I live in Arizona and had assumed my kids living in California could get a much better deal on a new Tesla given the $2500 CA tax credit. But when I was allowed $50,000 on my trade, none of that trade difference was taxable here in AZ and five years of plates cost about $25 a year. If I understand correctly I probably would have paid $3500 or so of sales tax on the trade in CA plus several hundred bucks a year for the plates. Both states allow access to car pool lanes so that's a wash but it seems to me I actually got a much better financial deal in AZ. Am I missing something and if not, why isn't this more widely known? When I researched incentives, it seems to me no one points out the real differences between states. Of course I understand the calculation depends on having a trade-in. But even without the trade, the almost free plates would quickly offset the $2500, right?
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