Texas Home State - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

Texas Home State

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

Texas is sorta mid country also. Most full timing will be traveling thru it or close by. As I understand it is a done deal we can skip until we arrive inspections and register on line. That law as originally stated would hurt monies in Texas or any state for that matter. Just the construction industry alone would be large enough to really impact monies. We work in neighboring states also. Texas was a no brainer for us.

Jo And Craig · RV-Dreams Family Member

I refer you to the Escapees website. They have an update regarding this issue.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Trace - TX would have made a lot of sense for us since we have family there and used to live there. However, for rigs over 26,000 lbs you need a different driver's license. Since I had not yet even driven our rig, it didn't make sense for us to do that when we went full time.

We also found that at the time we did the comparison SD insurance rates were lower than TX. However, we didn't have any health insurance constrictions as I've continued to work for the same employer, same national health plan I've had for several years.'

Just curious, what are the rules in TX regarding paying sales tax when you register a rig that was purchased in a state without sales tax?

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had 2 vehicles and 1 5ther registered in NC prior to registering in Texas. We registered and paid no sales tax. Had already been bought out of state.

Selah · RV-Dreams Family Member

I don't know the Texas rules on sales tax but for some states it depends on how long you have owned the rig prior to registering. If you have owned the rig for more than six, or maybe twelve, months you will not owe sales tax.
You need to check with the Texas DMV.

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

How is it legal to charge you sales tax when you are not buying or have already bought it and paid taxes? Registration fees, titling fees, yes. Bought my current 5ther in Texas. Paid Texas sales tax when registering.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

As mentioned, it may depend on how long one has owned their RV prior to registering in a new state. Also, depending on the states involved, one might find that buying an RV in one state and registering later in another, the new state may "prorate" taxes. For instance, I had heard that one state would charge nothing as long as the RV was registered in the other state at a rate of 3% for higher. Had the RV been taxed at 2%, then that "new state" would have charged a 1% tax.

I do not know this from first hand experience, but just from what I've read on the internet and forums. Anyone considering registering in another state than from where it was bought would need to check on the sales tax issue.

Terry

Cindi · RV-Dreams Family Member

I bought my RV in Virginia and since I live in Pennsylvania the dealer did not charge me sales tax or register it in VA. They gave me temporary tags to drive it home. However, when I registered it in PA the following week, PA charged me the sales tax.

This was only a week between buying and registering. I would think in Trace and Lee's scenario, since they live in NH and bought in NH, another state would not "retroactively" charge them sales tax just because they moved to another state a year later.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

As Terry stated, many states determine if sales tax is owed based on the length of time you have owned the vehicle and if you paid sales tax when purchased.

Each state seems to have different rules but all states are looking for as much tax revenue as they can collect based on their rules.

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

ND charges the three percent or tax based on value for any vehicle younger than 11 years. We've had ours less than a year so I am assuming it will be close to the 3 percent. Our rig is less than 26,000 pounds so ok there. Man I wish there was a matrix on this.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Trace - if you want to PM me your email, I'd be happy to share the file I put together when we were comparing 5 Western US states w/o income tax. Only caveat is that I put it together in Oct 2012 so you would want to verify that the info is still up to date. And yes it's a matrix!!! biggrin biggrin biggrin Really, what else would you expect from me?

Jo And Craig · RV-Dreams Family Member

I am on the same page with Cindi. We live in Texas and will keep our domicile here. We are Escapees and will be "based" in Livingston, TX. When we pick up our new rig in Elkhart the end of August, Tiara RV will NOT collect taxes there. Instead, they will give us a 30-day tag that will give us enough time to return to Texas to register our new home and pay taxes here. That's O.K. and works out just fine for us. We plan to return to Texas after the rally and be "home" for the holidays, anyway. Hope this helps.

-- Edited by Jo And Craig on Monday 28th of July 2014 08:40:38 PM

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

How To Become a Real Texan - Details the steps necessary to become a Texas resident. 18 pages.

www.escapees.com/MailService/Docs/texan.pdf

When we had our MH registered in TX we had 1 inspection done in 6 years because we passed thru TX on our way to Kansas. Other years we didn't worry about it as we weren't in TX.

-- Edited by NorCal Dan on Wednesday 30th of July 2014 03:55:31 PM

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

YEAH Ruth ....PM coming your way

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

NorCal Dan wrote:
How To Become a Real Texan - Details the steps necessary to become a Texas resident. 18 pages.

www.escapees.com/MailService/Docs/texan.pdf

When we had our MH registered in TX we had 1 inspection done in 6 years because we passed thru TX on our way to Kansas. Other years we didn't worry about it as we weren't in TX.

-- Edited by NorCal Dan on Wednesday 30th of July 2014 03:55:31 PM

Thanks Dan the link was awesome

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

So it turns out on Texas you have to pay 6.25 percent to register vehicles coming from other states or the difference if you paid tax. Since we paid no tax in NH at purchase that's over $6k. So no being a Texan for me. Thanks to everyone who helped. It turns out Florida does NOT require you to pay taxes if you bought in another state to register. So back to Florida.

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Trace,

Did you call Polk county and confirm that. I thought that if the vehicle had been purchased more than a year before it was just the $90 new resident fee.

Barb

RVKevi · RV-Dreams Family Member

You have to have owned your rig for at least 6 months or you will have to pay sales tax in Florida. The amount may vary depending on which county but will be at least 6%. But if you've owned over 6 months, you don't have to pay it.

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbaraok wrote:
Trace,

Did you call Polk county and confirm that. I thought that if the vehicle had been purchased more than a year before it was just the $90 new resident fee.

Barb

Lee went to their DMV website ....I'll have him check again

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbaraok wrote:
Trace,

Did you call Polk county and confirm that. I thought that if the vehicle had been purchased more than a year before it was just the $90 new resident fee.

Barb

Hi Barbara,

I did call Polk County this morning and you were absolutely right. As long as you have owned the vehicle for more than 6 months you just have to pay a 90$ registration fee in Texas. Thanks for your assistance and sorry if there was confusion for anyone.

The Restless Youngs · RV-Dreams Family Member

So....back to Texas?

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Trace,

Great update on the info. For some reason I thought it was a year that you had to own your vehicle, 6 months is even better. Maybe it was just that we had owned ours for many years when we first moved to Texas so I just assumed it was a year. Anyway, if you already own a vehicle, it is just $90 for the new resident fee for each vehicle.

Barb

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

byseaandbyland wrote:
So....back to Texas?

Yep... I have decided to get serious so got insurance quotes yesterday on the RV and Truck... SD, Florida, and TX were all within $200 a year of each other with Florida being the most expensive. Kyle is working on getting Health insurance quotes for me for Texas and Florida although he said Texas BCBS is the most promising but will know more when those quotes come back. Drivers license renewal is 8 years in Texas and 5 years in Florida so that's not a big issue and the annual registration in both states is based on a flat fee versus weight. We don't need special drivers licenses in Texas because we are less than 16,000 pounds and I have confirmed that if you don't enter the state of Texas you don't need an annual inspection to register which can be done online.

RickandJanice · RV-Dreams Family Member

The determining weight factor for Texas requiring a non-commercial class A driver's license for over 26000 lbs. is the Combined GVWR of both the trailer and the truck together. It is not based on just the trailer GVWR We just went through this in January and were told by the DPS office in Livingston, TX. Be aware also, we have also ran into many Texans that do not follow this newer rule and still use a normal operator's license as this is not strictly enforced.

SharonWegner · RV-Dreams Family Member

I would love to have that matrix as well if you would be willing to share.

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

Everyone could benefit from Class A license. Cost is same, renew same. Are legal towing over 26000, bus or most anything as long as not commercial. No brainer for me.

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Class A/B license in TX is not new. It has been in force for many years - I don't know how many, but when we went fulltime in 2000 we got our Class A licenses. And it had been around long before that. People either ignore it or don't know about it.

The 26,000 lbs for a truck/trailer combination is based on the GVWR of the two.....NOT on actual weights. Do not be confused about your scale weights havng any meaning for the Class A.