[Asiann]

I will be deployed to Iraq next year and was thinking about using the Pentagon military sales to buy the 335 but here is my question. I'm a resident of TX for tax purposes and my wife might be living there at some point and I will then need to ship the car there. Will I have to pay any sales tax in TX in order to register? I have never had to pay sales tax in Colorado, or SC, VA. I'm going to contact Pentagon military car sales and pose the same question. I know that SC has a maximum sales tax of $300 even if you are not military so that is another option and I'm sure I can get out of that one since I still have a house there and my parents live there as well.

[jthans80]

Pentagon will only tell you to contact the state in which you are going to register the vehicle. They won't give you any guarantees about sales tax because states change their laws and Pentagon doesn't want to keep up with it. Legally, you have a couple of options as to where you can register the car. You can either register it in the state you currently live in, or you can register it in the state you are a resident of. The best thing to do is to call the DMV of both states to see which on is most adventagous for you. Remember that the guy answering the phone is used to talking to people about how to get their license back after their 5th DUI, so he probably doesn't know the intricacies of the law for your situation. Tell him you are active duty and bought the car overseas. You will actually import the car, not BMW so that can make a difference. Using your parents house as a permanent address may work too. They may want you to show some kind of proof that you live or lived there though, like a bill.

[Asiann]

Calling the TX DMV was my next step I just don't want to pay the sales tax again as I never had before with any of the 5 other cars I purchased in other states. Thanks!

[BuckJon]

I am in the same situation yet different states. Live/stationed in CA, wife and her family currently in FL. I looked into it a bit but I think I am going to end up paying aboyt $3,800 when I register my car. Wish I knew of some loophole. Hell I'd even be willing to drive it from FL to avoid paying 4K. Plus would be a fun roadtrip. You'd think being in freaking Iraq they could at least hook ya up with a tax cut.

[jthans80]

Seriously, you would think they would. I know Cali used to have a rule that if you owned the car for 90 days overseas, then you didn't have to pay, but I think they TERMINATED that law. Write you congressman, maybe he could push it through. BuckJon, I think you could easily register that thing in FL if your wife is there.

[BuckJon]

I just have to find out if I did do that am I going to have to pay the FL sales tax which I think is around the same. If that's the case I'm not sure it would be worth it. I will do some more research. If I ever figure anything out I'll let everyone know so we can all skip out on as much taxes as possibly can. Well, "all" being everyone in the military ordering overseas. heheh.