Fairfax County Car Tax - huge jump
 

Just received the Fairfax County Excise tax bill.

The assessed value of my 1974 914 2.0 seems to have tripled in the past year. It's assessed at $12,080, for a tax bill of $242.78.

I don't have my prior year bills handy, but I can see the tax amount on the Fairfax County DTA website:
2010: $53.47
2011: $50.73
2012: $63.83
2013: $80.32
2014: $82.49
2015: $242.78 (includes $33 "Registration fee")

The only thing I can think of is that I changed the registration to Antique plates last year... does that trigger a different assessment formula?

Did anybody else see a jump this year?

(Please, don't get into ranting about taxes... I just want to know if others saw strange jumps in assessed value this year!)

Really, mine in Arlington have always been just the sticker price. The only car we pay tax on is the Saab, and that's only 10 or so over the sticker fee...

We saw a big jump in our bill for the wife's compact SUV. Seems the state mush have pared down the 'rebate' on the first 20k of value. I have not opened the bills for the Volvo or Targa yet.

Yes, Fairfax has pretty hefty annual excise/property taxes on cars.

Poking around the Fairfax County Tax Dept website, I found that they use NADA Used Car Guide (as of January 1 of the tax year) to determine the assessed value.

So I hopped over there, and discovered that whoever compiles the NADA guide is on crack:

Attachment 48300

The problem is they base their figures on auction data...and it's always 'off'.
Those prices are insane!
If you need backup, we can estimate the value of your car here or on 914world to give them a real-world number.

seems NADA is always very high...I bought my daughters 94 325i for 2500 and nada had it listed over 10k...

the '06 boxster s and '08 mdx is less than $800 combined

i figured that since the '12 cayman s is worth about the same, it would be $800-$1000

i was shocked to get a bill for over $1400 and wondering what's going on too

you can contest it, but it seems only on diminished value due to damage / excessive millage or something

what can someone do?

i paid $2200 in sales tax when i got the car early this year

crazy

Mine jumped quite a bit on the Turbo too. No change in my Xterra or 330 Ci.

Congratulations on your savvy investment! You've been Gentrified!

Yup.. apparently the states have learned another way to capture revenue, even though neither you nor they have done anything to accrue that new value.

I imagine, like a house, you could argue for a re-assessment. Sadly though, your car could be in that price/value range (you would want it to be if you were selling, wouldn't you?) . A lot different than if it was a rusting hulk in the yard.. not sure how they put a value on a VIN tag there ;)


Maybe its time to get a 944.. they are still cheap!