Title transfer trouble in WA

[Midori]

Hi y'all, just bought a beautiful 98 thomas 40 ft pusher (pictures soon to come). On recomendations from other forum posts, took my title over to Barb's Licensing to transfer ownership. The lady said because she can't look up the market value for a bus, I have to go to the department of revenue to get a rate appraisal for WA's sales tax. Is this a common thing? Any way around it? I'm worried I'll be required to bring the bus in for an inspection. Thanks for any help.

 

[o1marc]

What do they need market value for, don't they set the rate by what you paid for it? Don't you pay sales tax on what you actually paid?
I'd show them a list of recent Govdeal auctions to show these are only worth $2K.

 

[PNW_Steve]

That is something different.....

I have titled & registered two buses using Barb's in Snohomish with no trouble.

I do know that, in Washington, if you purchase a vehicle significantly below NADA they can tax you at NADA value. I think that it is wrong but that is how it is.

Inslee never met a tax he didn't like.....

 

[PNW_Steve]

Follow up:

IIRC, there is a DOR office in Mill Creek that can do that for you. I would expect/hope that if you show purchase documentation and and comparable sales on the auction sites that DOR will give you a reasonable valuation.

 

[CaptSquid]

They don't ask that in Montana. Of course, we don't have that dreaded "sales t*x here, either.

 

[evathedefiler]

This took a bit of talking when we titled too. They accepted our purchase price as value after showing them numerous comp sale ads and there were some phone calls involved as well.

 

[Midori]

I forgot to mention the couple was nice enough to put down we paid $500 on the bill of sale and title to decrease the taxes. Didn't think this would be problem since we've done similar things before for trucks and stuff. I called the couple back and agreed to add a zero on both of our documentation so it says $5,000. Nice to hear other's experiences since I didn't know if the sale price was the problem or because, as she said, she couldn't evaluate its worth in their system. I'll just go to the Mill Creek DOR Monday with some comparable auctions. Hopefully no more trouble. It's crazy how arbitrary all of this is. 4th vehicle registration up here and no two the same.

 

[Oldcarnut-SKO]

When I tried to license my short bus they wanted an appraisal value as well even though I bought out of state and paid top dollar. They could not find an appraised value so I had to get it appraised at a used bus dealer even though I was told any dealer could do it. Cost me $150 and had already upgraded it after purchasing out of state so that did not help.
Don't recall name of bus shop but it was in the Spokane Valley area. Getting my bus registered has been one expensive PITA thanks to Deer Park DMV. NEVER dealing with them again.