Buying an RV in Oregon.

[Petethescot]

Hi All, we are Canadians looking to buy a used 5th wheel to take to Palm Springs once the borders are open again. What I would like to know is, if we buy one in Oregon and take it to California to leave year round do we pay sales taxes? Can I buy road insurance for the purpose of hauling it down to Palm Springs Even though I do not have an Oregon residence. What do I have to do?
I understand I cannot register the rig in Oregon as not a resident. So would it be registered in California .
Thanks for any feedback.
Peter

[ktmrfs]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
Sales Tax - you pay the legal sales tax where you buy a vehicle, and if you register the vehicle in a different state - you owe tax there.

Not necessarily true. recently we were looking at new vehicles and looked at buying in washington because they had one we wanted. Live in oregon. At least in WA if you purchase in WA are not a WA resident and are going to register in oregon (maybe other states as well) no sales tax due in washington. And oregon has no sales tax. So where we bought OR or WA didn't make any difference.

I believe in WA you pay the sales tax when you register the vehicle. So if it isn't registered in WA you won't pay sales tax.

Not sure how other states handle it.

[CA_Traveler]

As a former CA resident the answer is certainly yes - you will pay CA use tax (the correct term). Believe no one on this forum (including me) or any phone call to the CA DVM or the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). It DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THEY TELL YOU.

The CA use tax is determined by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) interpretation of Publication 52 when the use tax is due REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANYONE PREVIOUSLY TOLD YOU.

Yes it's possible to not pay the CA use tax if you are meet all of the requirements in publication 52. Doubtful to me that the exemptions apply to the OPs stated case.

[pianotuna]

In Saskatchewan there is sales tax. If you buy the unit at a "bargain" price, they jack that price up to "fair market value". I think it is rotten--but that's the way it is.

[gotsmart]

Petethescot wrote:
.... take it to California to leave year round ...

You can use the trip plates to transport an unregistered vehicle from point A to point B.

If you're never going to take it anywhere again, does it need to be titled, registered, insured, yada, yada, yada? It may depend. state/county/local laws may apply.

Some jurisdictions have 'junkyard laws' which say that all vehicles on a property MUST be registered.

If you are moving the trailer to a park - does that park have its own rules regarding unregistered or uninsured RVs?

My home park requires proof of insurance at check-in.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Sales Tax - you pay the legal sales tax where you buy a vehicle, and if you register the vehicle in a different state - you owe tax there.

I grew up near the corner of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

Vehicle dealers know the process intimately, and charged the proper sales tax on the invoice.

Bought new car in Texas once which was registered in Arkansas. They split out the amount of sales tax going to each state on the final sales papers.

Sales of used vehicles - the sales tax owed can depend upon the sale price, or upon the 'current value'. Texas is a state which has a 'current value' rule. Once gave a nine year old vehicle to my daughter, and she had to pay $62.50 because that is the 'minimum tax due' on a vehicle sale because their 'minimum sale or transfer' is 'valued' at $1,000.

Last research I have, and talking to my step-daughter in Portland is that Oregon has no sales tax/ collects no sales tax.

The real question is where are you going to register the vehicle? What is the tax there? I have no idea of rules to register a vehicle in CA. If a non-resident can even register a vehicle in the US.

[Durb]

I've purchased a number of vehicles in Oregon and paid no sales tax there. When the vehicle is registered in Washington they get you for sales tax. If there was a $5,000 rebate on your vehicle then they will even tax you on that amount even though you paid nothing.

Used to be Oregon had a booming RV business due to tax avoidance and a registration loophole. People would come from all over to buy RVs. The politicians felt cheated and closed the loophole killing off most of the retail industry.

[obgraham]

OP, like others say, you need to call or find the Cali rules from their DMV.
That said, the way it usually works is that when you register a vehicle, you have to cough up whatever sales tax would accrue in that state. It's often reworded as a "use" tax. Usually you get credit for whatever tax you paid in the purchasing state.
However, Oregon has no sales tax. You can predict what that means!

[midnightsadie]

I,d go to the dmv and ask the questions. and take notes,, names.. phone number?? we just inherited a car ,had all paper work transfering it to my wife signed noterized. ohio dmv made us have a AZ police dept inspect car,,, sign on a AZ paper head the vin and make mod. etc ..OHIO dmv didn,t like where the AZ police officer put the vin number. made us do the hole thing over. nice AZ officer called the ohio dmv and told some facts. p.s, car is in ohio ,ohio plates.

[Lwiddis]

I suggest asking your independent insurance agent regarding coverage.

[gotsmart]

Oregon trip plate:
https://www.oregon.gov/odot/dmv/pages/vehicle/trippermit.aspx

California Temporary Operating Permit (Check the "One-Trip Permit" section):
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/license-plates-decals-and-placards/temporary-oper...