Calif. Purchase by Oregon buyer - Sales Tax ?

[capnqball]

We just sold our 36 Journey and plan to purchase a new coach, possibly from a CA dealer. One dealer mentioned having to take delivery out of state in order to eliminate the CA sales tax. Is this true? Oregon is thankfully a non sales tax state so I will obviously titling the coach at my home address. Is there any other use tax, etc. that could apply if certain precautions are not taken? The other possibility is purchasing from a Memphis dealer (Davis) for a new Tiffin. Any issues there?

Ron in NW Oregon

[Community Alumni]

Executive wrote:
If you purchase from a DEALER and take possession of the vehicle WITHIN the State of California, the DEALER is REQUIRED to collect California sales tax. To avoid that, the vehicle must be delivered OUTSIDE California. YOU may NOT drive it from the dealer's lot. If you are going to tag it in Oregon, pay the dealer to have it driven there for delivery. For his protection, he may have the delivery documents notarized inside the Oregon border....Dennis

On the notarization that would be true as it provides the one of the requirements that the Board of Equalization (BOE) needs not the California DMV. I think that there is a form referenced there for the proof of out of state delivery from a California dealer that both you and the dealers delivery person needs to sign and have notarized.

JimR

[Community Alumni]

Francesca Knowles wrote:
There is no sales tax due on purchases of any kind made in California and immediately removed from the State. See this Ca.Gov. link

I am not sure if the wording "purchases of any kind" is correct but if a vehicle is purchased from an out of state dealer and then delivered by the manufacturer to the purchaser who then removes the vehicle from the state.
From Pub 61 pg 10 NEW VEHICLES, OUT-OF-STATE DEALER—The sale of a new truck or trailer with an unladen weight of 6,000 pounds or more, or a new trailer coach or auxiliary dolly, purchased from an out-of-state dealer for use outside California is exempt from sales tax if the property is delivered to the purchaser in California
by the manufacturer, and the purchaser removes such vehicle out of state within 30 days.

Or if from a foreign country and purchased prior to entry into California and then removed by the purchaser to his country. That is the in transit permit for I think $60.00.

If you have a reference to a publication a page number would help. My reference to Pub 52 in my first post here is on page 6

I also do not think that Pub 61 is intended for the general purchaser in California but for those in foreign and domestic carriers truck and aircraft and marine and in general for the commercial sales of those items and as always with exceptions.

Thanks
JimR

[capnqball]

Dennis, what you describe agrees with LaMesa RV and is what I must agree is most likely fact.

Mark, the prices I've initially received from local dealers don't come close to Davis' pricing; we're talking about 15-20K of our money which is definitely not chump change. If the prices were very near each other I would certainly go with the more local dealer, knowing of course they have higher delivery costs to the PNW.

Thank you all for the advice. This forum is definitely one of the reasons I'm down to looking and buying a Tiffin product. Our Winn. Journey was well built and served us well, but the newer postings about their supposed lack of customer service and component issues concern me, but that's for another thread.

[1SG]

Dennis is correct. I live in Oregon and I just purchased a new to me motorhome. My wife and I started our search while we were vacationing in southern CA and found a couple motorhomes that would fit our needs also found a couple motorhomes in Oregon that fit our needs. I was dealing through email with all the dealerships that had coaches we would like. The dealers in CA would do out of state delivery for a fee and it was to the nearest border which was NV. No big deal. We ended up buying from an Oregon dealer due to less hassle factor and they gave us a better trade in value.

My point is shop around in Oregon before going out of state. And beware of dealer websites, they don't update there listing often at all.

Good luck
Paul

[Executive45]

If you purchase from a DEALER and take possession of the vehicle WITHIN the State of California, the DEALER is REQUIRED to collect California sales tax. To avoid that, the vehicle must be delivered OUTSIDE California. YOU may NOT drive it from the dealer's lot. If you are going to tag it in Oregon, pay the dealer to have it driven there for delivery. For his protection, he may have the delivery documents notarized inside the Oregon border....Dennis

[Mark_Heisler]

capnqball wrote:
We just sold our 36 Journey and plan to purchase a new coach, possibly from a CA dealer. One dealer mentioned having to take delivery out of state in order to eliminate the CA sales tax. Is this true? Oregon is thankfully a non sales tax state so I will obviously titling the coach at my home address. Is there any other use tax, etc. that could apply if certain precautions are not taken? The other possibility is purchasing from a Memphis dealer (Davis) for a new Tiffin. Any issues there?

Ron in NW Oregon

Sure sound like a pain in the a-- doing what your doing.
If it was me buy a new motorhome in your home state.they have dealer everwhere. why would you want to go through all that trouble just to camp

[mowermech]

I have purchased two used vehicles from dealers in CA in the past. Both times, the dealer was told that the vehicle would be registered in Montana. Both times, the sales tax had to be paid, and the vehicle titled in Ca. When I got the Ca title, I took it to the Montana DMV and got it registered in Montana.
Then, after the date when the CA registration would have expired if it had still been valid, I got a nastygram from CA DMV that I had BETTER either renew the CA registration, or put the vehicle in NONOP status immediately, or the penalties would be severe. I sent them a copy of the MT registration, and they shut up.
I have also bought vehicles from private parties in CA. No tax, no problems.
So, to cut to the bottom line, YES, have the dealer deliver the new motorhome to you IN OREGON, and sign the final papers there. It will save a lot of money and hassle!

[roam1]

Over the past 15 years I bought a vehicle in CA and Colorado. I moved them to Florida within 30 days. Both times the dealer had some paperwork I signed that allowed me to defer paying the sales tax until I registered in Florida. Maybe things have changed, don't know.....if dealer doesn't know how, find another dealer

[capnqball]

In the CA Gov link mentioned above, I find no section that applies to Motorhomes. There is a section on trailers over 6000 lbs unladen weight (I presume for commercial use), but not MH's. Maybe I'm missing something.

[TOOBOLD]

If you buy in Southern Cal can't you take delivery in
Arizona or Nevada whichever is closest? Once delivered return to the area for service then head home.

[old_guy]

donn2346 is partly correct. if you buy out of state, you need to take the MH, TT, or 5th wheel, what ever it is, you need to take it to the DMV with you at the time you get your license for that vehicle. they need to look it over and look at the vin number among other things to make sure it is what you are suppose to have before they will let you license it. I found out the hard way on that one when we bought our TT from the state of Washington. had to make two trips to the DMV and wait in line for an hour twice to get the plates for it. It was over 100* out side and she asked me if I was going to come with her out side and I told her knock your self out, I didn't know what to look for.

[capnqball]

2oldman, I was referring to several of the posts regarding the idea I may have to take delivery out of state.

I have not yet asked a couple southern CA dealer to give me a bid on an order, but Davis' price may negate the need to worry about it. (CA delivery or not) The logistics are just a bit more complicated going to Memphis.

[Francesca_Knowl]

There is no sales tax due on purchases of any kind made in California and immediately removed from the State. See this Ca.Gov. link

[BobGed]

capnqball wrote:
The other possibility is purchasing from a Memphis dealer (Davis) for a new Tiffin. Any issues there?

Ron in NW Oregon

None what so ever and you will undoubtedly get a better deal at Davis than any CA dealer. Tiffin has numerous authorized west coast locations where you can have warranty work done if your local dealer refuses because you didn't buy the coach from them. If you would like to contact me directly I can give you the name and contact info of Tiffin's west coast service rep.