W. Va. registrations jump during tax amnesty

West Virginia registration of out-of-state vehicles jumped 10 percent during a recent tax amnesty period, but officials don’t know for certain whether the increase was spurred by the opportunity to avoid paying a privilege tax.

The state Division of Motor Vehicles says 3,622 more out-of-state vehicles were registered during the amnesty period, which ran from June 7 to Sept. 7, than the same three-month period last year.

“We would attribute the increase in registrations to that amnesty period but we have no way to define out of that 3,600 who took advantage of the period,” said Glenn Pauley, director of vehicle services.

The amnesty period was part of a law passed this year that will replace the privilege tax with a 5 percent sales tax in July 2008.

“That amnesty period was the best thing that ever happened because it (privilege tax) was penalizing everybody,” said Putnam County Assessor D.W. “Peachie” Arthur. Putnam saw the biggest increase in out-of-state-vehicle registrations with 523.

Arthur said people have moved into the county from out of state and “a lot of them did not change their license tag over until the amnesty period.”

New residents are supposed to register their vehicles with the state within 30 days of arriving. But many kept their out-of-state tags to avoid paying the privilege tax, which is equal to 5 percent of a vehicle’s value. Across the border in Ohio, there is no tax on automobiles.

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