Private car sales; recording low sales price?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-26-2008, 07:17 PM
  #1  
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (20)
 
gmodc7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Honolulu, HI./Santa Clara, CA.
Posts: 1,054
Car Info: nothing
Private car sales; recording low sales price?

I've been trying to figure out the dynamic of private car sales for a while now. I know that when you register a new vehicle purchase you have to give them the purchase price and pay tax on that. However, I have heard many times of people recording the sales price wayyy below the actual so that they dont have to pay full tax on it. I'm talking $20,000 purchase, recorded at $5,000, netting an over $1200 savings on tax.

My question is this: do these people ever get audited/ is there an audit that goes out on someone if theres an obvious discrepancy in purchase price? Obviously something would look weird if someone bought a 1 year old lexus second hand and said they paid 5 grand for it...but is there a government agency that enforces this? I know this seems sketchy, but I've never bought a used car from a private seller (inhereted the first car, bought the current car from a dealer new) so I wouldnt know.
gmodc7 is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 07:22 PM
  #2  
Registered User
 
T_F_E's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Pend Oreille, Washington
Posts: 85
Car Info: Subaru Legacy Outback Limited '97
I know many people who have done this and they have never been audited, im not sure if there is an agency or not
T_F_E is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 07:26 PM
  #3  
Registered User
iTrader: (4)
 
jimmy04wrx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sharks Territory
Posts: 603
Car Info: '14 Cayman
when my buddy bought a 68 mustang fastback, he paid $12K but only reported it sold for $2000. it can work for older cars, but a year old lex is gonna throw some flags, especially if it doesnt have a salvage title.
jimmy04wrx is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 07:54 PM
  #4  
Registered User
iTrader: (8)
 
mcowger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,737
Car Info: 2009 A3 2.0T quattro
Dunno if they do it here, but in WA if you under report it too much, they will bill you the tax based on the Blue Book value until you provide them some good reason the car was sold so far under market price.
mcowger is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 08:14 PM
  #5  
Roo
Forester Specialist
iTrader: (3)
 
Roo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Sonoma County
Posts: 3,985
Car Info: '98/'04 Foresters (S & XT)
Originally Posted by mcowger
Dunno if they do it here, but in WA if you under report it too much, they will bill you the tax based on the Blue Book value until you provide them some good reason the car was sold so far under market price.
Well, add the cost of the new engine and transmission, and you've got blue book, right?
Roo is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 08:16 PM
  #6  
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
tschida's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Napa / SLO
Posts: 258
Car Info: 2004 WRB WRX
I know that "people" have done this on cars such as a 2004 wrx, not like 15G's less but like 6....
tschida is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 08:25 PM
  #7  
Registered User
iTrader: (8)
 
aboothman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: BorderJumperEnforcer's momma's house
Posts: 2,506
Car Info: Fast
Last I checked, a person can sell a car for whatever the **** they want. Did I miss something, and we went full communist overnight?

Last I heard, there is no such agency.
aboothman is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 08:29 PM
  #8  
Registered User
 
T_F_E's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Pend Oreille, Washington
Posts: 85
Car Info: Subaru Legacy Outback Limited '97
You can also sell the car and mark it as a gift
T_F_E is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 08:33 PM
  #9  
Registered User
iTrader: (4)
 
PikkaGTR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SJ
Posts: 2,644
Car Info: 94 Integra beater: one Slow 3 Series RIP EvoX
Originally Posted by aboothman
Last I checked, a person can sell a car for whatever the **** they want. Did I miss something, and we went full communist overnight?

Last I heard, there is no such agency.
that is true
I can sell aything for any amount of money I want
I sold my ITR for "$7k" to a "friend"
What if i felt like selling it for $3k even though it's worth $14-$15k
last I checked, we still live in a free country
PikkaGTR is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 08:40 PM
  #10  
Registered User
iTrader: (8)
 
mcowger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,737
Car Info: 2009 A3 2.0T quattro
Its not about any agency telling you CANT sell it for whatever you want. You can.

What's being discussed is the commision of tax fraud and underreporting the amount of the sale.

Its about the TAXES on it. If they decide that you are underreporting the sale price to avoid taxes (thus commiting fraud), then you may get audited. Not on your sale price per se, but on your reporting of the sale price.
mcowger is offline  
Old 10-26-2008, 08:51 PM
  #11  
Registered User
iTrader: (11)
 
flatline's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Land Of The Dead
Posts: 3,863
Car Info: Cage and Slicks and Wing OH MY!!
i know if you mark it as a gift you have to pay blue book price taxes.

personally i think its bs, the car has already had taxes payed on it once, why does a private buyer have to pay taxes again?>
flatline is offline  
Old 10-27-2008, 03:05 AM
  #12  
VIP Member
iTrader: (3)
 
krzyxrevver12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: http://freshlove.grandmighty.com
Posts: 3,041
Car Info: looking for a gc
you can sell it for $100 and the person can donate $29900 to you.. there's no way to enforce it, its all in how the seller writes up their income
krzyxrevver12 is offline  
Old 10-27-2008, 03:20 AM
  #13  
Friendly Neighborhood Ogre
iTrader: (6)
 
brucelee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: www.gunatics.com
Posts: 19,930
Car Info: GUNATICS.COM
Dude, if it exits, its taxed... pretty simple. Thats how our two party system works...
brucelee is offline  
Old 10-27-2008, 03:25 AM
  #14  
Registered User
iTrader: (5)
 
G_Ride's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Campbell, CA
Posts: 7,634
Car Info: Some sort of Subaru
What I've seen done (when buying a car from a mechanic) is you buy the car for $12k, but $10k of that price was for repair work and such. The purchase price of the car was $2k.

This seem legit enough for me. I don't see what can be done to you.
G_Ride is offline  
Old 10-27-2008, 08:38 AM
  #15  
Registered User
 
Lorry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 870
Originally Posted by krzyxrevver12
you can sell it for $100 and the person can donate $29900 to you.. there's no way to enforce it, its all in how the seller writes up their income
True, but then you would be liable for income tax on the $29900 instead.
Lorry is offline  


Quick Reply: Private car sales; recording low sales price?



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:00 AM.