States To Register RV

[az99]

I have been away from this for a while. Are there any states other than Montana that you can register a MH with no sales tax or reasonable tax? I am aware Montana really hiked the rates in the last few years.

I am not looking to start a debate on why or why not to pay tax. The state where the RV will be stored won't register it as I am not a resident. The state I am a resident won't register it unless it is there, which it won't be. So I am stuck finding a state like Montana that wants to register it.

Thanx

[brobox]

Fl is one state that will allow you to register with just an address. https://www.sbimailservice.com/ provides that type of service. A one time sales tax in FL is 6% annual plates about $58. thereafter

[sweetandsour]

If its been registered in another state for at least 6 months there will be no sales tax. Only a transfer fee plus tag fee.

Originally Posted by brobox

Fl is one state that will allow you to register with just an address. https://www.sbimailservice.com/ provides that type of service. A one time sales tax in FL is 6% annual plates about $58. thereafter

[TXTiger]

So Dakota also allows a mail forwarding address for registration. They don’t call it sales tax but you do pay a 4% excise tax on the purchase amount less the trade in value. If you have it already registered in your name in another State and you are not purchasing it, just moving to So Dakota there is no tax. There are many mail forwarding companies in SD. Escapees has one, also America’s Mail Box, both located in Box Elder a suburb of Rapid City. Many more in Souix Falls too.

[99phantoms]

Originally Posted by TXTiger

If you have it already registered in your name in another State and you are not purchasing it, just moving to So Dakota there is no tax.

Better check that. They told me if I had not already paid 4% sales tax elsewhere, I had to pay it in SD.

[brobox]

Steve is correct about Fl sales tax if you have owned it for more than 6 months.

[Gary.Jones]

Montana's registration fee did go up from approximately $200 annually to approximately $1200 annually. However in the past 10 years or so, that was the first major change in their fees. The fee drops as the coach ages, but not appreciably.

Gary

[voltdoc]

Originally Posted by brobox

Steve is correct about Fl sales tax if you have owned it for more than 6 months.

I can confirm that as well.

Also, I believe you would still need a "presence" in MT to register there. There are several law firms that would be happy to set you up with an LLC for a fee and get you a registration in the LLC name. But check with them about the rules for your domicile state and/or storage state in regard to bringing your MT registered coach there legally. For example a FL resident can't technically bring a coach they registered with out of state tags into FL for the first six months without paying the FL sales tax. Also note besides the initial and annual attorney fees, there are the higher state fees Gary mentioned.

If you want to change registration from MT in the future, be careful as some states or counties may still want to charge you their sales tax if you don't dissolve the LLC. There is a fee to do the dissolution.

[hdgoldie]

I'm not aware of any states other than MT that let you avoid sales tax although I think there was one out east that did...maybe NH? With the higher registration fees and the attorney fees for creating the LLC in MT, you may need to weigh the advantages. There's also the issue with getting insurance. Insurance for a MT registered coach can be pricey. A low tax state like SD might be less expensive in the long run. We've seen folks who have chosen to register in SD, TX and FL but I never got into a conversation about why they picked those states - it could have been something as simple as family in the area. Many moons ago there was a thread that discussed advantages/disadvantages of various states but I think that was primarily about MT. I couldn't locate it but I don't have Chuck's search skills. Lousy position to be in - good luck.

[Hurleys RV]

I'm going to follow this thread for a bit as I'm looking into alternatives also. I paid over 12k in sales tax and yearly property tax was around 8K this year in VA. I was okay with the sales tax as your going to pay the money somehow wherever you go directly or indirectly. (higher insurance, registration etc.) The property tax is what I'm unhappy about.

[wnytaxman]

Montana has also added another layer of tax on "luxury" vehicles of $800 per year for vehicles with an MSRP of more than $300,000. That tax continues for ten years. That may enter into your calculation of the value of the Montana LLC along with the other issues that can occur with the Montana LLC.

I'm curious as to which state will not allow you to register in their state without the rig being there. I've never seen any state turn down any taxes or fees.

[wnytaxman]

Originally Posted by Hurleys RV

I'm going to follow this thread for a bit as I'm looking into alternatives also. I paid over 12k in sales tax and yearly property tax was around 8K this year in VA. I was okay with the sales tax as your going to pay the money somehow wherever you go directly or indirectly. (higher insurance, registration etc.) The property tax is what I'm unhappy about.

There have been a number of threads on the Virginia Personal Property Tax. I believe that the tax is done on a county by county basis and you can avoid it by garaging the RV in a different county. You might want to do a search on the Virginia Personal Property Tax.

[RVPioneer]

Do FL, MT or SD require the vehicle to be present for a VIN inspection, prior to registration?

[twinboat]

You can download and print out a VIN# validation form from Florida DMV.

You fill it out and find a police officer to sign off that they match. A dealer can also validate it on there letterhead.