, and my cost is based on what I paid/value at time of acquisition, and not what it's worth when I'm done. Lower tax liability that way, and I'm still within the law.
Of course, your mileage may vary!
good luck!
Steven

[Gene]

In Colorado, there are no personal property taxes on residential uses, but there are on business personal property, so unless you use your trailer for business, no personal property tax. In Delta Co. there is a sales tax, but no use tax. Use tax is like a sales tax, but it is levied on things you buy out of the county (if you are in a city without a use tax, same principle). Your supposed to pay it on that $1,000 HD TV you bought in the next county where there is a use tax, but most people never do. On a motor vehicle, they catch you when you register it—but not here in Delta Co. That means a savings of $1,000 on a $50,000 Airstream if there were an Airstream dealer in Delta Co and you buy it elsewhere. So, it pays to buy cars and trailers outside of Delta Co. thereby making local car dealers operate at a disadvantage to ones over the county line.

I am envious of some of your vehicle registration fees and taxes. I paid more than $1,000 last year for a new trailer. I believe it is based on cost and weight. It drops every year a couple of hundred. The state gas tax is 22¢, about the middle of the pack (Cal. with it's high gas prices has an 18¢ gas tax, lower than most). The money for these things goes to highways. Colorado highways are a lot more expensive to build and maintain than in many other states, so we've got to pay for them somehow, or make the state flat and remove winter.

As for the tax guy coming to look at your property: Generally anyone can come to your house and ring your door bell. That means tax collectors, inspectors, door to door salespeople, Jehovah's Witnesses, friends and enemies, the police, fire fighters, and even space aliens. You can ask them to leave and for the most part they have to. Legally, they have a "license" to come to the door and you can revoke it. If the cops see a crime being committed, no. If a building inspector sees a serious danger to life and limb, depending on the state, maybe they can stay. Fire: there's an obligation to put it out so it doesn't spread to your neighbor.

The tax collector and other govt officials can get a warrant easily to check on property value, other things if they have reason to believe there is a valid purpose to inspect or search. There are supreme court cases on this going back well over a century, probably two centuries. Since they can easily get a warrant, why fight it? Fight the assessment; spend your time and money on that. In Colorado they can raise as well as lower your assessment if you appeal. I've appealed and won one, got no change on another.

Since assessors are usually way, way behind on what's going on and don't know about the $25,000 kitchen remodel for which no licenses were pulled (not uncommon around here), an appeal can lead to a visit which can lead to an even higher assessment.

Gene

[Denis4x4]

" On a motor vehicle, they catch you when you register it—but not here in Delta Co. That means a savings of $1,000 on a $50,000 Airstream if there were an Airstream dealer in Delta Co and you buy it elsewhere. So, it pays to buy cars and trailers outside of Delta Co. thereby making local car dealers operate at a disadvantage to ones over the county line."

There have been several attempts to pass a use tax in La Plata County (Durango) due to the large number of people who go to Farmington NM to buy cars. The only sales taxes paid on a car/truck bought in NM are the state (less than 3%) when the car/truck is registered in Colorado.

Still can't find that list of NM car/truck dealers that support local (La Plata county) non-profits like local dealers.

[Silvertwinkie]

Though sales and real estate taxes are incredibly high in Illinois, I pay $30/yr to renew the tags for the trailer ($78/yr for the cars/truck and $18 for the runabout boat I have). Other than that, I think I pay about $350/yr to insure it, so my total cost per year for the Safari, not including maint, fuel, etc is about $380/yr.

Illinois taxes are so high everywhere else, if we had to pay on our vehicles too like in MO for example, we would not be even having a conversation about impeaching our current scumbag governor, we'd most likely be having a wake for him.....

[jcanavera]

Here we pay personal property tax to the county. It's done pretty much by NADA or other guides. No one every inspects your vehicles or trailers.

Jack

[nayl]

Also from Pennsylvania the state of many taxes; real estate, school, local and county! Fortunately they haven’t decided to tax recreational vehicles so I only have to pay the annual vehicle registration.

I bought new and financed. As such the trailer interest can be applied as a write-off on my income tax.

[aircooled4]

...And we in WI thought this place was a 'tax hell' ....We dont pay personal property tax on these trailers...Im guessing we MIGHT if we purchase one with a mortgage as we would our homes...If a trailer is owned by a business, thats a different story, then youre taxed!