Georgia Threatens to Raise Taxes on Older Vehicles

[Woogeroo]

I put this here because it involves taxes and registration for older vehicles of all kinds in the State of Georgia.

Please move it to the appropriate forum if needed.

I wasn't sure where else to put it.

Thanks,

-W

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from our buddys at SEMA SAN comes this alert here:

Georgia Threatens to Raise Taxes on Older Vehicles

If that link is broken, it is also on the SEMA SAN website, off the homepage or under Alerts.


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source :

Georgia Threatens to Raise Taxes on Older Vehicles


Legislation (H.B. 80) introduced in the Georgia General Assembly may effectively raise taxes on untitled vehicles that remain subject to the state’s annual ad valorem tax. As a result of a law enacted last year, vehicles that are sold in the state and re-titled in the new owner’s name will be subject to a one-time tax (“New Title Fee”) beginning March 1, 2013. The “New Title Fee” will replace annual ad valorem taxes for titled vehicles sold after March 1, 2013, including vehicles sold and purchased by enthusiasts. However, pre-1963 model year vehicles are not titled and pre-1986 model year vehicles are not required to be titled, so many vehicles would remain subject to the lesser annual assessments even when transferred to a new owner.

H.B. 80 is designed to close the loophole on un-titled vehicles and would alter the definition of "fair market value” to force vehicle owners subject to the annual tax to pay more by assessing their vehicle’s value at the retail selling price or the value contained within the assessment manual, whichever is greater. Since current law requires antique, hobby, and special interest vehicles to be valued in this manual at only $100 for ad valorem tax purposes, the retail selling price will almost always be the greater of the two values.
We Urge You to Contact All Members of the Georgia House Ways and Means Committee (List Attached Below) Immediately to Request Their Opposition to H.B. 80

• For purposes of ad valorem taxes on motor vehicles, "antique or hobby or special interest motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle which is 25 years old or older or a motor vehicle which has been designed and manufactured to resemble an antique or historical vehicle.
• Under current law, pre-1986 vehicles are not required to be titled in Georgia and pre-1963 vehicles cannot be titled in Georgia, so these vehicles cannot be subjected to the “New Title Fee,” but would be subject to an increased annual ad valorem tax.
• H.B. 80 threatens to raise the annual ad valorem tax on pre-1986 vehicles without titles by assessing their value based on the retail selling price.
• H.B. 80 ignores the fact that many antique, classic and collectible vehicles are owned and maintained by low and fixed income Americans who are less able to afford a higher, annual tax.
• H.B. 80 ignores the fact that these older cars are infrequently driven (about one-third the miles each year as a new vehicle) hobby cars and should not be subject to increased tax rates.

DON’T DELAY! Please contact members of the Georgia House Ways and Means Committee immediately by e-mail to request their opposition to H.B. 80.

Please e-mail a copy of your letter to Steve McDonald at [email protected]. Also, please forward this Alert to your fellow car enthusiasts. Urge them to join the SAN and help defend the hobby! Thank you for your assistance.

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Georgia Threatens to Raise Taxes on Older Vehicles

If you live in the State of Georgia, please take some time to contact your representatives as well as the
members of the Georgia House Ways and Means Committee. See the link above for a list of emails/phone numbers and names of representatives on this committee.

To find all of your elected officials to contact about any and all automobile related matters, based on your legal residence address, go here :

http://votesmart.org

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the vote smart site uses the entire 4 plus zip code to look up your reps, if you need to know what yours is, go here:
USPS.com® - ZIP Code™ Lookup



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The actual bill, HB 80 on the Georgia Legislature website.


If you live in Georgia or have any old vehicle loving family members or buddys that do... please send this along to them and encourage them to contact the committee members and their representatives.

Thanks.

-W

[Woogeroo]

Status History

Feb/08/2013 - House Withdrawn, Recommitted
Feb/06/2013 - House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
Jan/28/2013 - House Second Readers
Jan/17/2013 - House First Readers
Jan/16/2013 - House Hopper

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Footnotes

2/8/2013 Withdrawn from the General Calendar and recommitted to Ways and Means by the Rules Committee

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That is the committee where it originated! It has been withdrawn and sent back.

Why? I have no idea, maybe for some changes, tweaks or what not...

Keep it up folks with the emails, letters, postcards and phone calls... and those of you who can, the personal visits.

Thanks a bunch!

-W

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I asked the SEMA SAN people what all of that above there, means... this is the reply I received :

Thanks for your inquiry. Basically, the synopsis below means that the bill went back to Committee for further exploration. Thus, it is still on the table and we expect it to be up for Committee vote fairly soon. As soon as the bill is moving again, we’ll notify all SAN members in the state to take action accordingly.

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So get ready for some more emailing, phone calling and letter writing folks.

If any of you are in the districts of the folks on that committee, please get in touch with them. To find out how, see the original posts I made, look for the vote smart site.

-W

[Woogeroo]

HB 80 has passed the Georgia House.

source - HB 80 page on the Georgia Legislature site

Votes

Feb/14/2013 - House Vote #54

Yea(159)

Nay(4)

NV(5)

Exc(12)



It now goes to the State Senate, I do not know at this time what senate number has been attached to the legislation.

Make some noise folks...

-W

[Woogeroo]

from bajones238 on the HAMB, his post is here :

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I wrote all of the legislators on the Georgia House Ways and Means Committee expressing my concern over HB80, and a few days ago I received this reply from Tom Rice, author of the bill:

Dear Mr. Jones:

Thank you for your note.

The information you were provided with regard to antique vehicles was wrong. House bill 80 and current law have the following affect:
1) Pre 63, no title available = no title fee,
2) 63 - 85 can register if you want to, no change in ownership = no title fee but continued ad valorem based upon $100 valuation.
3) When you sell a 63 - 85 if they register they will be subject to a 1% title fee.
4) Hobby vehicles when sold and registered are subject to a 1% title fee.

The point is that HB 80 has no effect on currently owned antique vehicles. It is only when they are sold and titled that there would be a 1% title fee. The Antique Auto Club of America and several other organization met with me and were happy with the process described above.

Best regards,
Rep. Tom Rice
Chairman, House Motor Vehicles Committee

FYI.


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That is more information than I have received from any of the other House members I wrote.

Including my own Rep.

I'm just trying to provide links and sources and accurate information to everyone, so they can be informed.


-W

[Woogeroo]

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Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013

Car tax remedy in danger of stalling