SC Property Tax for 2nd home or as car?

[Jerry Bowers]

We just went to motor home and received our property tax this past week. Little steep, about $1900.
We have two options.
1. Leave as a car type registration and was told it would decrease each year.
2. Change to a 2nd home type registration and would save about $500. SC 2nd home is at 6% and your first home is at 4%
Tax office said home value goes up each year and car value would go down. Of course, they would not say how much.
Anybody experience this? Any suggestion which method would be best as the tax office said we could only make the choice this first time.

This takes a little red off my candy as it is about twice what I was told it would be. I feel the $500 saving would be the best, but might be overlooking something.

 

[mrwebman]

SC Property Tax for 2nd home or as car?

Hi Jerry,

I'm in that same situation. SC cut my motorhome personal property tax down from $1700 per year to about $750 per year by claiming it as a second home.

Your best bet is to move out of SC to some state like Florida where there is no personal property tax. Failing that, just grin every time you hit one of the pot holes in our backward, ill-maintained state.

Good luck.

Dennis

'93 Gulf Stream Tourmaster
Jeep Overland toad


quote:Originally posted by Jerry Bowers

We just went to motor home and received our property tax this past week. Little steep, about $1900.
We have two options.
1. Leave as a car type registration and was told it would decrease each year.
2. Change to a 2nd home type registration and would save about $500. SC 2nd home is at 6% and your first home is at 4%
Tax office said home value goes up each year and car value would go down. Of course, they would not say how much.
Anybody experience this? Any suggestion which method would be best as the tax office said we could only make the choice this first time.

This takes a little red off my candy as it is about twice what I was told it would be. I feel the $500 saving would be the best, but might be overlooking something.

 

[janicenlarry]

SC Property Tax for 2nd home or as car?

My total vehicle costs in FL for a '99 Winnie Chieftain and a '99 Jeep Wrangler was $84! Time to get out of those high tax states!

 

[mrwebman]

SC Property Tax for 2nd home or as car?

Hi Larry,

TOTAL cost? Well... lets talk total cost then:

Tourmaster $750 (as second home)
Jeep Overland $725
Chev Pickup $400
Others like wife's Corvette, my old bang around Jeep, two motorcycles, daughter's car, son's car, my boat, two jetski's: $850

And, add to the above the cost of tags each year not to mention insurance for a tourist area...

Now, let's don't forget real estate taxes, state income taxes, and sales tax...

If you figure in federal tax, excise tax, estate tax, etc. on top of all of that, my estimate is that you get to keep about $20 for every $100 you make... That's just a guess - it might be much less...

If I didn't have ties to SC, I'd move to Florida in a flash. I have 3 sisters that live in Florida so I'm very familiar with the much lower tax base there - their taxes are not even close to what we pay here. The down side to living in Florida is the heat - it SOOOOO... hot there that the air conditioner is not an option - it's essential for life in my opinion. And, the Florida toll roads - I won't drive on them and I hope no one else does either and maybe they'll stop making them. Then, there's all those northerners (South Carolinians) moving down there... haha

Cheers,
Dennis

 

[janicenlarry]

SC Property Tax for 2nd home or as car?

Even tho I agree about the FL heat (I spent 25 yrs there and my wife was born there) and we have no plans to go back, we maintained our residence there thru the Good Sam mailing operation in Pensacola. Of course, we were full timing and could pick anywhere as our state of residence. (Many pick Texas because of the Escapee operation in Livingston which facilitates becoming a resident).

 

[Jerry Bowers]

SC Property Tax for 2nd home or as car?

I can now address which tax method is better. Went to tax office and declared RV as second home today. Tax went from $1897 to $1025.
This is more like it. Not good as Florida, but better than it was. Sure is funny when something starts off real high, then it drops, it seems like a good deal. Kinda like now finding gas at $2.15 is great.

 

[Kirk]

SC Property Tax for 2nd home or as car?

In Texas our plates for the motorhome were $131 this year and there is no other tax or fee of any kind that we must pay on it.