Buying out of state: which tax do you pay?
Cheap delivery tax means little if your home state still wants its due when you title the car.
Two different offices
The selling dealer works under the purchase state’s paperwork. Your plate and title usually follow the state where you live. Those rulebooks are not the same document.
Some temporary permits let you drive home; they do not erase home-state tax obligations.
How to plan with TagTally
Run the OTD estimator using the state where you will register, not only where you sign. Treat the foreign dealer’s tax line as a hypothesis to reconcile, not the final word.
Practical steps
- Call home DMV/DOR with the VIN scenario before deposit.
- Ask the dealer which state’s tax appears on the buyer’s order.
- Keep both states’ fee schedules in the email thread.
On this bay
General information, not personalized advice.