British couple buying an RV in the US

[KatTab]

Hello. We are a British couple with long stay US visas. We want to buy a RV to travel round the US and Canada (and possibly down to S America) for a couple of years. We are experienced campervanners and will buy an RV that will allow us to get off the beaten track (Not too large and maybe 4x4). We will sell the RV in the US when we finish our trip. We are planning ahead for next year, but need to start our research now. We do not need finance.
We have friends in South Carolina, Georgia and California who have said that we can use their address. Sales tax is South Carolina 5% (max 500$), Georgia 6.6% and California 7.25%.
So the first question is - which of these states would be best to buy and then sell a RV.
We understand that in California that pollution laws may effect the type of vehicle we are allowed to buy.
We are assuming that it might be easier to register the vehicle in the same state as the address, but this may not be the case.
We are unclear as to whether we need to pay property tax as well as sales tax (we do not own property in the US).
We will have many more questions, but these are the things we need to know to start the process.
Thank you for helping us with our first steps.

[Veebyes]

OP gets solid advice from one who has done it then disappears.

You are welcome.

[PartyOf_Five]

A friend did this a couple years ago coming from France. DM me.

[opnspaces]

What problem would he have with the IRS? The only thing I've ever worried about with a vehicle and the IRS is getting a refund on the yearly vehicle license fee.

As far as some of your other questions I'm not in Georgia, I'm in California which many members of this board seem to hate for one reason or another. But the answers are basically the same.

No State department of motor vehicles is going to ask if you are a legal resident or a vacationing tourist. They are going to take the paperwork, figure out the applicable fees based on the vehicle purchase price and the address you put on the form and register the vehicle in your name.

There might be a requirement for an emissions certification. As stated above, if you are buying a vehicle newer than 1995 the test is most likely going to be a computer check.

A caveat to the computer check is that an unscrupulous seller can clear the check engine light and sell the vehicle and then the light will come on a few days later. So before you buy the vehicle have them hook it up to the OBDC tester and show you on the screen that the emissions system is ready and passing and not waiting for all the sensors to read in. It can take days to weeks after the computer trouble codes are cleared for all the sensors to read in and satisfy the computer. So don't buy the story that the issue that caused the failure was fixed and the computer will eventually read all is good in a few days. If the code reader doesn't currently say the vehicle is passing inspection then don't consider buying the vehicle.

Yes you have to have insurance on the vehicle. Don't just settle for the minimum required insurance, For example in California the minimum required insurance is
$15,000 for injury/death to one person.
$30,000 for injury/death to more than one person.
$5,000 for damage to property.

For me personally I would never go with that low of insurance. Bumping up to a higher coverage is typically only a few dollars a month more.

The insurance carriers like Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Farmers, AAA, and many others will know what minimum coverage's are required for your state.

In the United States you only need insurance for the state you are registered in. The insurance will cover you no matter which state you are currently driving in. BUT it will not cover you outside the United States unless you ask for and pay more for coverage in the other country. Don't ask us, the agent you talk to on the phone will be able to tell you if they even cover travel outside the United States.

[Veebyes]

As you can see from all of the responses it is not simple.

While it is nice of the friend to offer his address for you, having a rig resistered at his address that is not even owned by a US citizen could create problems for him with the IRS.

Many non US citizens create a LLC hosted in a state such as Montana. Easy to set up. No sales tax in Montana. No annual vehicle inspection. All done over the phone.

Your company owns the vehicle. The address of the host office is used for registration. Keep the vehicle wherever you like.

[CharlesinGA]

mr_andyj wrote:
For Georgia you will pay a "sales tax" based on what the county thinks your vehicle is worth. You can get a lower valuation, but that requires getting someone official (repair shop) to write it up and for the county official to approve it, then send it to a higher-up to approve and a week later you get a modified valuation.

In Georgia the steps are: there are no steps. If it is a licensed/titled vehicle then you just pay for the new title and pay your tax. They issue you your license plate right there in person and all is good. You only need to have proof of insurance.
No inspection is necessary in GA.

The "sales tax" is 6% if I remember correctly.
certificate if applicable.

I have received conflicting info as to paying property tax in South Carolina.
I have never heard of "property tax" on non property, but am not from SC. Property is generally just land, not things. You will pay a tax one way or the other. 6% is not going to be far off no matter the state.
In Ga you pay 6% once, then about $20-40 each year after that which you own the vehicle.

In Georgia, on MOTORIZED vehicles, you will pay a ONE TIME TITLE TAX (currently 6.6%) when you go to apply for a title and registration. The Title tax is based on a standardized book value generated by the State of GA. It will NOT vary from County to County (or should not if they are doing the computer entries properly) it is based on a VIN number. If the VIN is for an INCOMPLETE vehicle (meaning a cab and chassis that the coach company fitted a body to) then the value may not be in the computer. If you have some special circumstance that you feel the value is much different than the book numbers, you go ahead and pay the tax, and file an appeal form with the tax commissioner, who passes this along to the county Board of Assessors, who handle the appeal and value of it. Every county BOA establishes their own procedures and processes for the appeal and value. We allowed office staff to make adjustments up to 25% of the book, more than that, they made a recommendation and it was decided upon in a BOA meeting. Again, the appeal always goes to the BOA, but each of the 159 counties handles that process differently. I sat on my county BOA for 15 years, most of that as the Chairman. We handled a good number of appeals, usually extremely high mileage vehicles, or ones with damage that were still drive-able. There is no sales tax on motorized vehicles.

After registering the vehicle, each year you pay a registration fee which is $20 for a car or light truck, and higher for heavier vehicles. You DO NOT pay a yearly Ad Valorem tax on MOTORIZED vehicles which you titled and registered after March 2013. If you own vehicles bought prior to that (I own two bought prior to that time) then you pay Ad Valorem tax EVERY year.

On trailers, you pay a tag fee and a fee to title the trailer (fairly minimal) and then pay an Ad Valorem tax, based on a book value. That tax will vary by the address used as every county has a different milage rate and then you have cities, fire districts, school tax, etc, all of this adds together to create a milage rate for a particular location. You pay the registration fee and the Ad Valorem tax each year on trailers and non-motorized vehicles.

In Georgia, you pay property tax on EVERYTHING except what is specifically exempt. Taxable property includes Real property (land) and Personal Property (boats, airplanes, other personal property that the aggerate total exceeds $7500) Your clothes and household items are exempt.

Charles

[miltvill]

In Florida you will pay sales tax on the total purchase cost of the RV or vehicle.
This tax is 6% to 8% depending on the county you live in. This is a one time tax. Then each year you will pay to renew the license plate which should be less then $100 dollars a year. If you rent a cheap place to live and establish Florida residency then you could apply for a Florida drivers license which you could use in all 50 states and Canada. Florida has no state income tax.

[Community Alumni]

More nonsense? Must be a slow day for you.

[mr_andyj]

gemsworld wrote:
Didn't take long before someone felt compelled to insert a political diatribe in this thread.

you are like the Kermit The Frog of the Forum World, and Miss Piggy also has nothing to do with the cost of bread these days

[Community Alumni]

Didn't take long before someone felt compelled to insert a political diatribe in this thread.

[mr_andyj]

double post??

[Grit_dog]

If you were serious about this, you would look up or contact the licensing agencies and insurance companies.
You’re going to get a bunch of answers that only half apply IMO, because the vast majority of the folks here would be speculating because we’re not foreigners in the US or Canada.

Also, sounds like you don’t know much about RVs. That is as big or bigger a task as the paperwork part.
What you’re looking for (as I read it, self contained, not a trailer, 4wd) are not really mass produced or readily available and those that are, are generally very expensive or a custom build (read homemade). Save for truck campers. That is North America’s mass produced solution for your wants.
Buy a pickup truck, plop any number of campers on it and off ya go.

[mr_andyj]

For Georgia you will pay a "sales tax" based on what the county thinks your vehicle is worth. You can get a lower valuation, but that requires getting someone official (repair shop) to write it up and for the county official to approve it, then send it to a higher-up to approve and a week later you get a modified valuation.

In Georgia the steps are: there are no steps. If it is a licensed/titled vehicle then you just pay for the new title and pay your tax. They issue you your license plate right there in person and all is good. You only need to have proof of insurance.
No inspection is necessary in GA.

The "sales tax" is 6% if I remember correctly.


Please can you help us clarify what are the legal steps to put a RV on the road for use?
1)When we buy a RV, does it make a difference if ownership is transferred to a non US citizen?
no

2)What vehicle checks are required for road worthiness?
none.
None in the states you ask about.
All vehicles in Ga in "metro" counties will have to pass an emissions inspection. For OBII (newer than 1995) vehicles the inspection is just to plug into the computer and get a pass or fail. $12-20 for this. Registering in a non-emissions county means you do not need this.
Larger vehicles and diesels are exempt. I think gross vehicle weight over 7,500 lbs is the magic number, so 3/4 ton trucks and almost all Rv motorhomes are exempt.

3) What is the process to register a RV in the US?
same as a car. proof of insurance and money to pay the fees. emissions certificate if applicable.

4) What insurance is required for full time use of a RV in the registered state and other states?
Dont ask-dont tell. There is no such thing as full-time living as far as the State goes. They only issue your license plate/tag.
Your insurance company might want to know, but again, don't tell them anything they do not need to know. If you have an accident and need to claim, then you can just say this is our first day in the RV on this trip. Living in it weeks or months prior has no effect.

5) What is the period we can drive in the US with a U.K. or international driving license?
As long as you are allowed to stay. How long is your visa? Driving is not the issue, being here is. Years, or decades I imagine is the answer.

6) What issues do we need to consider.
Bigger issue is choosing the right vehicle.
This is America, home of the automobile! We drive, everybody has a car. There is no issues with owning other than depreciation. You purchase of a new vehicle will cost you half of its price tag as soon as you drive it off the dealer lot.

I have received conflicting info as to paying property tax in South Carolina.
I have never heard of "property tax" on non property, but am not from SC. Property is generally just land, not things. You will pay a tax one way or the other. 6% is not going to be far off no matter the state.
In Ga you pay 6% once, then about $20-40 each year after that which you own the vehicle.

I think you are stuck in the socialist mentality of the govt owns you, owns everything, and you get to drive their vehicle. This is America. We still have many freedoms, though it is eroding quickly and we might soon the the USSA instead. We are free, do not like govt intrusion and as far as owning a vehicle you only need the register it to drive on public roads.

Also, in Alabama you are not required to even have vehicle insurance, and can drive un-insured in any State. For that reason it is good to have on your insurance policy a "uninsured motorist" coverage, which your policy will have automatically anyway. If you get hit by an uninsured motorist then your insurance will cover the damages.
Get also "towing" coverage.
If you get a new'ish vehicle there are other insurance plans that will cover all repairs, look into that if you will be driving a lot. It might be well worth the investment.
AAA is a company that does towing, and this site is Camping World and also has the same towing insurance and RV coverage.
Normal insurance companies will act like they have never heard of an RV, so it might be worth using the Camping World for coverage.

[pitch]

Problem is that 50 states have 50 different systems.
I can speak to NY.
vehicle sale tax is a one time thing.Based on the retail value of the vehicle.
Sales tax is dependent on the county of residence.4% for state plus an amount of local. Most counties hover around 2 to 4 percent for a total of about 8.
NY requires a safety and emissions inspection once per year. Safety is not a big deal. Brakes suspension, tire,glass,leaks etc.
Registration is easy, Present title and pay the fee. NY was two year registrations. Certainly less than a hundred dollars.
Just go thru any of the regular insurance companies, GEICO, Progressive,ETC. we have liability and collision.
Liability covers your victims.normally to 100k. Collision covers your vehicle as far as replacement. IN NY at least you do not need collision. It is a requirement posed by your lender but not the state. Of course in case of an accident you are on the hook.

[valhalla360]

FWC wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
Don't even consider california. It makes no sense.

You can find 4x4 trucks everywhere. The biggest issue is they may never have used the 4x4, so check that it engages and disengages properly.

Yes, you can find the trucks anywhere, but try finding a used 4x4 Sprinter Van, Sportsmobile or a four wheel drive capable truck camper like a Hallmark or a Tiger in the East. These are hard to find in general and are really hard to find in the East, because there is really no use for them there.

It all depends on what the OP is looking for, but if they really want a four wheel drive camper to explore North and South America, these are mostly built and found in the rockies and west.

If they are going for something like a Tiger, the tax cost won't be their problem...those are expensive. I was referring to a truck camper.