Vehicle Registration Fee vs Vehicle Property Tax (Virginia)

[tanjaybossert]

I read here that the reg fee is NOT deductible in VA but the Vehicle Property Tax is.  I did find a place where I can enter the reg fee BUT NOT a place where I can enter the Vehicle Property Tax.  I followed instructions but I am not seeing the "I'll chose what to work on link" which is part of the instructions to get to where I need to go to enter personal vehicle property tax.

[PaulaM]

Vehicle property taxes (ad valorem, car registration fees) are entered in the Car Registration Fees section for the value based portion.

It is just what TurbTax calls them. The expense will flow to line 7 of the schedule A, along with other personal property taxes.

To navigate to the section:

• Select My Account
• Tools
• Topic Search
• Type 'car registration fees' in the box, then select GO

[mykaneilson]

Are VA registration (vs. property taxes) deductible?

[gillamc]

Virginia has separate car registration fees. Where are these entered? In Virginia car registration is NOT the same as paying the personal property tax on a car. They are two entirely separate things. Car registration fees are paid to DMV, while personal property taxes on vehicles are paid to the county or city treasurer where the vehicle is garaged.

So please clarify your statement and explain clearly why we should enter taxes in the registration section along with registration fees. I would also suggest updating the help and the prompts since this is so confusing for Virginia the way you have it worded.

[JotikaT2]

1. Log back into TurboTax.
2. Select Federal Taxes
3. Select Deductions & Credits
4. Select I'll choose what I work on
5. Scroll down to the section titled Cars and Other Things You Own
6. Select Personal Property Taxes
7. Proceed to enter/review the information as prompted

Please see the following link to determine how much would be deductible in Virginia.

Auto registration fees deductible by state

@gillamc

[allenkski111]

I agree with you, @JotikaT2 and, being in Virginia, I did that.  But TT flagged items of concern during the "completescan check to finalize",  and told me "Enter your car registration fees".  I am concerned that, if I do, they will be doublely deducted.

@PaulaM notes that deductible personal property tax (i.e., the vehicle property tax) and deductible car registration fees both go on the same line on the 1040 Schedule A.  So I'm throwing in the towel and redoing my return, and putting my vehicle property taxes into TT's "car registration fees" instead.  Thanks, PaulaM for the tip.  But inwardly I protest, because nowhere on my county's personal property tax form is the word "registration" used.

[SteamTrain]

@allenkski111 

Correct...just enter the property taxes portion of your VA vehicle re-registration once.

The confusion comes with those non-enterable "fees" for VA, is because there are some states in which the full re-registration fee is based on the current value of the vehicle....and thus the full re-registration $$$ is all effectively a property tax.  But not for VA (nor NC where I am)

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You could actually enter your VA vehicle property tax once...in either the "Car Registration Fees" area, or in the "Personal Property Taxes" area, as long as you only enter the property tax $$ portion just once, as those $$ show up as single total on the same line (5c) of the Schedule A for Itemized Deductions.  IF you put them in in twice (on both menu sections) then the $$ on line 5c of the Schedule A will be improperly doubled.

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However, entering those vehicle property taxes in the Car Registration area would likely be preferable....especially since it would allow those with more than one vehicle to list each of their vehicle's taxes separately in the car Registration Fee area, whereas, other potential property taxes entered in the more general Personal Property Taxes section, might be used for other stuff, like boats, recreational motor homes/trailers/campers, airplanes, (snowmobiles & jet skis?)  but those personal property taxes are just listed as a lump total.