SC to VT Car Registration

Submitted by Jackandbeansprout t3_1253lzh in vermont

Has anyone moved from SC to VT and transferred an out of state registration? I am having a horrible time trying to get a sales tax proof of payment for VT. I called Carmax and they said to show them the bill of sale where it states “infrastructure maintenance fee” that serves as the sales tax. I did that at the DMV today and was turned away. They didn’t offer any help aside from it needs to say “sales tax” however when you Google it, SC states “In addition to other expenses like registration, title fees, and plate fees, South Carolina collects either a 5% state sales tax or a 5% infrastructure maintenance fee (IMF) on all vehicle purchases—but never both.”

I’m trying to follow the rules and just register my car here and it should not be this difficult 😑.

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ginguegiskhan t1_je2ilht wrote

Drive around with expired out of state tags for a few years you'll be fine

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timberwolf0122 t1_je2lks5 wrote

Go back and tell them you paid one of the two 5% taxes, print off the SC DMV policy on state sales/IMF.

Escalate to a supervisor if the person is a chocolate tea pot

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-_Stove_- t1_je2dgd5 wrote

I would suggest calling- the folks on the phone seem more able to support strange situations vs the in-person clerks.

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Jackandbeansprout OP t1_je37il7 wrote

It’s sad that we have to do their job??

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-_Stove_- t1_je56t7r wrote

Do their job? It is your responsibility to bring proof of taxes paid to the DMV. You brought "I paid some fee, and the internet says it's the same thing." Are you really surprised that the clerk didn't accept that?

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Jackandbeansprout OP t1_je5eewl wrote

Lol…. It isn’t just “the internet said something” is it what the SC DMV told me and confirmed AND it’s an easy google search. So actually, they do need to accept it, and they can do their job by knowing what documents are equal to sales tax in other states.

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Jackandbeansprout OP t1_je5eqbu wrote

I brought the correct paperwork to them and they were not knowledgeable nor did they care to look it up or call the dmv. So yes I am surprised they did not accept it, considering it is literally what they need from the state I moved from. SC passed a bill in July of 2017 stating IMF is equal and replaces sales tax. Sad. Truly.

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-_Stove_- t1_je6va2k wrote

...if it is correct, why was it rejected?

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Jackandbeansprout OP t1_je6wv38 wrote

Lol because the lady working at the desk was unfamiliar with the SC sales tax bill introduced in 2017. Literally went today with the SC DMV printout of the “thing I found on the internet” since the DMV told me to do that and it was accepted. I brought the exact same information as yesterday but got a new person who was actually doing their job and helping. ✌🏻

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FyuckerFjord t1_je2qy7a wrote

Just sell it to your spouse for a dollar and have them register and tell the DMV to go fuck themselves with their hoops. Wish I'd have known about that loophole before they robbed me for $900 in sales tax for a truck I already paid sales tax on twice in North Carolina (once at lease start and once at lease buyout).

Other things the DMV in VT has done:

  • Marked the wrong sex on my license
  • Mailed me a registration sticker with no sticker in it
  • Made me sit in a crowded room 4 hours past my appointment for something that is done online everywhere else

I never fully appreciated the DMV hatred trope depicted in movies and shows until I moved to Vermont.

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Jackandbeansprout OP t1_je37nzq wrote

Yep. I’m going to owe 1200 likely. Wtf! Honestly considering just trading in my car and getting something else?? So I don’t have to go back and don’t have to fork up 1200 bucks?!

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FyuckerFjord t1_je38q2z wrote

Apparently it pays to drive old jalopies up here. The older and rustier, the better. Kinda backwards considering how emissions crazy Vermont is. You'd figure they'd want more newer cars on the road, but nope - they tax the hell out of them and let the death traps slide.

Have you had the pleasure of an inspection yet? Apparently thats where they fuck everyone. Lol. Glad mine passed with flying colors, but it took an hour and a half of actual testing. Down in NC it's like 10 mins in the drive-thru shelter and you're good to go.

Still, this is my only big gripe with Vermont.

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Jackandbeansprout OP t1_je3bxzk wrote

Ugh! I can’t even start to think about the inspection 😵‍💫 I’m at a breaking point between having a newborn at home and having just had a huge move. This def doesn’t make me want to live here 😂 but hopefully I’ll get through this and it’ll be it. I should have kept my old car since I had the 3 consecutive years of registration in another state 🙄.

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FyuckerFjord t1_je3dccw wrote

I had 3 years as well, still had to pay. No clue how any of it works - maybe they're just out to get us flatlanders lol

Hang in there until May/June - Vermont becomes 100% worth it (minus the ticks).

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Vtguy802812 t1_je31lnw wrote

Some states you can do that - although you technically have to sell it to your spouse before you enter the state or you would incur a use tax liability.

In VT the tax is based on either the purchase price or the NADA clean trade - whichever is greater: https://dmv.vermont.gov/tax-title/vehicle-taxation

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FyuckerFjord t1_je35jtw wrote

Someone said they did the "sell to spouse" trick last time a DMV thread came up. Guess they lied then, who knows.

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Ninjewx t1_jeelqoc wrote

This doesn’t work - we just tried it. They charge the NADA value of tax when you register it, not the purchase price.

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hotjalapenolover t1_je2js7i wrote

Make a copy of that google info, return to the VT DMV, show it to them and ask to speak to a supervisor if you again are rejected. If the supervisor also rejects you, the ask to speak with THEIR superior. Keep working your way up the food chain until you get to someone who has at least half a brain.

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Jackandbeansprout OP t1_je37tj4 wrote

That’s what made me furious. She wasn’t willing to help at all - just kept saying she couldn’t accept it… it is literally what pops up when you google car sales tax SC IMF

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Vtguy802812 t1_je32nnn wrote

I recommend trying to contact the Department of Taxes to get a email from a sales tax examiner stating that for VT’s purposes the SC IMF is counted as sales tax paid in another jurisdiction. The DMV registers the car, the Dept of Tax is responsible for administration of state taxes. I would assume they would be more knowledgeable about sales tax credits.

If your vehicle was registered for 3 or more years in that state, it shouldn’t matter assuming you can prove that it has been registered in another state for 3 years or more by providing a copy of the out of state title (with a date to back up your claim), 3 years worth of registrations, or a letter from SC’s DMV: https://dmv.vermont.gov/tax-title/vehicle-taxation/exemptions

Best of luck!

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Nanotude t1_je84cjr wrote

Have you had your car more than 3 years? If so, you don't have to worry about the tax. Luckily I did my research on the DMV website before I went there to register my car. When I got there, the clerk told me I had to supply proof I paid tax when I bought it or pay the tax to VT even though it was clear I bought the car more than 3 years ago. I proceeded to ask the clerk if it wasn't true that if one has owned their car for more than 3 years that they don't have to pay the tax? The clerk looked rather flummoxed, glared at me, and crossed the tax off my total. I wondered if it was truly a mistake or if it's standard operating procedure for them to tell you to pay the tax.

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VermintyFlavor t1_je4f5wh wrote

I filled out the "it's a gift car" paperwork and forged signatures wherever needed so I could avoid the hundred of dollars and reams of paperwork to continue driving my shitbox.

https://dmv.vermont.gov/tax-title/vehicle-taxation/gifts

Glad to know the misery of re-registering a vehicle is a Vermont exclusive problem. I was wondering if it was this dumb in every state.

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lantonas t1_jebr9sb wrote

Step 1: Bend Over

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