[MR77]

This thread is bringing back memories. I remember how shocked I was in 2003 when I first registered my 98 Civic in NV for almost $300. I thought that was crazy. I currently pay around $30 a year to keep my 07 Mazda on the road here in Jersey. The trade off is that we have very high taxes and you have to pay between $10-$18 dollars everytime you drive over a bridge or through a tunnel. On top of that, our roads are complete crap, so figure in the additional cost of suspension work and tire replacement on your vehicle... I guess its a wash!

[MireilleG]

MadManofBethesda,

So to clarify, will you be required to pay the Gov. fees of $1130 and $282 every year?

[Ulysses373]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

Basic Gov Services Tax - Clark: $1,130
Supplemental Gov Services Tax - Clark: $282

These numbers suggest the MSRP on your car was about $80,000. The Basic tax for a current year car is .35x.04xMSRP (this amount decreases every year by 10% after the first which is only 5% and stops at 15%). You're going to be a pretty extreme outlier on a tax that's like this. The average person moving to Las Vegas won't have anything close to that.

Just wanted to give some context since if someone looked at what you're paying without understanding why, they would think the tax is crazy in Las Vegas. It's sort of like saying your property tax is $10,000 a year without mentioning your house is valued at $1,000,000.

From the DMV's website on how to calculate those taxes:

• The MSRP will not change over time regardless of vehicle age or condition. The first calculation is the DMV Valuation of the vehicle, which is 35% of MSRP.
• The DMV Valuation is then depreciated 5% after the first year and 10% per year thereafter until it reaches a minimum of 15%. The minimum Governmental Services Tax is $16.00. *
• The Governmental Services Tax is 4 cents on each $1 of the depreciated DMV Valuation.
• The Supplemental Governmental Services Tax is 1 cent on each $1 of the depreciated DMV Valuation.

[Trash Can]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

I also agree with your statement that having lower licensing fees for older and/or cheaper cars is a nice perk. Even more, I believe it is entirely justifiable. I see no problem with people who drive expensive cars and can afford higher taxes subsidizing those that may not be able to.

It's more than a perk -- it's a choice. If you don't want to pay the high fees, don't buy an expensive vehicle. If you don't want to pay any fees, take the bus or ride your bike.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by Trash Can

It's more than a perk -- it's a choice. If you don't want to pay the high fees, don't buy an expensive vehicle. If you don't want to pay any fees, take the bus or ride your bike.

It's my opinion that an $80K car is way excessive, you could get a small house in Des Moines for that!

But, it's also a choice.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by MireilleG

MadManofBethesda,

So to clarify, will you be required to pay the Gov. fees of $1130 and $282 every year?

Yes, but it will go down slightly each year as the car ages.

Originally Posted by Ulysses373

These numbers suggest the MSRP on your car was about $80,000.

It was a little more, but that serves as a nice round figure

Originally Posted by Ulysses373

Just wanted to give some context since if someone looked at what you're paying without understanding why, they would think the tax is crazy in Las Vegas. It's sort of like saying your property tax is $10,000 a year without mentioning your house is valued at $1,000,000.

True, but the purpose of my post was to serve as a counter-example to the OP who started this thread by stating that his registration fee was only $80 and that anybody who complained about car registration fees in Las Vegas was just whining. His $80 fee is just as much of an outlier as my $1,500 fee.

Originally Posted by ElleTea

It's my opinion that an $80K car is way excessive, you could get a small house in Des Moines for that!

Yes, but then I'd be living in Des Moines.

But seriously, I'm sure some people would also say that the amount I spend on international travel is also excessive, but as you note, how people choose to spend their money is a choice. My wife and I have been saving and investing money for over thirty years, and now that we're retired, it's time to spend it. Be that on a luxury automobile or on trips to Europe or other destinations. Coincidentally, we'll be flying down to Miami in a few days, spending a week there, and then boarding a cruise ship for a transatlantic voyage to the Costa del Sol region of Spain.

When we return, we'll enjoy taking road trips in our new car.

[Robustus]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

Yeah, it was uncalled for and I hereby apologize. I was just pissed that he started a new thread for the sole purpose of calling everyone who complains about high registration fees whiners just because he drives a 16-yr-old car and only pays $80.

I also agree with your statement that having lower licensing fees for older and/or cheaper cars is a nice perk. Even more, I believe it is entirely justifiable. I see no problem with people who drive expensive cars and can afford higher taxes subsidizing those that may not be able to.

I guess in some eyes that makes me a socialist.

Heh - no apology necessary. The car is absolutely a POS. I happily opt to not spend my money on non-cheap cars; it just doesn't fit my utility curve.

In any event, I think we actually agree about correct mental approach to this stuff; it seems that I gave off the wrong impression to you with my post.

You noted that you don't complain about your high fee because you can afford it. If you were driving your current car(s) with far less financial security than you have and then complained about the fee, I would take issue.

So, to clarify, I object to the following:

1) People who complain about the affordability of Vegas car registration fees while driving cars that generate high fees. My post was to note that if you don't have much money or don't care to own expensive cars, you don't have to have those high fees. Too many people are led by the rhetoric surrounding reg fees around here to assume that they are ALWAYS high no matter what vehicular decisions they make.

2) People who counter the no-state-income-tax benefit by noting that the car reg fees are high. Even in your outlier example, you obviously save an order of magnitude more in lack of tax liability than you pay in car reg.


I think we're roughly on the same page. Note that if you want to complain about high reg fees on a government-should-be-smaller basis, I have absolutely no objection there.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

You register a 16-yr-old POS for $80 so you claim that everyone complaining about high registration fees is being ridiculous? You have got to be f'n kidding me.

I just registered my new car this week and here are my fees:

Red Rock Canyon Plate: $35
Red Rock Canyon Plate Fund: $25
Prison Industry Fee: $1
Registration Fee - Passenger Vehicles: $33
Basic Gov Services Tax - Clark: $1,130
Supplemental Gov Services Tax - Clark: $282

Total: $1,506

When I registered the car I didn't come here and whine about the high fees because I can afford it; and like you, I moved here from a high income tax state and I realize that Nevada has to get their income from somewhere. (My last year in Maryland I paid over $13,000 in state and county income tax.)

But people do need to be made aware of the high registration fees when they move here or it could come as a bit of a shock and an unexpected expense for which they weren't prepared.

For you to belittle that warning just because you're happy tooling around town in a 1996 Altima is absurd.

Thank you for supporting Red Rock Canyon.

There should be a cap on registration fees, but mention it to a legislator and their eyes glaze over.

[airics]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

You register a 16-yr-old POS for $80 so you claim that everyone complaining about high registration fees is being ridiculous? You have got to be f'n kidding me.

i agree 100%... i would never put my wife in a 16yr old POS either...for the record, we just bought 2 brand new Hyundai Velosters.. cost to register was around $340 apiece.

[airics]

look at it this way... on a 80k car, you paid 1600ish...about 2%.. the op's car is worth a grand if hes lucky... so anything over 20 bucks, he overpaid..