Based on the old Roman chariot tax
Will Truman peels off $325 to register his car, which sounds to me like a stiff sum for a second-year tag. Herewith his explanation:
It turns out that the state is engaging in affluence-discrimination. A form of progressive taxation under the idea that if you can afford a newish car (less than five years old) you must be fishin’ loaded. My inner conservative is outraged as this is yet another way our increased income is being chipped away at. My inner liberal points out that my paying $225 to the state ($100 is local) allows someone barely getting by on a clunker to pay $30 (and less on the county, though I can’t find the exact number). Intellectually, the liberal wins. The conservative hasn’t calmed down yet.
These are numbers worthy of Oklahoma circa 1999, though Soonerland has since (somewhat) mended its ways: yearly registration for years 1 through 4 runs a mere $91 today, dropping as low as $21 for a 17th-year renewal. On the other hand, you still have to hand over the excise tax at purchase, which remains at 3.25 percent, though it’s certainly better than having to pay the sales-tax rate, which is 4.5 percent and up, and up.
Dwayne the canoe guy »
17 January 2012 · 3:26 pm
I used to joke that since the price of the tag was based on the value of the car, whenever I renewed the tags on my ’78 Datsun they would buy my lunch, hand me a Ziploc full of pennies and tell me to stay away for two years.
Nicole »
17 January 2012 · 7:31 pm
In MO, they hit you hard when you initially license a car based on your purchase price. Every 2 years thereafter we renew the license for around $35 no matter what the year, make or model of the vehicle.
Personal property tax is where they get you based on clunker or newer model.