Registering car in "non-leaf" state

[bwilliams]

I'm expecting my leaf in November in CA. I would really like to register the car in the state where I am from - that state has no sales tax. There are no leafs for sale there now nor in the near future. The savings in no sales tax is greater than the 2.5K CA rebate. Has anyone bought in CA and registered in another state? I do reside about 60/40 in both states with CA at 60% right now.

 

[BLUEH20]

Need a lot more information.

Which state is your legal residence. You do not live in two states legally.

If you live in a state--ie pay taxes, vote, earn an income, have a drivers license, REGISTER YOUR VEHICLE, receive states assistance and lots of other things you are a resident of that state.

If you are military--a new set of rules--again need more information.

 

[smkettner]

CA dealer most likely will need to ship the vehicle to the destination state where you can take possession and drive it down to the DMV to register.

 

[TomT]

Yep, if you drive it away you have to pay California sales tax.

CA dealer most likely will need to ship the vehicle to the destination state where you can take possession and drive it down to the DMV to register.

 

[bwilliams]

My legal residence is CA. I pay HUGE taxes in BOTH states. I own property in both states. I own and register vehicles in both states (coincidentally, the vehicle I own in the other state is a Versa, of all things - and it is registered there.) Property taxes in the other state are very high compared to CA - hence no sales tax. Trust me, I'm not draining any CA resources - I'm paying for them!!

But I don't think this info helps one bit in answering my question. I simply want to know if anyone has registered their CA bought car in another state. Not complicated.

 

[bwilliams]

Yep, if you drive it away you have to pay California sales tax.

OK, thanks. That's what the sales guy was telling me but he was really confused about what I was asking (English was his second language). He thought I was coming from another state to buy in CA.

 

[bwilliams]

My legal residence is CA. I pay HUGE taxes in BOTH states. I own property in both states. I own and register vehicles in both states (coincidentally, the vehicle I own in the other state is a Versa, of all things - and it is registered there.) Property taxes in the other state are very high compared to CA - hence no sales tax. Trust me, I'm not draining any CA resources - I'm paying for them!!

But I don't think this info helps one bit in answering my question. I simply want to know if anyone has registered their CA bought car in another state. Not complicated.

PS I thought the Versa was one ugly car when I bought it but it was 13K and got over its looks really fast. The leaf is an even more ugly version of the Versa - I'll get over that too ...

 

[TonyWilliams]

If you buy the car here, even if you are a bona fide resident of another state, you will pay California taxes.

As stated, you could have the car shipped to the state (I assume Oregon or Montana, the only two western states without sales tax), but if you're holding a California state driver's license, good luck with that one.

There are things folks do in the boating (well, yachting) and airplane business to get around sales tax, but they don't apply so well to cars.

I recommend getting the $2500 California rebate and paying the sales tax, and putting California tags on it. Where do you intend to operate the vehicle?

 

[highcountryrider]

Washington has a sales tax. but it doesn't apply to EVs.

 

[seeker]

I'm expecting my leaf in November in CA. I would really like to register the car in the state where I am from - that state has no sales tax. There are no leafs for sale there now nor in the near future. The savings in no sales tax is greater than the 2.5K CA rebate. Has anyone bought in CA and registered in another state? I do reside about 60/40 in both states with CA at 60% right now.

Yes, I have. You need to make sure that you do *not* drive your LEAF in CA at all, and that you have a transportation form that indicates that you will move the vehicle out of state. My bank helped me with all this, and I did not have to pay any CA registration or sales taxes at all. If you use a bank for a loan, a good bank should take care of all this for you. I used BellCo and they certainly did that for me.

 

[bwilliams]

As stated, you could have the car shipped to the state (I assume Oregon or Montana, the only two western states without sales tax), but if you're holding a California state driver's license, good luck with that one.

Neither. You missed my (hint) tiny state. : )

 

[bwilliams]

I'm expecting my leaf in November in CA. I would really like to register the car in the state where I am from - that state has no sales tax. There are no leafs for sale there now nor in the near future. The savings in no sales tax is greater than the 2.5K CA rebate. Has anyone bought in CA and registered in another state? I do reside about 60/40 in both states with CA at 60% right now.

Yes, I have. You need to make sure that you do *not* drive your LEAF in CA at all, and that you have a transportation form that indicates that you will move the vehicle out of state. My bank helped me with all this, and I did not have to pay any CA registration or sales taxes at all. If you use a bank for a loan, a good bank should take care of all this for you. I used BellCo and they certainly did that for me.

Thanks. I will look into this.

 

[amtoro]

If you register the car in another state but keep it in California, then you would have to buy an insurance policy from the other state, but you cannot do that unless you garage the car in that state (you must reside in that state) and have a drivers license from that state.

Even if all that applies, if you then decide to reside in California, you are required by law to apply for a California driver's license as if you had moved in to CA. Then, you would be "importing the vehicle" into CA and have to pay sales tax.

There is no way around it, you may pull it off and save a few hundreds, but you would be committing tax fraud and that is a CRIME.

Please respect our country and your state and pay the sales tax (and claim your CA rebate)

 

[bwilliams]

If you register the car in another state but keep it in California, then you would have to buy an insurance policy from the other state, but you cannot do that unless you garage the car in that state (you must reside in that state) and have a drivers license from that state.

FYI: you do not have to reside in the state where you own, register and insure a car. Think about all those vacation homes / second homes people have in OTHER states. They also have cars there. States, at least the state where my second home is, allows you to garage, register and insure without being a resident. Naturally. They don't expect me to drive a car 3000+ miles back and forth, as would be the case for me.

Not surprising, and a reality check, that there can be misinformation on this forum.

 

[JimSouCal]

Not surprising, and a reality check, that there can be misinformation on this forum.

I can't speak to what you are discussing, but it surprises me how often conjecture is presented as fact on forums in general. On the other hand, there are some amazingly unique points of view and situations, and technical expertise that fascinates me. A skeptical critical analytical mind is the best tool for wading through all of it--I wish I had a better one :roll: .

 

[SkiTundra]

What state your drivers license is from and what state is your legal residence has zero bearing on this. Many states make no requirement to register a vehicle there and will even allow you to register with an out-of-state address. Some require an in-state address of some sort and some a street address (no PO Box). I owned a car in CA for several years that spent most of it's time parked near SJC. It was registered in CA but with a MN address, DL, etc. Insurance was purchased in CA.

However, high tax states like CA & MN will go after people just trying to dodge taxes so you don't want to give them any reason to believe you've moved the car back to CA.

 

[BLUEH20]

Back to the original question which I believe is: You are a legal resident of California. You also have a residence in another state. You want to purchase a vehicle in California but register as new at your secondary residence for use in that state? Is there any legal way to avoid paying California Sales Tax and any other related payments to California?

I believe the key issue is "purchased in California" and legal residence does not enter into the picture as long as the vehicle remains outside of California and in the state that is registered. Do not want to get into tri-state issues!

I agree that if a non-LEAF certified dealership (LEAFs are not for sale in the secondary state?) in the secondary state could arrange a dealer trade/purchase, your problems would be solved by making the purchase in that state.

Have you contacted a dealership in the secondary state to see if the dealer trade/sale is possible?
Registering it in the secondary state is a breeze--just got to get clear of California Dept of Revenue.

 

[bwilliams]

I haven't, but plan to. I will be there in early October. Will visit the dealership where I bought my Versa - good people.

Have you contacted a dealership in the secondary state to see if the dealer trade/sale is possible?
Registering it in the secondary state is a breeze--just got to get clear of California Dept of Revenue.

 

[idashark]

I bought my LEAF in Washington (Campbell-Nelson) which has no sales tax for an EV and got just a temporary tag. Friends trailered it to me in Nampa (near Boise, ID) and registered it here and paid ID sales tax.