CA parents gifted car, pay taxes when registering in DC?

[Anonymous]

Recently, my parents gave me their luxury 2022 SUV hybrid as a gift. It currently has CA tags and arrived in DC a few days ago.
We've submitted a title transfer application with CA DMV online and it's still in process. And I have in my possession the California Certificate of Title showing that my parents transferred the title to me as a gift.

After spending a few hours on the DC DMV webpages, it looks like I will owe $1400 in excise tax even though it's a gift.

But I'm hoping I'm wrong.

Does anyone know how to avoid paying taxes when registering an out-of-state car that's been gifted?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I don't know what your paperwork looks like, but perhaps it might have been better to have them sell it to you at a value lower than market?

How are you getting the valuation that you will pay excise tax on?

It might be better if you just register it as their property in DC to your address, and have them get a replacement title in CA (voiding the gift, but eliminating the property transfer). They can give it to you at a future time when it's either valued less or you live somewhere with different rules. That might not work now.

The only other thing I can think of is that you might be able to use the fact that your parents paid tax on it in California as an offset to the DC tax. But I doubt it, probably only the owner can claim that.

[Anonymous]

Without a DC address I do not think the parents can register the ca in DC. They would need something to prove they live there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recently, my parents gave me their luxury 2022 SUV hybrid as a gift. It currently has CA tags and arrived in DC a few days ago.
We've submitted a title transfer application with CA DMV online and it's still in process. And I have in my possession the California Certificate of Title showing that my parents transferred the title to me as a gift.

After spending a few hours on the DC DMV webpages, it looks like I will owe $1400 in excise tax even though it's a gift.

But I'm hoping I'm wrong.

Does anyone know how to avoid paying taxes when registering an out-of-state car that's been gifted?

Thanks!

That sounds about right actually.

[Anonymous]

Why would you think you could avoid paying taxes?

[Anonymous]

Irrelevant how you received or purchased the car. When first registering a vehicle in DC, you need to pay the tax at the assessed value.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you have to pay taxes when you register a car here.

[Anonymous]

Who cares it'll have a smashed window or you'll come back to it on blocks before the registration goes through

[Anonymous]

I think they're supposed to sell it to you for $1