High RV Registration Costs!

[OurLuckyPenny]

Help! A few years back, our politicians here in Colorado decided our RV's are made of gold and jacked up our vehicle registration fees to the clouds.

This fall, we went to register our new 2015 Cougar 21RBS TT and WOW! Talk about sticker shock. Over $600 for the annual registration!!!

When we asked if it would go down in subsequent years---no way! It will stay pretty much the same in future years, she told us!

Has anybody figured out how to avoid having to pay these exhorbitant registration fees for their rv's?

My neighbor in Grand Junction a few years back kept his motor home registered in Arizona???

Sure would appreciate some ideas.

[koko]

When our son and daughter-in-law (Denver) purchased our R-pod from us for a really low price, they were required to pay taxes and registration for the value of the camper new! We had written them a sales contract, and the state wouldn't accept it. We couldn't believe it.

[camper 2010]

The tax reasons are why many full timers have their home address in MT and TX.

[hankpage]

Go figure ...... Here in New Jersey we have one of the highest costs of living in the country ... and it only costs me $16. a year to register our Cougar, the same as a private utility trailer of the same weight . I hope none of our politicians read this forum. Also, you can sell a vehicle to a family member for $1.00 and avoid taxes but all others are expected to pay taxes on their blue-book prices unless you can prove damage.
After reading some of the other posts I don't feel so bad but when the DW retires I still want to get out of here. Happy Holidays, Hank

[Wing-in-it]

Being that Virginia is a commonwealth.....our new 2015 Fuzion will probably cost us around $2000.00 this year in personal property tax. And that's on top of the sales tax we paid to buy it. The up side is that is does decrease as the rig's value goes down over time.

[jodrey]

In Québec, we pay 63$ one time for any trailer but we pay between 25 and 50% income every week.

Gas price is close to 4$ a gallon or 1,04$ a liter.

[Desert185]

I know it can be difficult to move, but that is the only way to eliminate the effects of living in an onerously taxed state with no personal return on the "investment".

[Quad]

Here in Kentucky we are a commonwealth also, 6% sales tax when we bought ours. Then a percentage of the value every yr there after. Our property tax does decrease every yr as the valve depreciates though. Sales tax and property tax was around $2000 first year. Last yr property tax was around $500-$600. This yes yr I'm expecting $400ish.


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[gearhead]

Originally Posted by Quad

Here in Kentucky we are a commonwealth also, 6% sales tax when we bought ours. Then a percentage of the value every yr there after. Our property tax does decrease every yr as the valve depreciates though. Sales tax and property tax was around $2000 first year. Last yr property tax was around $500-$600. This yes yr I'm expecting $400ish.


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OK, I gotta ask....what is the difference in a commonwealth and a state?

Dang, all that is high. Sales tax here is 8.25% I think. Annual tag fees....maybe $50? No "property tax" on RV's, boats, etc. We do have high real estate property and sales taxes, but no state income tax.

[GaryWT]

In Mass we pay $50 a year for registration, we pay 6.25% sales tax the first year and $25 per 1000 value in yearly excise tax. The first few years are high. When we were seasonal our trailer was in NH and we registered it the first year in NH since that is where it was and as long as it stayed on site we never had to do it again.

[chuckster57]

Subscribing because I want to know the difference too.

Decided I didn't want to wait:

http://www.differencebetween.net/mis...lth-and-state/

[wesaysoracing]

when I bought my TT I paid 6.5 % state sales tax plus $25 county tax and $36 for permanent tags, so next year I don't have to do anything , just pay my personal property tax

[chartrand]

In Mich it a 6% sales tax, and a one time $75 permanent license fee.


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[Barbell]

Paid 10.3% Arizona state and local sales tax on the '14 Montana and registration for two years was around $1500 but it does go down in future years. No personal property tax in AZ but registration fees more than make up for it.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by chartrand

In Mich it a 6% sales tax, and a one time $75 permanent license fee.


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Somebody at the SOS did you a "favor"..... Your license fee should have been $200. Here's the website: http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7...5432--,00.html

Here's the fee schedule, your Bullet weighs 4638, the cutoff for the $75 registration/plate is 2499 pounds.


Trailers and trailer coaches are registered with a permanent, non-expiring trailer plate based on the unit's weight. Trailer plates are nontransferable.


Trailers and Trailer Coaches 0-2,499 pounds $75

Trailers and Trailer Coaches 2,500-9,999 pounds $200

Trailers and Trailer Coaches 10,000 pounds or more $300

Replacement Trailer Plate $5

Trailer or Trailer Coach Title $15 if applicable

Still a "good bargain" compared to other states, but........

[cabinfever]

In PA we pay the 6% sales tax when buying, new or used. Then $12 a year registration. Also we have annual inspection which cost around $50, depending on where you get it done.

[Little Guy]

Colorado's fees are ridiculously high, but they do go down in subsequent years.
We are going to purchase our next RV in New Mexico where you can register it there for about $50 per year.

[OurLuckyPenny]

Appreciate all of the comments and feedback. Obviously, other states also charge very high taxes and registration fees to register our rv's. But some don't!

I checked again in our files. We were charged $754.00 sales tax by the dealer (a one-time charge) and $675.40 for license, various taxes and registration fees by the county clerk where we live. The gals in the clerk's office just take the amounts off the computer. It is all set and calculated out of Denver or some other Front Range location.

The gal at the county clerk's office assured us the registration fees would not decrease anytime soon!

There was a lot of screaming and hollering when Colorado jumped registration fees so high, but very little was done to change the situation. So we are paying through the nose for all vehicle, boat, and rv fees.

Of course, they (the politicos) will ask you if you want good highways to drive on to shut your complaints up. The powers that be here let the state's highway go to pieces then play catchup by socking it to the tax payers to get the roads back in shape. Poor management!

Moving to another state is looking better all the time. No one in Colorado will care if we leave. It is a state oriented towards young people and retirees can go jump in a lake. Youngsters are too naive to know when they are getting the shaft, and they will pay willingly for the privilege of living in this state.

Thanks again for all of your comments!

[Desert185]

California used to have good roads and Nevada had bad roads. Now, the reverse is the reality. There are no state income taxes in NV, the gas taxes are less and so are registration fees. Increased taxation does not make for better roads. Like you said, the younger generation doesn't get it.

[JRTJH]

OurLuckyPenny,

Back in the '70's, we lived in Denver. At that time there was some pretty significant flooding potential down around the Cinderella City Mall. To resolve that problem, the city/county of Denver got together and decided to assess a "flood tax" on all property within the city/county. That money was to be dedicated to constructing a floodwater drainage system to prevent Cinderella City Mall from flooding.

Well, as it seems to "always turn out", our very modest 2 bedroom/1 bath house on a small city lot was assessed $350 in "flood tax". At the time, property taxes were less than $200/year. To make a long story short, they "devised" a drainage ditch from the shopping center down to Cherry Creek and used the rest of the money to build a fence around the Cherry Creek Reservoir, built an unimproved campground and declared it a "recreation area".

As it turned out, the Air Force decided to reassign me to Germany (from Lowry AFB), which is probably one of the luckiest moves we faced. We sold our home in Denver and although we have fond memories of the area, we surely don't miss the tax environment. It seems that as much as things change, they do remain so much the same. I see Colorado is still a "tax till it hurts" economy. I share your frustration and pain.