California bill of sale question

[bobH]

One thing not yet mentioned... my experience with the last four that I've registered in CA.... when I buy, I put them on 'non-op'. The DMV has never charged me 'use tax' on something I'm not using. It's usually a 15 buck deal for the transfer, except one time when there were outstanding reg fees. The cleanest deals were with NO paperwork, and the vehicles were not in the computer because they weren't registered in the last 7 or 10 years (whichever it is). I've also used the private registration service which has been GREAT for me. The cost has been nowhere near what expavr posted, maybe a little over half in the 75-90 range. I would shop a little more on that 150 post.
(By the way, that one example with the outstanding registration fees was for a 79 MG, and the fees were substantial. I learned that the fees were 'negotiable', and I got them reduced by more than half. Also noted, the paperwork on this car was 'muddied', with 4 or 5 'in-between' owners between me and the pink slip owner. We never did track down, or identify any of the previous owners. And, I put the car on 'non-op', which got it on 'clean paper', in my name. It took a few months to do this, because of 'timing'. I had to wait until the registration-due date, in order to get the transfer on 'non-op'.)

[Oakhurst]

bobH
Did you have to pay use tax when you took if off non-op?

[TJ]

Originally Posted by Oakhurst

bobH
Did you have to pay use tax when you took if off non-op?

The last time I put one on non-op that I bought they made me pay the use tax up front.

[Charlie Stephens]

Where did "use tax" come from? I always thought it was a sales tax like I would pay if I bought a lawn mower.

Charlie Stephens

[Capsacto]

Charlie, in California they call it "sales tax" when you purchase a brand new car from a new car dealer, that's what is shown on a new car sales contract. When you buy a previously owned car the tax is called "use tax" and is shown as that on a dealer used car sales contract. It also is called "use tax" at the DMV when you register a vehicle purchased from a private-party. The tax is based on the sales tax rate in your city or county of residence. So, bottom line is the tax is the same whether it's called "sales tax" or "use tax". Ain't California great the way the state can make things as complicated as they can....

[Charlie Stephens]

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Originally Posted by Capsacto

Charlie, in California they call it "sales tax" when you purchase a brand new car from a new car dealer, that's what is shown on a new car sales contract. When you buy a previously owned car the tax is called "use tax" and is shown as that on a dealer used car sales contract. It also is called "use tax" at the DMV when you register a vehicle purchased from a private-party. The tax is based on the sales tax rate in your city or county of residence. So, bottom line is the tax is the same whether it's called "sales tax" or "use tax". Ain't California great the way the state can make things as complicated as they can....

Thanks for filling me in. I had never gotten down to that level of detail before. Probably more than I really needed to know.

Charlie Stephens

[TJ]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

Thanks for filling me in. I had never gotten down to that level of detail before. Probably more than I really needed to know.

Charlie Stephens

Charlie the term "use tax" was initiated by the state, so they could tax you without the tax having to be voted on by the people. The original sales tax had already been charged at the time of the first sale. It was designed to tax private party sales, as private parties aren't required to collect sales tax like dealers on used cars. They can raise the "use tax" any time they want without a vote. Nice scam isn't it!

[itslow]

If you don't like headaches, walk away, because this transaction is guaranteed to be a migraine.

[Jeff/Illinois]

I agree with itslow and deucemac on this. Something sounds too fishy.

RUN don't walk and look for another '40 Ford they aren't that rare. This guy is trying to pull one over on you and the end result is going to be very ugly and expensive.

[CarlG]

When I bought my Model A Pickup, it had current CA plates & pink, but not from the seller. The seller had only "owned" it a month or so, and had obtained it just in order to flip it. Alaska DMV had no problem accepting the signed pink. Title did match the engine #, but our DMV never checked it.

[WANNAT]

Does anyone know when the watermark started on the California vehicle title and how to tell a fake before the watermark?
Thank you for your time ... Tom

[TJ]

Call DMV about the water mark.