If I paid a late vehicle registration payment for 2018 in Feb 2019, is this still tax deductible for CA?

[dlieu84]

I forgot to pay my CA vehicle registration for 2018...and just paid it in 2019. Is this tax deductible for 2018 or 2019?

[CarolynM]

Unfortunately, no, you can only claim the car tax registration deduction in the years in which the payments are actually made.

However, the failure to include these fees is unlikely to make a difference on your federal tax return. The IRS now caps the deduction for state and local taxes (including car registration fees), at $10,000. Living in CA, you likely have already met this threshold.

The impact on your 2018 California in minimal as well. While CA does allow for the deduction for car taxes in both 2018 and 2019 (when you can claim these fees), it is not a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your taxes.

For more information about the car registration dedcution, follow this link: Car Registration Deduction

[macuser_22]

And the CA registration fee or (other fees included in the registration) is NOT deductible.
Only the Vehicle License Fee (This is the fee that may be an income tax deduction) is.   It should be listed separately on the registration bill.