🚀 go-pugleaf

dlee@oasys.dt.navy.mil (David Lee) writes:

>Residents of Virginia have 30 days to register their cars after moving into
>the state. Some areas are heavily patroled by the police to enforce this
>regulation; especially the apartments. In Virginia, not only do you have to
>have the car inspected yearly for "safety" defects, but every other year, a
>inspection is also required of the exhaust system for emission levels; a fee
>is required for these inspections. 

Only Northern Virginia requires emission inspections.  Loudon county does not,
and the county which contains Fredericksburg does not.  One thing which
surprised me is that the muffler is covered under the safety inspection,
not the emission inspection.  Virginia emissions inspectors and Virginia
DMV employees are often sources of misinformation about the emissions
inspection program.  Call 703-339-8553 for accurate information.  The Virginia
legislature has talked about extending emissions inspections to the Richmond
area, and to the Hampton Roads area (both sides of the water), but have
not done so.

Some Maryland counties require emission inspections every 2 years (I know
Anne Arundel and Montgomery do).

New residents of Maryland are required to register their cars within
30 days of moving to Maryland.  Maryland charges excise tax on cars
brought into the state (sales tax on blue book value, I think).  Maryland
gives a discounted excise tax rate to some states (including Virginia),
if the vehicle title says that sales tax has been paid.  Virginia charges
no excise tax if the title says that sales tax has been paid, and charges
excise tax if not.  Both states also require that, to pay the lowest tax,
the title go from named owner in old state to same owner in new state.
Otherwise, it is a transfer of vehicle title, and may be taxed as a sale.
Maryland bases the value of car somewhat on the odometer mileage recorded
by the Maryland vehicle inspector.  I know one person who had to pay
extra tax, because the Maryland vehicle inspector refused to record the
fact that the vehicle odometer had turned over.

>On top of this, each year, the car is taxed
>as "personal property" at the same rate as your house.

My car is taxed at 4.6% of blue book by Fairfax county.  I don't know
if real estate tax is at the same rate, and whether appraisal value is
approximately equal to selling price range.  Curiously, all of the Northern
Virginia localities bill the personal property tax all in December.  In
other regions of Virginia, they bill half in June and half in December.
I keep getting confused, calling Fairfax county to ask where my tax 
bill is in late June :-)
>Much of this money
>supports services in the state and various counties.. Therefore, it is to
>the advantage of the jurisdictions to "catch" non-registered cars.

Maryland local police have also been known to lurk around apartment complexes
to "catch" non-registered cars.  Maryland charges 2 tickets, each with
a $250 fine, for violators.  That's about the tax on a $10,000 blue book
vehicle.

Maryland counties get 50-60% "piggyback" of the state income tax from 
residents, and real estate tax.  Virginia localities get real estate tax and 
personal property tax.  The tax burden is similar, comparing Montgomery county 
and Fairfax county. Some Virginia localities charge restaurant meal tax (extra
sales tax on meals in restaurants).  The recent emotional debates about
enacting such taxes in Northern Virginia echo the debates which accompanied
the imposition of those taxes in Newport News, Virginia Beach, Hampton, etc.
prior to 1980 (although they only charged 2.5-3%, not 4% extra).

Virginia localities also charge personal property tax on boats.  They have
exciting rat wars in Hampton Roads, where cities try to attract boats from
neighboring cities (tax is charged according to the marina where the boat
is kept).

>As I understand it, residents of Maryland are only required to have their
>cars inspected when they are purchased or sold.. and their cars are not
>taxed as personal property...

>I believe that there are certain special exceptions allowed in Virginia
>for individuals living here who are "in transient".. but, basically, every
>one is required to register their cars..

Both Maryland and Virginia allow active duty military personnel to retain
their out of state plates.  Virginia exempts vehicles registered in the
name of an active duty military person from the personal property tax, but
not vehicles registered in the name of the spouse or children.  Retaining
out of state residence forces military personnel and their families to
pay out of state tuition to state-supported colleges and universities in
Virginia.
-- 
------ Esther Lumsdon   employed by, not speaking for, Verdix Corporation
     It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
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