Brent,

I think the Use Tax is actually just a sales tax that is collected whenever a
vehicle changes ownership via a financial transaction.

But it begs an important and nagging question: What interest or right does
California have in collecting a sales tax on a used car purchase between private
parties? On vehicles which are bought and resold within the state, sales tax was
paid at the time of original purchase. To charge sales tax each time a vehicle
changes hands seems to me to be redundant, if not double-dipping. But I'm sure
many on this list are aware of having to ante up an amount equal to some
percentage of their purchase price and hand it over to their DMV. I know many
people usually agree with the buyer to a lesser purchase price on paper for the
sole purpose of reducing this tax, and I have done this myself in the past.

On used vehicles purchased outside the state, such as my Westfalia purchased in
Colorado, someone else may or may not have paid that state's sales tax in the
original purchase, depending on Colorado's tax system. Again, of what interest
is it to California to collect a sales tax from one of its residents just
because that resident purchased a vehicle outside the state?

This has nothing to do with the recently rescinded California "Smog Transfer
Fee" or whatever it was called. I believe that gem was finally deemed
unconstitutional.

What else do we have to pay sales tax on (repeatedly) besides used vehicles?

Sorry for possibly starting another endless thread on the evils of taxation.
This and the traffic in the SF Bay Area make me consider moving to another
state. Like Colorado.

(But we do have great weather, although summer in San Francisco can be like
winter in Minnesota)

Dan

Brent Christensen wrote:

> That sounds EXACTLY like my story.  (I was over a year over due, but my
> registration was current the whole time)  The buggers!
>
> Brent
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Daniel Schmitz" <djs@gene.com>
> To: "Brent Christensen" <brent@vanagon.com>
> Sent: Monday, July 24, 2000 10:30 PM
> Subject: Re: RV Registration (Was Fw: Alcohol Consmption In Westies!
> (longish)
>
> > Brent,
> >
> > Virtually no difference, from what I can tell, but that's how they
> classify it.
> >
> > I also had to pay just over $1000 to register my '87 Westfalia. The bulk
> of
> > that amount was the Use Tax due on the $8500 purchase price. The rest was
> reg
> > fees and penalties due to me being over 30 days delinquent in registering
> the
> > van after I purchased it. I think the portion of the total fee that is
> actually
> > the registration may be have been a few dollars less due to being an "RV"
> vs a
> > passenger car, from what the DMV person said, but it's not much of a
> > difference.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> > Brent Christensen wrote:
> >
> > > Dan:
> > >
> > > What difference did it make in classifying the vehicle as an RV?  I just
> > > registered my Syncro and it cost me damned near $1,000 with the "use
> taxes"
> > > and such...
> > >
> > > Brent Christensen
> > > '89 GL Syncro Westy "Klaus"
> > > Santa Barbara, CA
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Daniel Schmitz" <djs@gene.com>
> > > To: "Brent Christensen" <brent@vanagon.com>
> > > Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > > Sent: Monday, July 24, 2000 2:24 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [VANAGON] Fw: Alcohol Consmption In Westies! (longish)
> > >
> > > ---snip...
> > >
> > > > When I registered my Colorado-purchased Westfalia here in California,
> the
> > > DMV
> > > > required me to bring it in to verify the VIN and inspect the vehicle.
> At
> > > that
> > > > time, they noted that because it includes a bed, stove and fridge, it
> > > meets the
> > > > basic definition of an RV, rather than a passenger vehicle. Of course,
> > > it's
> > > > simply a passenger vehicle with a bed, stove and fridge, but the DMV
> > > classifies
> > > > as an RV for registration purposes.
> > > >
> > > > Those better informed or having a differing opinion may now commence
> > > > disagreeing.
> > > >
> > > > Dan
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> >

--
Dan
__________________________________________________
Dan Schmitz - Genentech Automation Engineering
djs@gene.com (650) 225-6119
__________________________________________________

"I'll so offend to make offense a skill
Redeeming time when men least think I will"

W. Shakespeare
Henry IV, Part 1