Escalating WA tab renewal fees | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Escalating WA tab renewal fees

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by Nader, Oct 2, 2017.

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  1. max930

    max930 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 16, 2017
    20,025
    vancouver
    Seattle is now not proposing an income tax. They are basing it on fixed assets and net worth. Similar too a property tax.
     
  2. Nader

    Nader Formula Junior

    Feb 12, 2011
    990
    East of Seattle
    After putting it off, I went ahead and bit the bullet to pay the damned $500 renewal fee. In four years, when it's 30 years old, this car is getting collector plates like three of my other cars to avoid this ripoff. Really bothers me that I'll be paying a total of over $2K until then to put <500 miles a year on the car. That's about a dollar a mile for me. I'd drive it more, but I have a lot of other cars that need exercising.

    And an additional slap in the face is how King County has been collecting that additional $5 fee that local subagents collect for their tab renewal services. I always used to skirt that fee by getting my tabs mailed directly from DOL in Seattle, but not anymore. It's being earmarked for "ferry replacement." ...I never take the ferry.
     
  3. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    Can you link the source for that proposal?
     
  4. Jdubbya

    Jdubbya The $10 Trillion Man
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    Dec 28, 2003
    37,253
    PNW
    Full Name:
    John

    The income tax is not proposed, it's approved!! I doubt it will stand but I bet our governor is hoping it somehow does. Then we'll all be paying state income tax.
    https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-council-to-vote-today-on-income-tax-on-the-wealthy/

    The latest one I saw was they are proposing to tax "large" employers about $100 per employee saying it will raise another $24 million to help the homeless. They keep this up and there are going to be more people-less homes than homeless people. Good luck!!

    One time I am glad to be hiding over here in Kidnap county! :)
     
  5. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    I understand that, I am a Seattle resident...I was questioning MAX930 on the claim Seattle is going to go after net worth instead of net income. There has been no public discussion or law passed for that...so was curious to his source for this information. Also the income tax lawsuit will be up for its first hearing in late November.
     
  6. max930

    max930 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 16, 2017
    20,025
    vancouver
    Or maybe you should look at BC Ferries compared to Washington State......................... Or our bridges, etc. Or shall we show what Bridges turn out like when Americans try "engineering" them themselves in Washington State?
     
  7. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    When did this become a United States versus Canada discussion? Why the hate on Washington State?
     
    SpyderGT likes this.
  8. stalwart

    stalwart Karting

    Apr 19, 2004
    70
    Snohomish, WA
    Full Name:
    Stuart
    When I first registered my '89 TR back in 1991 I was paying $2900+ a year in tabs, the prior owner started at $3500. Just in time I moved out of the RTA because the licensing of 2017 Wraith Black Badge would have come with a $4500 ST3 bill. I was a big supporter of Timmy in those early initiative tax revolts, still have the TR but after the first year I started using trip permits then at $10.00 each. Hint: keep them in the dark at all times and you can use them year to year.
     
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  9. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    I don't find a trip permit as a solution. $30 each time, I have to go to a licensing office and stand in line to get it, and there is a strict limit of three permits issued within any 30 day period. It also completely restricts my spontaneous use of the car to a rigid schedule. Do insurance companies have any exclusions for using trip permits? I'm just gonna suck it up and pay the man...but not happy about it.
     
  10. Jdubbya

    Jdubbya The $10 Trillion Man
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    Dec 28, 2003
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    To make things even better, I saw Sound Transit post how proud they were that they will open 116 miles of new track........in the next 25 YEARS!!!! Oh, they didn't post how much it would cost but it adds up to about $450million per mile average. This is a huge fleecing of the taxpayers of WA state. I'm just glad I live out in the sticks so my tabs at least aren't that expensive!
     
  11. Il Steeg

    Il Steeg Formula Junior
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    My Mondial just turned 30, and I wasted no time! Got my 'collector' plates today!
     
  12. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    Did the same last summer on my motorcycle, and now I can skip not only the RTA, but also the stupid $80 tax Seattle tacks on for bus service. I ride my motorcycle 4 or 5 times a year, and paying $170 or whatever is ridiculous for tabs.
     
    Il Steeg likes this.
  13. M Baker

    M Baker Formula Junior

    Apr 9, 2010
    393
    Redmond, WA
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Speaking of fees. King County is now (2018) implementing ordinance 18403 quietly passed in November 7, 2016 that now requires franchise utilities - electric, gas, water, sewer - to pay a fee to King County in return for the right to use their right-of-way (above or below roads)! Incredible! This is the first time King County has imposed such fees. So what we thought was already covered in our property taxes is now going to be a fee stacked on each of our utility bills.

    And the kicker is - so far they haven't told us what that fee money will be used for...
     
  14. thebutterson

    thebutterson Rookie

    Jan 16, 2020
    1
    Hi Guys, new to the forum but also share many of the gripes on local taxes/fees. See the link below for new fees the state is looking to pass:

    https://www.semasan.com/legislative-alerts/washington/washington-state-bills-increase-fees-and-restrict-eligibility-hobby

    • H.B. 2373/S.B. 6156 increases fees for collector license plates by requiring renewal every five years, despite currently being valid for the life of the motor vehicle after paying a one-time fee.
    • H.B. 2373/S.B. 6156 requires owners applying for collector vehicle registration to submit a completed certification form, which will be created by the Department of Licensing. The bills offer no details about the information collected on the certification form.
    • H.B. 2373/S.B. 6156 raises the age of vehicles eligible for horseless carriage license plates to vehicles manufactured prior to 1916, removing the current rolling age requirement of 40 years old or older for these plates.
    • H.B. 2373/S.B. 6156 limits the display of DMV-approved year of manufacture (YOM) plates on "collector" vehicles to 1988 and earlier model years, removing the current rolling age requirement of 30 years old or older for these plates.
    • H.B. 2373/S.B. 6156 makes it more difficult to register legitimate collector vehicles and horseless carriages, which are already limited to club activities, exhibitions, auto shows and occasional pleasure driving.
    • H.B. 2373/S.B. 6156 ignores the fact that existing collector vehicles and horseless carriages in Washington constitute a small portion of the vehicle fleet, infrequently operated and are deserving of these accommodations.

    I've never been politically active, but I will be contacting lawmakers to oppose this initiative. Now instead of a one time fee to get your collector plates at 30 years, you'll have to get renew them every 5 years and only once your vehicle is 40 years old. They're always trying to take more of our money.
     
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  15. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    As I posted above, I have a motorcycle from 1986 that is now on a collector plate. I paid the one time fee, and that was it. The motorcycle is ridden only a handful of times per year....and hasn't been ridden at all in a couple years. When I licensed it has a "collector vehicle" I was briefly schooled on the laws related to these plates at the license office and learned this is one of the most abused programs run by the DOL. The problem is 1980s cars last a lot longer than say 1960s and 1950s cars did when the program started. So there are thousands of 70s and 80s cars running around as daily drivers and this "collector plate" program encourages them to be used as DDs with their lower pollution and safety standards. The owners are also getting away with avoiding a bunch of road, use and transit taxes as well, that the rest of us are all paying (just paid over $1300 last week for tabs on my 11 year old Ferrari)

    I agree this change is the wrong way to deal with the problem. What they need is better enforcement of the abusers. I am unsure at the moment what that would look like, but one method would be proof of ownership of a car that is not on a "collector plate" that is used as your daily driver?
     
  16. jcurry

    jcurry Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 16, 2012
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    $1300, ouch

    ‘We the people’ pass an initiative to lower fees (once again), and a court immediately places an injunction on it allowing the State to continue to collect the old fees. Complete BS when the government of the people’ completely ignores the duly and legally established wishes of those people.
     
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  17. Flea7

    Flea7 Formula 3
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    Feb 25, 2010
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    .....yup, pure BS jim. We've been living with the stench for a long time. The arrogance, .....right?
     
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  18. windsock

    windsock Formula 3
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 29, 2006
    1,066
    There is now a proposal in from of the Washington Legislature to do away with the Historic plates or at least make them much harder to get and us. House bill 2373.
    HTTPS//app.leg.wa.gov and you can search the bill
     
  19. bjwhite

    bjwhite F1 Rookie

    Mar 17, 2006
    4,676
    Seattle, WA
    Full Name:
    Brian White
    True but no income tax. I'll take the car fee any day, even though I do think it's too high. $30 is too cheap, but $500+ for a modest car is way too high.
     
  20. jcurry

    jcurry Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 16, 2012
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    Isn't a good bit of that Sound Transit taxes? Thankfully I live outside that taxing jurisdiction (my 360 tabs were <$100). Of course the initiative that the voters passed did away with their authority to apply that tax to vehicle tabs, IIRC.
     
  21. jcurry

    jcurry Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 16, 2012
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    Any tax based on value applied to goods already owned is worse than an income tax. Doubly so when the impact of that good, e.g. a vehicle, has a relative impact on society (e.g. roads) that is less than goods of lesser value.
     
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  22. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    Over $1200 is RTA/ST3 tax. Another $80 is a Seattle transportation surcharge (which used to be $20 just four years ago...)
     
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  23. Flea7

    Flea7 Formula 3
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    Feb 25, 2010
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    The valuation on vehicles determined by sound transit is down right criminal. They know it is inflated. In the private sector companies are prosecuted for it.....it's called gouging.
     
    Il Steeg likes this.
  24. Ak Jim

    Ak Jim F1 Veteran
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    Dec 23, 2007
    8,451
    North Pole AK
    Especially because you have to keep paying the high cost.
     
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