Michigan Tax vs Illinois Pickup - Process

[TechSavvyWife]

I am picking up my Tesla in Chicago but live in Michigan. I have been told a couple conflicting things about taxes.

My question is do I pay taxes here in Michigan when I register or does the Chicago dealership collect the taxes for Michigan? If I pay in Chicago what paperwork do I need to register the car here in Michigan?

 

[mekberg]

Chicago store will not collect taxes for out of state residents.

You will need the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin to register in Michigan. Tesla FedExes this a few days after delivery.

 

[kmistry1986]

We picked up our car in Chicago and they collected sales tax for us for Ohio and did most of the paperwork for us. Which SC are you picking up your car at?

 

[IT Geek]

I picked up my car in Chicago and registered it in Michigan. it was very easy. Tesla sent me all the paperwork that I needed to complete the task. They even had little stickers on it to show me where exactly I had to sign when I was at the Secretary of State office. Chicago collected the Michigan tax. So you definitely end up paying the (lower) Michigan rate. It was a very smooth and easy transaction.

I got my car at the store which is nearest to the Train depot as that's how I ended up getting there. The sales guy even picked me up in a Tesla at the train station. Top marks all around.

Be prepared for a bit of a shock when you get your plates though... Stupid Michigan extra tax on EV's.

 

[Kaps]

When I got my Model 3, I did the same thing you are planning. Chicago is familiar with the Michigan sales tax and will collect it and document it on the paperwork you will bring to SOS. They did not collect the license and registration fees. I am attaching a pic of the MVPA. You can see the MI 6% line.

 

[TechSavvyWife]

Thank you both so much! This is the exact info I was looking for.

@IT Geek how bad was the sticker shock? I have not calculated it yet.

@Kaps how long did it take for the paperwork to arrive? I read that you don't leave the store with any paperwork and it's all electronic.

 

[IT Geek]

I think my plates were somewhere around $800 on my MS. Just a bit before I got my car, Michigan passed a new law to tack on extra fees for EV drivers since we're not buying gas...and therefore not paying any gas taxes. Apparently not spewing exhaust fumes does not count for anything. Anyway...I'm not sure what the price would be on a M3....but I would expect it to be less. However, it's nowhere near the $125-$150 that I used to spend on my previous (10 year old ICE) car.

Might be something you want to budget for though... I curse the state once a year, but I love driving my new car so much that I forget about it until the next year.

 

[Kaps]

They will give you a temp license good for around 30 days. You will get a FedEx envelope in a couple of weeks containing everything you need to bring to the SOS. Don’t worry they have you covered. If the temp is getting close to expiring give them a call and make sure all is in order. The overall experience will far exceed any local dealership