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Sales Tax/Coach Licensing
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I had some experience with
this issue back in the 90’s when I purchased a new Prevost. I was facing 50k in sales tax from the state
of Florida if registered in my home state.
I got the “bright idea” of creating a corporation in North Carolina that
would own the coach. North Carolina at
that time had a 15000 cap on sales tax.
I even had the coach delivered in North Carolina.Imagine my surprise about 6
months later when I received a demand letter from the State of Florida
demanding the 50k in taxes, 50 k in penalties, plus interest. Looking at the statue closer I soon learned
sales tax is called sales and or use tax.
The use tax is where you will get in trouble. It was obvious that someone saw the coach in
Featherlite’s Florida service center with North Carolina tags and reported
me. With today’s computer systems I am
guessing they could cut the 6 months of finding me down to minutes.Anyhow, I had to hire a tax
attorney and spent 20k in attorney fees and lots of stress. They finally agreed to accept the 50k in
taxes and called it a day.You can bet they taught me a
good lesson. It would not be worth the
risk to me to try to register a new coach out of my home state. -
Corey & George
Everyone, Except you two! 🙂 -
Tom and Bill,
Are you sure you do not want to edit your reference to old farts?
Have you looked around at those of us on this site?
Just askin.
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ha ha Jon. If they all drove like we do on this forum, we would all be in good shape!
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Tom & Bill,
Old farts, hey, I don’t think I like that label. And another thing,,, well damn, I forgot..
3 Old guys walking down the street
First guy says, todays windy
Second guy says, thursday
3rd guy says, me too, lets get a beer
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I like beer !
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Tom & Bill,
I live in GA, and I find that tourist drivers are bad in every state including yours!
However, Us Bus drivers are an exception to your rule, even in FL.
(trying to help you out Geo)
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I admit when I got our first Prevost all the other owners were old farts.
Now I are one.
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Thanks for the information, appreciated. Michael
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Over the years we have driven in all the lower 48. We were illegal in a number of them based on their individual limitations on lengths or widths. At the time NJ had both 40 foot and 8 foot limitations for example.
We have driven by every weigh station or inspection station with the exception of the ones that are set up like toll booths and require everyone to stop.
We have had weigh stations in one state use a system of lights to tell you when you must enter. I ignored them and drove on by because they said on their signage commercial vehicles. Nobody attempted to stop me for driving by. Bottom line is we are not comercial operations so unless and until private vehicles are subject to weighing or inspection we will keep on keeping on just like all RVs, campers, and other similar sized vehicles.
I am not aware of anyone being stopped for by-passing “the chicken coop”.
My dump truck is licensed as a farm vehicle, and as such it is not required to cross the scales. But unlike the coach which looks like a motor home the dump truck looks like a commercial vehicle so rather than get chased down only to get released when the cop realizes how it is licensed I do get in line and cross the scales, although I have never been waved over for further inspection.
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Just went through the Montana thing with Bennett law office in Missoula. He sent me a packet and I read it cover to cover. Everything was there to what “could” happen. I talked to my accountant and he said go. I called to start the LLC and he asked what state I was in again. I told him Illinois. He said “my advise to you is to not do business with us if you live in Illinois. He said they were cracking down and I should take heed. I did……… I guess I will eat the taxes..
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Smart move they busted me in California!! My dead give away was Montana on the bus and Ca. plates on the tow car. Si fixed the problem and took residency in Texas.
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They busted Sid because they knew he was Cattle Tycoon. Hell, they sent him a tax bill for my bus.
That’s a story for another day.I know your smiling just thinking about that Buddy.
Later
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Sid,
How did they catch the two different license plates? Is CA law enforcement savvy enough to understand the tax deal and if so, there must be laws (code) on the books and training for the cops.
The reason I’m asking, is we’ve heard the stories of pissed off neighbors blowing the whistle on people and reporting them to the tax departments.
Gasp, is Bernie your neighbor?:)
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That’s how it went down, a litte snitch in a campground in Calif. Oh by the way the name of the resort is Pismo Dunes Resort. N ah Bernie wouldn’t do that he onl sends me a tax bill after a bus delivery!!
Stagecoach Driver
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