Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes N46CA panel.

Hung - Just finishing up a Savannah with a friend now... Great light sport aircraft... Taxes shouldn't be too bad on it....

http://www.skykits.com/


Dave

The manufacturer's site said a Savannah kit with engine is $43K (roughly the same as that of the Zodiac). Even if I build it myself, the tax assessor here will value it at what it can be sold for, let's say $70K. Annual property tax on a $20K 152 is $1000. Tax on a $70K Savannah or Zodiac will be $3500. Too damn much.

Jeez -
They base tax value here on the kit... What most do is buy the basic airframe -engine and submit that reciept...

Dave

Personal property tax: The gift that just keeps on taking!

Here in Oregon, no sales tax, no personal property tax...but believe me, they make up for it in other ways!

Florida has a 6% sales tax that applies to any aircraft sold and or delivered in Florida, unless exempted by law for certain sales. If sales tax was paid in another state, it is credited, so you only pay the net difference, if any! Counties might impose a discretionary sales surtax, limited to the first $5,000 of the purchase price (usually only .5% or so).

Part of this Florida sales tax is a "use" tax, which is due on aircraft purchased out of state and brought into Florida within 6 months after purchase. Generally, this is all combined into a one time tax. There is no yearly property tax, registration, or other fees.

The sale of equipment used to maintain or repair fixed wing aircraft and rotary wing aircraft is exempt from sales and use tax when the equipment:

*Includes replacement engines, parts, and/or equipment used to maintain or repair the aircraft.

*Is used on an aircraft with a maximum certified takeoff weight of 15,000 pounds or a rotary wing aircraft with a maximum certified takeoff weight of more than 10,300 pounds.

*Is installed on aircraft maintained or repaired in Florida.

This means that as a Cessna 150 owner I pay sales and use tax on parts and services, but I'd be exempt if I could afford a much bigger aircraft!

The exemption above was an incentive to large carriers and others to locate their repair facilities in Florida, which many have done near here at Cecil Field (closed Naval Air Station).

While I was at the Tucumcari airport, I saw a notice about annual tax on aircraft based in New Mexico "$1 per 100 lbs of empty weight". That works out to be less than 15 bucks a year for a 150/152. I can live with that.

Here in VA I got a one-time 2% sales and use tax, and the county I keep it in charges "airport maintenance fee" that is calcualted on gross weight and aircraft age. If I had an older 150 it would be literally change, but my '80 152 costs a few dollars. Not complaining though.

You bring up a good point. I always forget about the taxes. I'll have to checkout Oklahoma's "fees". Although it can't be too high. Did you know you don't even have to register a car/truck trailer here? No license plates or anything. DMV doesn't care.

Very different from California, were I spent my first 36 years.

-corey

While you're checking on taxes, might as well check and see how much your insurance will be. For experienced pilots with a 150/152 insured for around $25K and $1M liability, annual premium is around $550-$650 (much higher in Alaska). Don't know how much it costs for an owner with no license yet.

WhenI checked insurance a few years back, as a student, I was paying about $100 more than after I had completed training. And all of my training was in a 152 at that time.

Of course, the other big variable is "Hull Value".

By the way, a four seater was about $400 over the price of the 150/152. Tail draggers were double, and a Mooney was more than that. Something about short gear and low time pilots.