[BlackTalon]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Not really. It's just that everyone hates it and it comes at a bad time in the year for most folks instead of being deducted every two weeks from your paycheck. Between my 993, 330i and bike, my yearly PPT is far less than one month of my folks' real estate taxes in NJ. In fact, my PPT combined with one month's worth of my real estate taxes is about the same as my folks pay for one month of real estate taxes. Yes, I hate the PPT and I hate the Fairfax Co. government like no other. But they're not gouging us nearly as badly as lots of other places.

Depends on the value of the car. Once you top $20k, tax is basically $1k per $20k of assessed value. So if you have a $40k car, expect to pay $1,200 or so. A $60k car will be ~$2,200/ year, and so on. This is one reason I did not buy a more expensive car in the past (when I had the cash) -- I did not feel like ponying up another couple $k each year.

[Redroc]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Except for those states with no sales tax, VA's is pretty darn low when buying a car - 3%.

I've heard that sales tax on cars is going up to 5% in Virginia. It may already be in effect because the Pohanka dealerships were running ads to buy a car before the increase.

[JmuRiz]

Guess it's time to buy a lift and a VAG tool and do my own wrenching!

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Redroc

I've heard that sales tax on cars is going up to 5% in Virginia. It may already be in effect because the Pohanka dealerships were running ads to buy a car before the increase.

I think this is a scam by car dealers. I was at BMW of Sterling a few weeks ago and they were trying to sell me on the sales tax going to 4% in 2008. Well, it might happen. But I don't think it's imminent and it's not a reason to buy a car you don't really want or aren't ready to buy.

I have a lot of problems with a lot of different taxes, but VA really isn't that bad compared to many other places. Yes, it will certainly get worse. It will never get cheaper. How about that DMV fee VA had for a few years that was supposed to fund the Jamestown Settlement Anniv. celebrations and then go away after 2007? Now Kaine wants to keep the fee and use it for other stuff. Oh, and have you noticed VA roads getting any safer since th "abusive driver fees" took effect? Didn't think so. Worst thing for me about leaving VA is that I'll have to upgrade radar detectors, since states with no RD bans use instant-on and laser.

[Lupin..the..3rd]

Originally Posted by racer

Everyone makes this seem like a bad thing. Even "full serve" gas in NJ is cheap. Plus, you can stay warm/cool and not get the smell of gas on your hands.

I've fueled up in NJ a grand total of two times. Never again. Those stupid shits pumping the gas stole my gas cap the first time - maybe "stole" is a bit harsh, but they put a cap on that belonged to another car. It didn't fit well either so I had to buy a new one at the dealer. The second time I fueled in NJ I drove about 5 miles and then noticed a strong gasoline smell. I pulled over to check the cap and it was present - but not screwed on! It was just sitting there in the opening and gasoline was streaming down the side of my car.

I for one will never let those worthless schmucks fuel my car again. Heck, I'll drive over into Philly to refuel before I stop on the NJ-TP again.

[Rob in VA]

Originally Posted by Lupin..the..3rd

I've fueled up in NJ a grand total of two times. Never again. Those stupid shits pumping the gas stole my gas cap the first time. The second time I fueled in NJ I drove about 5 miles and then noticed a strong gasoline smell. I pulled over to check the cap and it was present - but not screwed on! It was just sitting there in the opening and gasoline was streaming down the side of my car.

I for one will never let those worthless schmucks fuel my car again. Heck, I'll drive over into Philly to refuel before I stop on the NJ-TP again.

I'm sorry but that story made me giggle.

[Lupin..the..3rd]

Originally Posted by SilverStreak

There is also a quadrupling of the Grantor's tax when selling your home. A $500,000 house now costs $2000 (grantor's tax alone) to transfer not including all the other bs fees involved in real estate.

DC real estate transfer tax is even higher.

[Rick Lee]

I've also stopped getting gas in NJ, even though I pass through Marlton and Medford Lakes (cheapest gas in the US, IIRC) every time I go to see my folks. I just can't stand having other touch my car and, when you tell them a full tank, they always round it off to the nearest dollar. Why? I don't care if it's xx cents, since I always use a credit card for gas. And so they never really fill the tank. The few times I've ridden my motorcycles up to NJ, they always just motion for me to fill up myself, which I like.

BTW, ever see the Sopranos episode where they show Paulie or Christopher pumping their own gas? Everyone in NJ was insulted by that one. They all knew it was fake.

[Lupin..the..3rd]

Originally Posted by Rob in VA

Alright. It's hard to compare because we aren't really measuring apples to apples. There are some great things [gasp] about NJ which make those taxes not as bad. Think about how close NJ is to a lot of things. How about having access to one of the greatest cities (NYC) in the world. There's a lot of money to be made in NJ and nearby compared to VA. NJ is the most affluent state. The most millionaires live in NJ.

How do you measure affluence? DC has the highest personal per-capita income of any state*. Lots of money to be made and lots of millionaires in NJ? Yeah, great. Because there's no money or millionaires in NoVA, right?

Lets pretend for a moment that NJ is actually a nice place to live (I said pretend). NJ has the highest cancer rate in the nation** - sounds real nice!

*source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_..._capita_income
**source: http://www.umdnj.edu/about/news_even...excellence.htm

[SilverStreak]

Originally Posted by Lupin..the..3rd

DC real estate transfer tax is even higher.

That's great but I don't run my business in DC. The market being what it is today people have to raise cutthroat prices to pay this tax. Raising prices is just not a good business model right now. It would irritate me less if it didn't single out one particular business or one group of citizens. It is incredibly unfair. If you rent do you use less services? No! If you must move because your family got bigger, smaller, lost a job, transfer out of state etc., should you be penalized? No! The burden should be shared. Car tax is the same, cheaper car = less services? No! It should be a flat fee for all.

I would also be less irritated if I thought for a nanosecond that the money would be used wisely. Case in point is the new sewage facility. This effin sewage plant or office or whatever it is looks like someplace Donald Trump would keep an office. It is ridiculous and far more expensive than the taxpayers ought to pay for. They got fat and happy spending our money now they bitch that the schools need money. They get more and more with every new resident and every new assesment but they piss it away in typical fashion. The County staff wants to build a new building and move as well. In Leesburg there is a parking lot full of at least 200 county cars that NEVER move but we pay for, Fairfax too. The largest employer in the county is the COUNTY at 1800 employees. Every year they publish the salaries and it would just stagger you to see the job titles and the very long list of people making in excess of $95,000 a year. I'm not talking about directors and such, I'm talking about deputy assistants to the deputy undersecretary of who knows what. Secretaries making $80K+. You tell me where the school money went. Pretty effin cushy to work at the County. There are always exceptions to the rule but the majority of the employees I come into contact with shouldn't see a penny of my tax dollar and wouldn't last 1 year in the private sector. In fact, that is why they are not in the private sector. I don't get up and go to work everyday to make sure that the County can provide a generous and comfortable work experience for it's staff. Why do they need 5 people to do the job of one in the private sector? Because they had the budget to hire so they hired without looking ahead 15 minutes to see that they might need that money for something other than another desk jockey to count all the tax money. Hell, in one county I was in the building inspectors were provided with their work shoes. Crap! I have always had to buy my own friggin shoes! Even in a uniform situation it's a rental deducted from your paycheck! Buy their friggin shoes. This is what were pay for so a guy who makes more than me can retire at the age of 52 very comfortably with health benefits and a closet full of fucking shoes!

Nap time.