CA sales tax

[kcv67]

If I buy a car in CA do I have to pay the sales tax. Is there a way around the sales tax?



Casey

 

[DennyDay]

As broke as Calif is I wouldn't be the least bit suprised - - - but if you don't register it in Calif you shouldn't have to pay sales tax

 

[seafish]

If you buy a car in CA and register the car in CA, then you will pay CA sales tax at the time of registration. For whatever reason, the amount you pay is based on the total percentage sales tax in county in which you register the car. Sales tax varies from county to county in CA, so you may be able to save a little money if you can register your vehicle in a county that has a lower sales tax.

On a slightly different note, IIRC, if you buy a car OUTSIDE of CA and can prove that you have payed sales tax on the vehicle outside of CA, then you do NOT have to pay sales tax again in CA. At least that is the way it was when I bought my used truck in Montana several years ago.

 

[SRath]

I just bought two pickups in CA a couple months ago and did not pay sales tax to CA since I had to pay it to Iowa where the new Titles and registrations are issued.

 

[sarj]

new or used?

 

[kcv67]

Sarj I am looking at a used car.

 

[SRath]

Used trucks, sarj. I don't like new trucks and neither does my bank account. If I did have that kind of money, the only thing cheaper in CA than good old trucks that don't pass CA emissions is CA real estate right now.

 

[sarj]

no tax until it's registered and you pay the rate of that state.

I've bought and sold used going both ways on that one. Same is true of what comes in the state. Everything I ever brought into the state used was a junker, rusted, barely running and they were always less than a thousand. Mostly true of any bill of sale going out too. $750 seems to be a reoccurring theme. Usually the biggest deal is to catch it before current registration expires.

 

[BIGNASTY]

You will pay the sales tax when you buy the car if it is from a dealer. Used to be that when I bought my Class 8 truck I took pos. of it in AZ we never made it to AZ drove out to Indio and said well this looks like AZ and did the paper work. But now I dont think Commiecalif is going to let you get away with anything.

 

[kcv67]

So I found out from the dealer if I bought the car and have it shipped out of state I do not pay sales tax. If I pick it up from the dealer I pay CA tax.