Sales Tax Exemption returns

[im.thatoneguy]

(Apologies I forgot to add "Washington State" to the title.)

In their last-minute dash to adjournment Sunday, Washington state legislators revived a lapsed sales tax break for buyers of electric cars. The resurrected incentive will be similar in value to a publicly-funded rebate for battery-powered cars that Oregon now offers.​

A valuable tax break for buyers of fully-electric and plug-in hybrid cars in Washington expired last May.

State lawmakers voted to bring it back in a modified form with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas pollution from tailpipes. ​

Washington State's Tax Break For Electric Vehicles Makes A Comeback

Washington State Legislature

 

[ChrisH]

Ugh I seriously bought my model 3 at the worst time (aug 2018). Sales tax exemption had expired 3 months prior and I paid $55,500 for a LR RWD.

And it looks like the annual electric vehicle fee raised to $225. So annoying.

 

[seattlite2004]

Ugh I seriously bought my model 3 at the worst time (aug 2018). Sales tax exemption had expired 3 months prior and I paid $55,500 for a LR RWD.

And it looks like the annual electric vehicle fee raised to $225. So annoying.

$225....Muthaf*****rs!!!!!

 

[Foxhound199]

So I'm paying the state more for this fee than I ever have paid in a year in gas tax because...? And don't we pay tax on the electricity we fuel our cars with?

 

[ChrisH]

So I'm paying the state more for this fee than I ever have paid in a year in gas tax because...? And don't we pay tax on the electricity we fuel our cars with?

Better than the $350 they were proposing and might be closer to a gas tax equivalent but still super annoying.

 

[PLUS EV]

Sure I'm biased, but I don't think there should be ANY fee whatsoever until EV adoption is up over a non-trivial amount, say 10 or 20%. This is just regressive politics in a state that is supposedly environmentally conscious (Inslee is running for president and campaigning on climate change lol).

 

[ChrisH]

Sure I'm biased, but I don't think there should be ANY fee whatsoever until EV adoption is up over a non-trivial amount, say 10 or 20%. This is just regressive politics in a state that is supposedly environmentally conscious (Inslee is running for president and campaigning on climate change lol).

Yea the state is ridiculously regressive.

 

[DanL3]

Sure I'm biased, .....).

I am more biased.... Theyshould also double the gas tax to make in more in-line with rest of the world. Then use that money for Green transportation.

 

[Foxhound199]

Sure I'm biased, but I don't think there should be ANY fee whatsoever until EV adoption is up over a non-trivial amount, say 10 or 20%. This is just regressive politics in a state that is supposedly environmentally conscious (Inslee is running for president and campaigning on climate change lol).

Not only is he running on climate change, I have heard him boasting SPECIFICALLY about the number of electric vehicles in his state. One interesting thing, unlike the federal government, in WA the governor can veto just a portion of the bill. If he's actually serious about either showing real leadership or his dedication to fighting climate change, he will challenge his own party and keep the increase from happening.

 

[ChrisRentonWA]

I am just in the research stage but thinking of ordering the Model 3 next week, it looks like I’m better off waiting for the WA Sales tax exemption Aug 1 , vs taking delivery before 7/31 to get the $3975 fed tax break. It’s reduced to half on 9/1. Either way, I’m super excited and not sure I can wait!

 

[ChrisH]

I am just in the research stage but thinking of ordering the Model 3 next week, it looks like I’m better off waiting for the WA Sales tax exemption Aug 1 , vs taking delivery before 7/31 to get the $3975 fed tax break. It’s reduced to half on 9/1. Either way, I’m super excited and not sure I can wait!

You are mistaken. The fed tax credit is currently $3750 and drops to $1875 July 1st. But yes. I would order Aug 1st to get the sales tax exemption.

 

[ChrisRentonWA]

You are mistaken. The fed tax credit is currently $3750 and drops to $1875 July 1st. But yes. I would order Aug 1st to get the sales tax exemption.

Thank you for clarifying! I’m not sure I can wait after my test drive yesterday! So I would just need to take delivery 8/1 to qualify I assume. I could order a couple weeks before?

 

[ChrisH]

Thank you for clarifying! I’m not sure I can wait after my test drive yesterday! So I would just need to take delivery 8/1 to qualify I assume. I could order a couple weeks before?

Yes. It’s when the sale takes place. Tesla May have to adjust your final paperwork/amount due and they may not be 100% up to speed if you take delivery the first few days after it takes effect.

 

[im.thatoneguy]

I wouldn't order a couple weeks before. I ordered last Aug 1st and had delivery 10 days later. And that was when they were severely production limited. You could get it in less than 2 days.

 

[ChrisH]

I wouldn't order a couple weeks before. I ordered last Aug 1st and had delivery 10 days later. And that was when they were severely production limited. You could get it in less than 2 days.

That’s true. I even got mine in 18 days past August.

 

[Yeab Wondimu]

Thank you for clarifying! I’m not sure I can wait after my test drive yesterday! So I would just need to take delivery 8/1 to qualify I assume. I could order a couple weeks before?

I'm in the same boat. Test drove the Model 3 last weekend and now have to wait until August 1st for the tax exemption. It's excruciating!

 

[Seattle]

It has a 45,000 price limit. Does that include trade in? If I got 40k for my current S and the new car was 94k, would it satisfy this requirement? I haven't found any discussion of tradein. Current taxes are based on price after tradein. Which if you never through about it, is an incentive to use the same dealer for trade ins as purchases.

 

[Alysashley79]

From what I was told the sticker price needs to be <$45k. Super lame. I believe used is even <$30k which outs almost every single used Tesla even.
AND it’s got a $2500 cap. Which means that on a $45k car you’re still going to pay $2k in tax. Oddly enough they have pics of Tesla’s on all the articles.

 

[Seattle]

From what I was told the sticker price needs to be <$45k. Super lame. I believe used is even <$30k which outs almost every single used Tesla even.
AND it’s got a $2500 cap. Which means that on a $45k car you’re still going to pay $2k in tax. Oddly enough they have pics of Tesla’s on all the articles.

Thanks. So even the long range m3 is above that price, so there's no way I'm trading in. I have a 4.5 year old s and I've been thinking about a trade in. first the 370 mile range raven was attractive, then this tax deduction (but it turns out to be a mirage). I will just wait till the fall reveal of new model s. I think tesla is going to have a big drop in sales on the S, even with the 370 mile range version. they need to get that new model out soon, just for their own survival. Why would I not just buy a model 3 LR AWD for half the price?

 

[Alysashley79]

Personally. (And this could just entirely be me) while the 3 is fine. I hands down prefer the model s. When we decided to buy another Tesla. We test drove the M3. We already knew how the MS would drive. We decided to buy a used MS. I know the 3 had the newer options etc. but I just like the way the MS rides. I’ve talked to quite a few people at the Superchargers and several agree. A few even has the 3 and were waiting on their raven to arrive. So I think there are still quite a few S people out there.

And the sales tax exemption here is only for ea state and not something that Tesla came up with but the state of WA. I also drove a bolt and a leaf <—— they’re both kind of jokes. I mean unless you only ever drive 40 miles per day. Don’t want to take road trips etc. and you’ll never get the speed of a Tesla there. My guess is that they’ll see very few of the “rebates” used and it’ll either go away or it’ll come back like it used to be.