Date:         Wed, 13 Nov 1996 21:57:17 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         natasha!mholser@Adobe.COM
Subject:      Re: Hey California folks

> > What you hear is correct. I bought a Syncro in Colorado last Spring.
> > was surprised to find that I had to pay California sales tax, thinking that
> > since it was bought out of state it would be exempt.
> > Watch out for rust.
> 
> > Derek
> 
> Did you pay Colorado sales tax when you originally purchased the vehicle ?
> I know I paid sales tax to Nebraska when I purchased my VW in Nebraska,
> then again paid a "sales tax" to California when I started the process of
> registering the VW here. What's the scoop with California making me pay a
> "sales" tax when I didn't purchase it ? It's illegal to sell a vehicle and
> not pay sales tax, so why isn't it illegal for the state to charge me a
> sales tax when a sale did not occur ?
> 
> They are already milking me for $300 ("pollution" import fee),
> regardless of the fact that they may or may not allow me to
> register my VW. 
> 
> Chris
> 
I have done this several times (still hassling the Kombi Syncro).  If you
pay tax on the purchase where you bought the car, California will deduct this
amount from the tax owed in California.  I paid 7% tax in Ontario for the
Kombi, and in California, my county has 7 1/4% tax, so I paid only 1/4%.
Have your receipt for the tax...

The $300 fee has some (twisted) logic to it.  I'll attempt to describe...

California requires the automakers to independently certify their cars with
CARB (California Air Resources Board).  This costs the car manufacturers
money, which they pass on to their customers.  Years ago, California decided
it cost about $300 per car.  If they left it at this, everybody'd just drive
to Nevada and buy cars cheaper, and the manufacturers would be discouraged
from putting their cars through the CARB tests.  So California imposes a
$300 penalty for bringing a car into the state.  The law is such, though,
that California certified cars may be sold anywhere.  All VW's from '86 on
in the US and Canada *were* certified.  VW stuck the proper sticker (it must
explicitly say "California" on it) on most Vanagons.  If it has this sticker,
you should be excused from the $300.  Should be.  I'm still fighting DMV on
this one.  My Kombi has plates, I haven't paid the $300, but it is still up
in the air (it does have a proper sticker).  No title yet -- they are holding
that...

malcolm