How my State (FL) is milking every penny from me...

Let me start by saying that I am 17 years old.
I got a job at my local Chick-fil-A several months ago working minimum wage. My goal was to raise enough money to buy a car I was content withy by summer time.
Friday, my goal was reached. In a deal with an old lady in one of the local churches, I bought a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire. I was so excited: my first car! What's more, I saved up the $2,000 necessary to buy it all on my own. I used every last bit of money I had to buy it.
My dad drove me down to the Federal Offices to perform the next step: getting the title transfered to my name, and getting a license plate for it.
This is where I got angry:

*First, the state is charging a 7% sales tax on our private deal. 7$ of $2,000 = $140. Money that I do NOT have.
*Next, to transfer the title will cost me $77. Money that I do NOT have.
*Finally, the License Plate will cost me $180. Money I do not have.
*They also threw in another $100 of charges, that I don't remember what it's for (I stopped paying attention I was so upset). Total of money demanded: over $500.

Really? Is this how it has to be? For goodness sakes, I'm a teenager barely able to put away money to buy the things I want AND need. A car is darn near a necessity, since I'm tired of walking to work everyday. Basically, the State of Florida wants me to pay 1/4 of the price that I paid for my vehicle.

It looks like this car is going to be sitting in my driveway, staring at me for a month or two until I can get the money up to drive her.

This doesn't seem just...

I completely agree with you. That's total BS! I live in Florida too and the only reason they are charging you so much money for that stuff is because we lack an income and corporate tax. And our state is in serious financial trouble so they are trying to collect money from any place they can find and since they don't want to tax the rich they will tax ordinary hard working people. Sucks for us poor people(anyone who makes under $200,000).

You try and better yourself and they kick you right back down.

reply to post by gatorboi117


Dude, I'm in FL too and I understand...now just imagine trying to keep a car on the road, food on the table, rent/mortgage and utilities payed on minimum wage! This is why we have homeless, people on welfare, people slaving for minimum wage who go home to crime ridden ghetto's. If you are living with you're parents, you may want to save, save and save some more while getting an education...I know people who have "worked" their whole lives and have squat to show for it. Be a doctor or something.

[edit on 3-4-2010 by SmokeandShadow]

Want to be really shocked?? Get a quote for the insurance !! Im sure your parents are footing the bill now but once your 18 or 19 add another $125.00 a month just for libility and thats on a 15 year old car.

reply to post by Texcin


Insurance for me was already checked BEFORE I made the final purchase: $160.

My dad summed up everything when my grandma asked how I felt about getting charged $500+ for this: "Logan's on a warpath right now.".

Welcome to adulthood

You want -- you pay

Or do you imagine the rest of the world should build bridges, repair highways, erect street signs, run clean-ups, etc. etc. etc. for free ?

It's the same the world over. You earn, you buy, you transfer money --- you pay

Did you tell your parents you were buying a car ?

Did they not tell you there would be costs over and above the purchase --- if you wanted to take that car on the road ?

Don't people communicate in your family -- within your network ?

If your parents knew you were buying a car and didn't explain the realities to you, then they failed at their task

If you didn't bother to tell them you were buying a car --- well, as above, welcome to the adult world. Now you know. And it's for life

In Canada it's worse I can assure you.

- 13% tax on the value of the vehicule THEY DECIDE WHAT IT IS.

So let's say you buy an used car for 5000$ but the government says it's worth 7000$, YOU PAY THE TAX ON THE 7000$.

- License plate. 280$/YEAR

- Driving License : 280$/YEAR

- Insurance for the car : YOU MUST HAVE ONE. For my old 1996 car, it was 800$/year and that is only IF someone else is responsible for the accident, IF I am responsible for it, no insurance. Otherwise I have to get the other insurance that was over 2000$/year which IS MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH.

And every time you have an accident, even if it's not your fault, THEY RAISE THE INSURANCE PRICE.

Welcome to the real world where the corporations and the government are trying to rape you as hard, as fast and as often as they can.

Man, I still remember that first paycheck I got as a 16 year old. I was so hyped. Then when I opened it, I got less than half of what I expected due to taxes, union dues or fees of one sort or another.

"What's this FICA crap! They took more than half my damned paycheck for taxes!"

In that moment, I converted from Democratic to Republican.

Originally posted by Dock9
Welcome to adulthood

You want -- you pay

Or do you imagine the rest of the world should build bridges, repair highways, erect street signs, run clean-ups, etc. etc. etc. for free ?

It's the same the world over. You earn, you buy, you transfer money --- you pay

Did you tell your parents you were buying a car ?

Did they not tell you there would be costs over and above the purchase --- if you wanted to take that car on the road ?

Don't people communicate in your family -- within your network ?

If your parents knew you were buying a car and didn't explain the realities to you, then they failed at their task

If you didn't bother to tell them you were buying a car --- well, as above, welcome to the adult world. Now you know. And it's for life

Are you suggesting that wages and the cost of living are reasonable? Its that line of thinking that allows the government to TAX everything, for businesses to gouge everyone and pay workers crap.

Okay, from your OP you factored in the purchase price of the Pontiac, and the time it would take to earn the money to purchase said Pontiac. Why did you stop there? You had to know that just buying the car is not the extent of the expense. Regardless of the State you reside in, the price of the car is only part of owning one. Tax, tag, & title is a pretty common phrase associated with car buying. Even if you do purchase it from an independent entity.

Granted, Florida's first time fee's for first time car buyers are quite steep compared to individuals that just need to renew. I personally think it's a small price to pay for NOT having to pay a State Income Tax.

It would have taken you that much longer to save for the car if this were the case. As well as saving for the fees that you're going to have to pay.

What you should do, IMHO, is:

#1 Consider yourself lucky to be the age you are and have viable employment even if it is minimum wage.

#2 Be glad that you live in a State that has a bustling tourist industry to allow you the liberty of not paying a State Income Tax.

#3 Work like you have been, be proud that you have a job, earn the money for the fees, pay them, take it with a grain of salt, and realize that this is a part of growing up.

Good Day!
UberL33t

I empathize with your situation. It does not seem fair. I commend your ambition and goals. The state sales tax part always gets to me since the taxes were paid upon initial purchase.

Please do not be discouraged and keep up the hard work, I am sure you will drive her soon.

But besides all that, what infuriates me the most is the level of the Federal minimum wage. ($7.25/hr.) But a little research will show you who is behind that.

Google block minimum wage
Please form your own conclusions.

[edit on 3-4-2010 by kinda kurious]

The original plan and the way it was done for years was that the nation levied tariffs on imports, to protect the new nations industries and provide some money for a strictly limited government.

There was no income tax, there was no property tax, use taxes etc...

We have reached a point where property ownership is an illusion.. there is no "ownership" if you have to pay to maintain your "ownership". Same for cars or whatever else.

When "slavery" was abolished, what they did not tell you, was that when corporations were given constitutional protections originally aimed exclusively at protecting individuals from oppression and tyranny, the stage was set, to substitute economic and regulatory servitude, serfdom, for outright slavery.

The only law is whether you have money. If you do, they will try to take it,if you don't they will tell you that they have the right to tell you what to do, where to go, where to sit and when to fight.

Government OF THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE and FOR THE PEOPLE has become a government OF THE MONEY, BY THE MONEY and FOR THE MONEY.

What solutions do we have? We have no business planning a revolution, THAT is doomed to fail, only because things have gone so far....I believe that if we were going to plan anything to try to gain redress of such a situation, we should be studying the worlds successful SLAVE REBELLIONS.


I AM SPARTICUS

------------------

Recommended reading: The History of the United States "The Tribes and the States" LINK

Anything by Guiseppi Mazzini


And to the OP - are you hungry? if not, count your blessings

[edit on 3-4-2010 by seataka]

reply to post by gatorboi117


The extra $100.00 is a fee you pay for registering a car for the first time in Fla....I know lived there in 01-02....you are all paying through the nose because there is no state income tax, they are getting you by feeing you to death.

reply to post by Aquarius1

registering a car for the first time

Right, and you can associate that tag to any future vehicles should you get rid of that one. That's not unfair imo. I have had the same tag switched to 3 different registrations over the years when ever I upgraded my vehicle. Compare the onetime fee to a State Income Tax that would be withheld from each paycheck. The ONE TIME fee, is by far the lesser of two evils.

What is it they say about death and taxes ?

Yep. That's it. That's life. You plan to live, you better get used to it

No point encouraging the kid to believe he has a genuine beef to air

Everyone pays tax. Swings and roundabouts

You go to works and sell your time and energy for money

You use that money to pay for the roof over your head and the food in your belly -- in order you can go to work to sell your time for money to pay for a roof and food so you can go to work to sell your time for money to pay for a roof and food ........ that's the rhythm

With the time and energy and money you have left at the end

you live

you buy cars

you buy 'stuff' and each time, you pay a bit more tax



and that's it


unless you plan to swim to an island somewhere and catch fish

Originally posted by seataka
The original plan and the way it was done for years was that the nation levied tariffs on imports, to protect the new nations industries and provide some money for a strictly limited government.

There was no income tax, there was no property tax, use taxes etc...

We have reached a point where property ownership is an illusion.. there is no "ownership" if you have to pay to maintain your "ownership". Same for cars or whatever else.

When "slavery" was abolished, what they did not tell you, was that when corporations were given constitutional protections originally aimed exclusively at protecting individuals from oppression and tyranny, the stage was set, to substitute economic and regulatory servitude, serfdom, for outright slavery.

The only law is whether you have money. If you do, they will try to take it,if you don't they will tell you that they have the right to tell you what to do, where to go, where to sit and when to fight.

Government OF THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE and FOR THE PEOPLE has become a government OF THE MONEY, BY THE MONEY and FOR THE MONEY.

What solutions do we have? We have no business planning a revolution, THAT is doomed to fail, only because things have gone so far....I believe that if we were going to plan anything to try to gain redress of such a situation, we should be studying the worlds successful SLAVE REBELLIONS.


I AM SPARTICUS

------------------

Recommended reading: The History of the United States "The Tribes and the States" LINK

Anything by Guiseppi Mazzini


And to the OP - are you hungry? if not, count your blessings

[edit on 3-4-2010 by seataka]

You're post should be required reading for EVERYONE...bam, right on the front page of ATS as an example of a great post! It aggravates me to no end that people think that "this is normal adulthood" and live in complete ignorance of the injustice served by society's ignorance!

[edit on 3-4-2010 by SmokeandShadow]

When my older brother bought a car for the first time about two years ago, he payed somewhere around $80 for license, tag, title... everything.
I had it all figured out: my next paycheck would come in time to cover the month's insurance bill, and to put any more gas in the tank that would be needed.
When my parents helped me find the right car to buy, we were under the false assumption that the fees to get the car driveable would be the same as they were a couple years ago. We were wrong...

Anyway, I am thankful to still have a great job (that I enjoy), a roof over my head, great food to eat (of which I just partook), and a car sitting in my driveway (even if I can't drive it, yet).

My post isn't about being ungrateful, it is about how aggravated I am that the State can do all of this, demand everything I muster up from me, and I can't do a thing about it. Thank God I am actually able to make these payments, and I'm not trying to survive with my paychecks; otherwise, I'd be in trouble.

[edit on 3-4-2010 by gatorboi117]

Originally posted by Dock9
What is it they say about death and taxes ?

Yep. That's it. That's life. You plan to live, you better get used to it

No point encouraging the kid to believe he has a genuine beef to air

Everyone pays tax. Swings and roundabouts

You go to works and sell your time and energy for money

You use that money to pay for the roof over your head and the food in your belly -- in order you can go to work to sell your time for money to pay for a roof and food so you can go to work to sell your time for money to pay for a roof and food ........ that's the rhythm

With the time and energy and money you have left at the end

you live

you buy cars

you buy 'stuff' and each time, you pay a bit more tax



and that's it


unless you plan to swim to an island somewhere and catch fish

That is exactly what I am talking about! Ohhhh...I see. Ha ha, I am slow.

Welcome to real life.

You want to really get mad.

Think about everything you buy, everything.

By the time it gets to you, the amount of taxes on it are at about 50% of the price of the product.

Eh, some will say. But every step of the process the gubment taxes portions of the production. Yes, gubment is your local mafia don. He gets his 50% cut on everything.

Now, do you know why you pay registration fees or property taxes?

It is because you do not really own your car. That title, is a rental contract. Good for one year. Next year you have to pay again and again and again.

A long time ago the gubment took your rights away for owning property.

You know the old saying the right to Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. That pursuit of happiness was originally property.

Anyway, the property rights of Americans have been removed. You do not have possession of the allodial title. This means the taxes, fees, registration etc are just rental fees for the property owned by the gubment.

Welcome to the rabbit hole Alice.

reply to post by gatorboi117

The annual fee to register a car or truck is going up in Florida by 35%, on average. Florida lawmakers signed off on the fee hike to generate more cash for the state. The increase kicks in on September 1.

Vehicle Registration Fees Going Up

This information would have been made privy had you done the proper research. Believe me when I say, I'm not harping on you. I commend you for your efforts on your journey to becoming a self sustaining adult. Let this be a lesson to you, do your research my friend. NEVER assume!!