WA State EV Sales Tax Exemption Updated

[whitex]

Maybe since it took so long to even get to the total, the DOL will be just as slow with the 7,500 notification. The wording implies the burden is on the DOL, so if they take their sweet time, exemption continues.

PS) I see they did away with MSRP qualifier and went straight to "here is a list of cars rich people don't buy" so they are not accused of subsidizing rich people again.

 

[Foxhound199]

Is there any legislative appetite to extend it? I'm always surprised with Inslee's signature issue supposedly green energy that he doesn't push for more EV incentives.

 

[PLUS EV]

Is there any legislative appetite to extend it? I'm always surprised with Inslee's signature issue supposedly green energy that he doesn't push for more EV incentives.

I've been fairly surprised by how regressive WA has been the last few years with EV subsidies. I guess the sales tax thing was anti-rich people but the annual $150 electric vehicle fee seems incredibly regressive. Sure at some point down the road when half the cars are EVs, they will have to implement something like that, but it seems totally unnecessary at this point.

 

[Foxhound199]

I've been fairly surprised by how regressive WA has been the last few years with EV subsidies. I guess the sales tax thing was anti-rich people but the annual $150 electric vehicle fee seems incredibly regressive. Sure at some point down the road when half the cars are EVs, they will have to implement something like that, but it seems totally unnecessary at this point.

Yeah, I find the $150 to be particularly onerous because that's more than I currently pay a year in gas tax. Wish we could get through that this isn't a perpetual handout we're looking for. This is the time to be stimulating EV sales. The success of this class of EVs (Bolt, 3, next gen Leaf, etc) will really open up the market on EVs and subsidies will no longer be needed. But I think it's so short sighted to be worried about how well off the people receiving the subsidy are today when success now means a technological revolution that can help everyone in the future.

 

[iwannam3]

I encourage others to use any means of communicating with Tesla to encourage them to prioritize early Model 3 deliveries in Washington like they did for the S and X. I submitted the email from DOL and a short explanation to the Contact email at My Tesla under the heading Existing order or Reservation. We will see if I get a response. Please post any response you get.

 

[iwannam3]

I've been fairly surprised by how regressive WA has been the last few years with EV subsidies. I guess the sales tax thing was anti-rich people but the annual $150 electric vehicle fee seems incredibly regressive. Sure at some point down the road when half the cars are EVs, they will have to implement something like that, but it seems totally unnecessary at this point.

At Washington's high $0.49 state tax on fuel a 32 mpg car doing 10,000 miles pays $150 in Washington fuel tax so it doesn't seem too far off. It is a bit schizophrenic when one dept is subsidizing electric vehicles and another is taxing them.

 

[melindav]

What does everyone else have for delivery estimates? Mine is January/March and based on the latest sounds like that is pretty borderline to nil chance.
ALSO... if Tesla does make some accommodations to cram as many WA orders thru as they can to get the sales tax credit, being in SW WA, I'd planned to be taking delivery in Portland, so hope that would not have me excluded. Otherwise, I'd gladly take the train up to Seattle to save nearly $3k in tax!

 

[pilotSteve]

What does everyone else have for delivery estimates? Mine is January/March and based on the latest sounds like that is pretty borderline to nil chance.
ALSO... if Tesla does make some accommodations to cram as many WA orders thru as they can to get the sales tax credit, being in SW WA, I'd planned to be taking delivery in Portland, so hope that would not have me excluded. Otherwise, I'd gladly take the train up to Seattle to save nearly $3k in tax!

I’ve taken delivery of two Model S in Portland but they were titled (and delivered with WA sales tax paid at time of purchase) yet I live in WA and Tesla had the proper WA title done foe me. I would expect no issues with the Portland service/delivery center handling this credit correctly.

 

[melindav]

I’ve taken delivery of two Model S in Portland but they were titled (and delivered with WA sales tax paid at time of purchase) yet I live in WA and Tesla had the proper WA title done foe me. I would expect no issues with the Portland service/delivery center handling this credit correctly.

not worried about that part. fully expect the credit/tax to be dealt with correctly. My (now recent) concern was if Tesla does expedite the WA deliveries a bit, would that include those of us taking delivery in Ptld.

 

[PLUS EV]

I could definitely see that being a concern because a) they might not want to train the Portland staff on Model 3 deliveries earlier than they have to and b) the staff might not want to explain to their Oregon customers why melindav et al. are getting their Model 3s now but they have to wait for months.

 

[iwannam3]

I called the Portland office, no worry, they said. They will trailer it and drop it off at my house, no jealous Oregonians the wiser.......
And two fewer times I have to cross the #$%^&* bridge. Actually the bridge isn't the problem, I-5 goes to TWO lanes in Portland which causes backup into Washington. Heading north Marine Drive & Jantzen Beach merge just before the bridge and cause backups. Once on the bridge I'm doing 60 by the time I land in Washington.

 

[melindav]

And two fewer times I have to cross the #$%^&* bridge.

I do that every day, and voted for the new bridge and it's toll myself...

 

[vudupulz]

I wonder what's the update for this month. Does DOL publish it somewhere?

 

[iwannam3]

I wonder what's the update for this month. Does DOL publish it somewhere?

It was weeks of bureaucratic run around to get the Jan 1 and June 30 numbers, I asked for monthly data for 2017 and never got a reply. Maybe we don't want them watching the increasing number too close..........

 

[PLUS EV]

I wonder what's the update for this month. Does DOL publish it somewhere?

If you read this thread, I think you will know the answer!

 

[nquery]

(First time poster)

The relevant clauses are below ... I you read it literally it suggests that, as per 7b, the DOL must notify the DOR once 7,500 has been reached, which is not the same as of the monthly reporting by the 5th of each month in 7a. And then as per 6a the exemption expires end of month following this notification. So if the DOL does this by the book, if 7,500 is crossed in December then the exemption would expire Jan 31, not Feb 28 as some have suggested because of the monthly reporting on the 5th.

The key difference is that 7b says the DOL must notify the DOR separately from the monthly reporting. Now if the DOL is tardy in the 7b notification that could possibly cause it to slip a month but I wouldn't count on it.

I personally was expecting there to be more time on this exemption but it doesn't look like it. I don't know if any M3 buyers will get this in time. My current estimate is DEC - FEB but I don't expect Tesla to meet the early part of these estimate, if they even meet the tail end. Not looking good

__________

(6)(a) The exemption under this section expires, effective with sales of vehicles delivered to the buyer or leased vehicles for which the lease agreement was signed, after the last day of the calendar month immediately following the month the department receives notice from the department of licensing under subsection (7)(b) of this section. All leased vehicles that qualified for the exemption before the expiration of the exemption must continue to receive the exemption as described under subsection (1)(b) of this section on lease payments due through the remainder of the lease.
(7)(a) By the end of the fifth working day of each month, until the expiration of the exemption as described in subsection (6) of this section, the department of licensing must determine the cumulative number of qualifying vehicles titled on or after July 15, 2015, and provide notice of the cumulative number of these vehicles to the department.
(b) The department of licensing must notify the department once the cumulative number of qualifying vehicles titled in the state on or after July 15, 2015, equals or exceeds seven thousand five hundred.

 

[Foxhound199]

(First time poster)

The relevant clauses are below ... I you read it literally it suggests that, as per 7b, the DOL must notify the DOR once 7,500 has been reached, which is not the same as of the monthly reporting by the 5th of each month in 7a. And then as per 6a the exemption expires end of month following this notification. So if the DOL does this by the book, if 7,500 is crossed in December then the exemption would expire Jan 31, not Feb 28 as some have suggested because of the monthly reporting on the 5th.

The key difference is that 7b says the DOL must notify the DOR separately from the monthly reporting. Now if the DOL is tardy in the 7b notification that could possibly cause it to slip a month but I wouldn't count on it.

I personally was expecting there to be more time on this exemption but it doesn't look like it. I don't know if any M3 buyers will get this in time. My current estimate is DEC - FEB but I don't expect Tesla to meet the early part of these estimate, if they even meet the tail end. Not looking good .

I don't think this is right. We've already seen how much work it takes to get someone to be bothered to look up the numbers. There's no way they're tabulating them more frequently than is required. If they reported the number as 7499 one month, I strongly suspect no one would check whether or not that one additional registration occurred until the following month when they are required to tabulate the number again.

 

[Foxhound199]

I have a dumb question that I'm almost too afraid to ask:

Looking at the Monroney sticker recently got me wondering, if the car is listed as "Model 3 Long Range", with what appears on the sticker to be a base price of $44,000, will this still be considered by the state to have a base price of $35k? I know they already list Model 3 on their FAQ sheet, which is encouraging. But I could see an interpretation that the Model 3 Long Range and the Model 3 Standard are two different models.

 

[melindav]

I have a dumb question that I'm almost too afraid to ask:

Looking at the Monroney sticker recently got me wondering, if the car is listed as "Model 3 Long Range", with what appears on the sticker to be a base price of $44,000, will this still be considered by the state to have a base price of $35k? I know they already list Model 3 on their FAQ sheet, which is encouraging. But I could see an interpretation that the Model 3 Long Range and the Model 3 Standard are two different models.

My understanding is yes. The Long Range $9k is considered an option. The Monroney sticker does list the $35k (plus, plus, plus, )

 

[Foxhound199]

My understanding is yes. The Long Range $9k is considered an option. The Monroney sticker does list the $35k (plus, plus, plus, )

Ah, I see it now! Yeah, clear as day the base price is $35k. One less thing to worry about.