Vehicle Sales Tax

[Wao nahele kane]

When you purchase a new vehicle here in the State of Hawaii or a used vehicle brought in by a dealer from out of state, the cost of shipping is included in the price of the vehicle and therefore taxable within the vehicles price at time of purchase.

Now, switch gears. You purchase a vehicle outside the State of Hawaii wherein the vehicle is then legally owned by you even though it's outside the State of Hawaii and you've not yet paid for or planned shipping it to the State of Hawaii.
How is it, a vehicle that you legally own outside the State somehow is now subject to a vehicle purchase tax levied against shipping cost of a vehicle you already own?

Think about the two very different ownership situations between a purchase from a dealer here in the State and a purchase made outside the State. Wherein ownership is very different between the two scenarios.

This would be similar to purchasing a car in say California as a Oregon resident and when you bring the car to Oregon to have it registered, Oregon charging you additional taxes per mile travelled from the State of California to bring the vehicle to Oregon.

[kalakoa]

"Use tax" is based on the landed value (including purchase price, shipping, handling, insurance, customs duty) of property brought into the state.

Motor vehicles are a special case; no tax is due for

- vehicles imported as part of your household (eg, moving here)
- vehicles acquired (but not used or stored) 3 months before importation
- vehicles received as a gift (as a vehicle, not as gifted money used to purchase a vehicle)
- vehicles purchased in a "casual sale" (private party not in the business of selling vehicles),
- vehicles which will be in Hawaii for less than 1 year
- vehicles on which sales/use tax in excess of the Hawaii tax were paid to another state
- vehicles which are being leased (lessor pays use tax)

Fill out G-27 "Use Tax Certification" and attach required documentation.

[leilanidude]

The cost of shipping is included as an extra line item, in every single vehicle, at the same amount, no matter where you purchased it in relation to the factory and shipping destination. The shipping charge is the same if your vehicle was made in Detroit and shipped to Detroit, or made in Detroit and shipped to Hawaii.