Can you register in Montana if not taking delivery there?

[Multimodal]

Rivian supports leasing in Montana where I have an LLC. But they don't have any service centers in Montana, so they must support registering your car in a state different from where you take delivery. Am I likely to run into any problems registering the vehicle in Montana and taking delivery in Maryland?

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[Thedude]

I took delivery in CO and registered in AK with no major problems.

 

[Rural1T]

No problem at all. I live in Montana and recently took delivery in Oregon. You get a 90 day temporary dealer registration from Illinois and a packet with Montana registration information in the mail about a week later. Take the registration packet down to your county driver's services and you're all set.

 

[VSG]

Rivian supports leasing in Montana where I have an LLC. But they don't have any service centers in Montana, so they must support registering your car in a state different from where you take delivery. Am I likely to run into any problems registering the vehicle in Montana and taking delivery in Maryland?

You mean, other than most states got wise to the fake Montana LLC tax dodge a long time ago?

BTW, you list your location at San Francisco, but you want to purchase in MT and take delivery in MD?

 

[Multimodal]

OK mom.

 

[Thedude]

You mean, other than most states got wise to the fake Montana LLC tax dodge a long time ago?

Might as well allow the average folk to scam the tax system since the rich can do it all day long.

 

[SoCal Rob]

Some people hate paying California taxes, don’t see the value in living here, and move away. Other people don’t like paying taxes in general, DO see the value in living here and don’t want to pay for the life they enjoy. Finally, there are people who don’t like paying taxes in general, DO see the value in living here and pay their fair share. (Raising my hand.) I personally don’t know of anyone who enjoys paying taxes so I’m leaving that fictional category out of the list of possibilities.

I wouldn’t feel right buying an expensive vehicle and then dodging the taxes to pay the state I like living in. This is the same state which has an economy which allows me to make the money to buy the expensive vehicle in the first place.

 

[VSG]

Tax avoidance is fine, and is everybody's right.
Tax *evasion* is criminal, because it costs the rest of us money.

Might as well allow the average folk to scam the tax system since the rich can do it all day long.

Which is one reason why we all ought to insist that *everyone* be held accountable to the rules, and not celebrate or enable those who brag about getting away with things ...

Regardless, I think that most Rivian owners qualify as "rich" by any objective measure. Very few would qualify as "average folk". So you're basically arguing that rich people ought to be allowed to scam the system if they like, as a benefit of being rich and able to form an LLC in a different state. As I said, most states caught onto that scam many years ago.

 

[Multimodal]

I now live in Maryland and have an LLC in Montana. Rivian doesn't offer leases in Maryland, so I am forced to register the vehicle in Montana if I want to lease. Can we get back on topic?

 

[Riviot]

You mean, other than most states got wise to the fake Montana LLC tax dodge a long time ago?

BTW, you list your location at San Francisco, but you want to purchase in MT and take delivery in MD?

I purchased in Illinois, took delivery in Washington, and registered in Florida. Folks have their reasons, and some folks get extra privileges extended by the states for different reasons. Mind your own, kick rocks, and 🫡

 

[VSG]

I purchased in Illinois, took delivery in Washington, and registered in Florida. Folks have their reasons, and some folks get extra privileges extended by the states for different reasons.

Many reasons are legit, for example yours of being in the service with an HOR in another state, and with your residence in a state where Rivian is not allowed to sell direct-to-consumer (thus an IL transactions). I also registered my vehicle at my HOR when I was in the service, because that's the right way to do things and is explicitly allowed under law so you don't have to upend your life because of different local tax rules when you have to move every few years.

But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that a MT LLC is a a widely-promoted tax dodge, especially in the RV and high-end vehicle space where taxes are substantial. You don't need an LLC to register in MT if you're in the military and your HOR is MT - that would never need a question in a forum like this to answer. The situations where a MT LLC is still a legitimate "avoidance" scheme are comparatively few and far between, and in most cases this is not a legitimate structure and is seen as a signal of "evasion". So while I'm not calling it 100% for certain "evasion", I am questioning it because I think it's more likely than not. I don't see that Rivian or anyone else should go overboard to enable this.

@Multimodal: So back to the topic, as requested - Yes, I do think you will run into problems. Be prepared to justify your situation. If you're like @Riviot and have a legitimate reason for this, then you shouldn't have a problem. But if you're just trying to evade state sales taxes, expect skepticism.

 

[bonedocrob]

Rivian supports leasing in Montana where I have an LLC. But they don't have any service centers in Montana, so they must support registering your car in a state different from where you take delivery. Am I likely to run into any problems registering the vehicle in Montana and taking delivery in Maryland?

I picked up in Bellevue WA drove back to Billings no problem. Registered weeks later with documentation sent overnight FedEx. No issues at dmv.

 

[LSteele]

So I had a different issue with Rivian. I am currently in California and ordered a R1T, which I wanted delivered to California and registered in Washington State (we live in Washington 6 months of the year, my home state) Rivian would not deliver the truck to me unless I registered it in California! Because of this I was forced to cancel my order and loose my $1,000 deposit. They told me their hands were tied, but I have not yet found anywhere in California law it states a vehicle needs to be registered in California just because we take delivery in the State. Frustrating because we had planned on driving it home!

 

[Forager]

So I had a different issue with Rivian. I am currently in California and ordered a Rit, which I wanted delivered to California and registered in Washington State (we live in Washington 6 months of the year, my home state) Rivian would not deliver the truck to me unless I registered it in California! Because of this I was forced to cancel my order and loose my $1,000 deposit. They told me their hands were tied, but I have not yet found anywhere in California law it states a vehicle needs to be registered in California just because we take delivery in the State. Frustrating because we had planned on driving it home!

CA will make you pay sales tax if you take delivery in CA, I know that for a fact after having looked at buying several cars in the state and bringing them home out of state.

At the time of my delivery I was moving from WA to OR, having valid addresses at both, but they required the vehicle to be registered in the state it was delivered in. I’m amazed that so many folks could get deliveries in one state and register it elsewhere, it’s completely different to what I was told and would have massively simplified the delivery on my end, perhaps at the complication of the 3rd party they use for filing registrations.

 

[Multimodal]

That sounds like Rivian's process immaturity. You don't have to register a car in California if you buy it in California, and you don't have to pay California sales tax unless you register the car there.

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