Yes, but Marylanders pay the equivalent of the sales tax when they first
register, and it is based not on what you pay for the car (in the case of a
$250 car), but on the State's reading of their "blue book" value. And then
there is the small matter of a State approved vehicle safety inspection
(one-time), where you pay some McDonald's drop-out mechanic to check a
brake, lights, etc. and just be prepared for them to find something wrong
that they can charge for!
I once went to register a car in MD that I had paid $950 for, at a MD dealer
2 years earlier. No matter, the State said that it was worth $1500, and
charged me 5% of that. The same vehicle had just recently passed an annual
NJ State vehicle inspection. To add insult to injury, the local (near Ft.
Meade) gas station inspector first tried to hold me up for brakes, then
after losing that battle insisted on adjusting the headlights in order to
give it a "pass". I had to lower each headlight 4 full turns of the screw
to keep from lighting up bird's nests in the tree tops!
Virginia isn't much better, as they charge an annual "personal property tax"
on vehicles and boats, again based on their special "blue book". And of
course they charge a sales tax upon first registration, too.
NJ only charges a sales tax once, and an annual registration fee that is
around $65 for the '83 SD. Inspection is safety only, every 2 years.
Werner
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 10:56 AM
Subject: Re: [MBZ] $250 1985 300SD
Maryland registration is expensive ($180/2yrs?), but ALL diesels are
exempt from emissions tests in MD (period). Unfortunately we have
mandatory insurance, you you pay out at least one orifice for that. At
least we dont have to pay sales tax (yet) on the registration, or an
annual property tax (yet) on the vehicle itself (like say... certain areas
of Virginia)
-j.
