A Massachusetts man is upset that he can’t dodge taxes on his 2023 Dodge Charger Scat Pack.
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The complaint comes courtesy of 1_bad_scat (@1_bad_scat). The TikTok account is dedicated to the owner’s love for his pricey muscle car. It is estimated to start at over $50,000 per a Car and Driver assessment.
The video, which went up on Feb. 18, has drawn nearly 492,000 views as of Friday.
A letter in the mail
“So I got a letter in the mail that I owe the state money for owning this car,” he begins. “Let me show you.”
He then clarifies, “Oh, it’s inevitable. It happens every year, but this is called excise tax. So what excise tax is, the state gets to charge me on the book value of my vehicle, the taxable book value.”
He notes that he’s already paid sales tax when he bought the car. He also paid excise tax two years prior.
“I want to show you guys because it’s absolutely ridiculous,” he complained. He covered up some personal information with his thumb while showing the notification. “As you can see, the state wants $625 from me, just for owning this vehicle. So, note to you guys, never move to Massachusetts.”
What’s the actual policy?
According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website, “Massachusetts law requires residents who own and register a motor vehicle to pay a motor vehicle excise each year. Every motor vehicle used (or planning to be used) for personal road privileges, whether registered or not, is subject to taxation.”
The site then explains, “The excise is levied by the city or town where the vehicle is principally garaged, and the revenues become part of the local community treasury.”
“Every motor vehicle owner must pay an excise tax based on valuation of at least ten percent of the manufacturer’s list price,” the site clarifies. “If you own a vehicle older than five years, you would have a fixed excise tax bill for succeeding years of ownership. However, even if you applied for an abatement to reduce an excise tax bill, your excise can’t be less than $5.”
The base rate is $25 for every $1,000 valuation, maxing out at 90% of the list price for the year in which a car is purchased. But if you were to get a 2026 edition of a vehicle in 2025, the state uses 50% of the list price rather than 90%.
The excise tax calculation rate goes down from there. It goes to 60% in the second year, 40% in the third year, and 25% in the fourth year. Then 10% in the fifth year and each year after.
So how does it work?
Let’s say the value of a new car is $40,000, a not-unreasonable amount. Taking 90% of that gets you to $36,000, meaning that an excise tax for the full calendar year would be $900.
There’s a bit of respite built into the regulation: “Excises are prorated monthly, If your vehicle is registered after the beginning of any calendar year, you wouldn’t pay an excise for any months passed before the vehicle is registered.”
Still, though, you could buy a $40,000 car in June and pay $450 just to have it around to drive.
Viewers are shocked at this news
You can probably guess how people coming to the video felt about this.
“What commie [expletive] is that?” opined one. “Lmao. Move.”
“Mafia level taxing,” declared another.
“There’s a pretty famous harbor there,” someone remembered from American history. “Had a hand in something to do with taxes.”
“I grew up in [Connecticut] and always heard that Massachusetts’ nickname was Taxachusetts,” quipped another.
@1_bad_scat I don’t want to pay this but I have to😭#392scatpack🐝 #carcommunity #moparcommunity #carphotography #scatpackcharger #392 ♬ original sound – 1badscat
The Daily Dot has reached out to the Secretary’s office via email and to the creator via TikTok direct message.
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