Pay Sales Tax In Two States?

[Makin__Do]

I'll try and make this short. I live in West Virginia and want to buy a used RV from a private party in Florida. If I want an "in-transit" tag from Florida to drive the RV back to WV, I have to pay FL 6% tax, equal to the WV tax, to get that tag. When I title the RV in WV I would have to pay the 6% tax again because WV will not give me credit for paying the tax in FL. 12% is more than I want to pay.
So, the question is, can I pay the owner for the RV and have them sign the title over to me and just get out of state and skip the tag?
BTW, the owner is willing to leave their FL plate and insurance on the RV until I get back to WV.

[rockhillmanor]

DownTheAvenue wrote:
I am an attorney, .....And thirdly, just drive your vehicle and the trailer home with the seller's Florida license plate. NO one will question the Florida license plate, and it is not probable cause for an officer to stop you. Unless you have an accident and the police question the different state license plates ...

Glad you are not my attorney.

I live in Florida and it would be a cold day in hell that I would ever let anyone pull away with an RV I just sold with my plates still on it.

And telling a client that is legal 'unless' you get in an accident??? :R

[Makin__Do]

OP here. I'm picking up a class c, should have said that in the first post. Sorry for the confusion. Again, thanks for all the replies.

[DownTheAvenue]

spoon059 wrote:

WTP-GC wrote:
Have the owner sign over the title, issue a bill of sale, remove their tag and drive away. If you get pulled over for not having a tag, provide the LEO with insurance proof, bill of sale and title. You'll be well on your way as long as there's nothing else funky.

rockhillmanor wrote:
2. Get an explicit 'bill of sale'. Date, time, amount of sale, description and vin of RV. AND then BOTH of you sign it. Seller and buyer.

That is all a cop needs to see if you are stopped.

They will let you go on your merry way providing you aren't an escaped convict, that your registration/drivers license are all up to date and it is not 6 months after the date of the bill of sale! :W

NO... I cannot say no loud enough. This is poor advice. Driving an unregistered vehicle is illegal in every state and opens you up to a citation and impoundment of the vehicle. Towing a trailer is expensive. Then the OP won't be able to provide ownership until he gets the new title in WV, which he likely won't be able to get without a physical inspection of the trailer in WV.

Check the laws in the state of Florida. In Maryland, for example, you can purchase a vehicle and drive on the previous owners tags (assuming the tags are still valid) for up to 7 days if the buyer has written permission from the seller.

Trust me... the OP wants to have valid tags and insurance on the vehicle before he tows it.

Agreed, this is very poor advice. Towing the trailer without a license plate is probable cause for an Officer to stop you, and since it is not properly registered, a citation would be warranted. A bill of sale may, and that is a big may, satisfy an Officer that the trailer has been sold to the person towing it, that does not satisfy the requirement that it must be licensed and registered.

[spoon059]

sorry, double post. Edit fail!

[spoon059]

WTP-GC wrote:
Have the owner sign over the title, issue a bill of sale, remove their tag and drive away. If you get pulled over for not having a tag, provide the LEO with insurance proof, bill of sale and title. You'll be well on your way as long as there's nothing else funky.

rockhillmanor wrote:
2. Get an explicit 'bill of sale'. Date, time, amount of sale, description and vin of RV. AND then BOTH of you sign it. Seller and buyer.

That is all a cop needs to see if you are stopped.

They will let you go on your merry way providing you aren't an escaped convict, that your registration/drivers license are all up to date and it is not 6 months after the date of the bill of sale! :W

NO... I cannot say no loud enough. This is poor advice. Driving an unregistered vehicle is illegal in every state and opens you up to a citation and impoundment of the vehicle. Towing a trailer is expensive. Then the OP won't be able to provide ownership until he gets the new title in WV, which he likely won't be able to get without a physical inspection of the trailer in WV.

Check the laws in the state of Florida. In Maryland, for example, you can purchase a vehicle and drive on the previous owners tags (assuming the tags are still valid) for up to 7 days if the buyer has written permission from the seller.

Trust me... the OP wants to have valid tags and insurance on the vehicle before he tows it.

[wa8yxm]

While some states may be different. I know my state if you buy out of state and pay sales tax.. Get the tax "Broken out" on the bill

IE:
Item purchased. 50,000
Tax $300

Then when you title/register in MY state.. You pay the state sales tax LESS what you alreadey paid.. IF I did hte math right.. you'd wind up paying $0.00 in additional tax on that example.

On the other hand if it was

Item 50,000
Tax paid 200

You would have to pay and additional hundred.

[DownTheAvenue]

I am an attorney, and what I am telling you is what I would NOT tell a client. However, what you need to be sure is you are protected from liabilities if you have a wreck and your investment is protected if there is a loss. First, check with your vehicle insurance; you are probably covered with anything behind your vehicle regardless of to whom it is registered or who is the legal owner. Secondly, check with your insurance agent. See if you can insure the trailer for any loss even if you have yet to put a WV license plate on it. I bet you can, as long as you legally own it. You don't need any proof of insurance since your vehicle insurance protects you and the trailer from at fault liabilities. And thirdly, just drive your vehicle and the trailer home with the seller's Florida license plate. NO one will question the Florida license plate, and it is not probable cause for an officer to stop you. Unless you have an accident and the police question the different state license plates (unlikely), you have no problems. The absolute worst scenario is you get a ticket for not towing a properly licensed trailer. If that happens, I suggest you buy a lottery ticket.

[rockhillmanor]

You do NOT have to get a in-transit tag. Those are given out by dealerships and DMV as a state 'temporary' tags.

You 'register' your vehicle for an in-transit tag thereby you pay the taxes. You do NOT live here so why would you register it here and then have to change it again in you home state.

Private party, no taxes paid until you get plates for state you live in. And depending on the state if it is used the tax% is different that the taxes on a new vehicle.

Buy it, get a signed by both parties receipt and go home and register it!!! :B

BTW, congrats on your new RV! :C

[jim1521]

coolmom42 wrote:

Makin' Do wrote:
I'll try and make this short. I live in West Virginia and want to buy a used RV from a private party in Florida. If I want an "in-transit" tag from Florida to drive the RV back to WV, I have to pay FL 6% tax, equal to the WV tax, to get that tag. When I title the RV in WV I would have to pay the 6% tax again because WV will not give me credit for paying the tax in FL. 12% is more than I want to pay.
So, the question is, can I pay the owner for the RV and have them sign the title over to me and just get out of state and skip the tag?
BTW, the owner is willing to leave their FL plate and insurance on the RV until I get back to WV.

Don't be driving with someone else's plate and insurance. It will not cover you if the RV no longer belongs to them.

Call your local motor vehicle registration and ask how is the best way to handle it. Then call your agent and ask how to handle the insurance.

What I would do is call my agent for insurance immediately after purchase, and travel with a valid bill of sale. But that might not work for your state to get registration or for your insurance.

Better to have NO plate than somebody else's plate. And I'd get that insured the instant it's mine. If a tree falls on it while you're on your way to FL to pick it up, and you don't have it insured.....

[coolmom42]

Makin' Do wrote:
I'll try and make this short. I live in West Virginia and want to buy a used RV from a private party in Florida. If I want an "in-transit" tag from Florida to drive the RV back to WV, I have to pay FL 6% tax, equal to the WV tax, to get that tag. When I title the RV in WV I would have to pay the 6% tax again because WV will not give me credit for paying the tax in FL. 12% is more than I want to pay.
So, the question is, can I pay the owner for the RV and have them sign the title over to me and just get out of state and skip the tag?
BTW, the owner is willing to leave their FL plate and insurance on the RV until I get back to WV.

Don't be driving with someone else's plate and insurance. It will not cover you if the RV no longer belongs to them.

Call your local motor vehicle registration and ask how is the best way to handle it. Then call your agent and ask how to handle the insurance.

What I would do is call my agent for insurance immediately after purchase, and travel with a valid bill of sale. But that might not work for your state to get registration or for your insurance.

[troubledwaters]

Florida Regulations. It appears as Florida has their own set of regulations which are different then most states. You could be an easy target with a WV plate on the truck and a FL plate on the RV. Risk may be small but I would advise following the law, tax dodging could get very expensive.

[Makin__Do]

WOW! Thanks for all the replies. Going with the those that believe I might be over thinking this. Only three states will not give you a credit for paying sales tax in another state and WV is one of them.
I'll have a bill of sale, title (signed), proof of insurance and my license and head for home. I'll pay my fair and required tax in WV.
Think of it this way; if the seller was visiting here in WV, had their title with them and wanted to sell me the RV, should I call FL and tell them I want to pay them 6% tax? I think not. Go to my DMV and pay the tax and sleep just fine.
Thanks again for your replies.

[BarryG20]

You may be able to get a temp permit from WV. Hard to believe WV doesn't do the sales tax reciprocity never heard of it any where else but .....

[Skid_Row_Joe]

llr wrote:
as a seller I would not leave my plate on. However as a buyer if the seller is willing to leave the plate on I don't see an issue

I bought a used RV in Florida from a private party. He left the Florida license plate on the RV. I just drove it with the unexpired plate for a few months. Even though I had an IN TRANSIT paper tag and bookwork for the RV I carried inside the RV.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

In many if not all States, you can take your completed paperwork to the DMV/Tax Office there, and get a 30 Day Temporary license plate for a small fee for your RV.
I did this when buying a used RV in Nebraska 30 years ago. It gives you the necessary time to travel to your State of domicile to complete your sales tax and licensing fees in your State.