State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.
Car tag fees in Mississippi are the second-highest in the United States, often exceeding $1,000 annually, and remain increasingly difficult for the average taxpayer to predict according to a new report from the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor.
“Taxpayers all over the state have talked to me about how complex and expensive it is to get a car tag,” said Auditor White. “They complain for a good reason: it’s hard for the average family to know how and why that bill is so big when they pay it.”
Analysts also found there’s no easy way for the average taxpayer to determine the cost of a car tag in part due to some parts of the car tag price formula remaining unpublished. For example, neither the amount of the Legislative Tag Credit—a significant rebate often worth half a car tag’s total price—nor a depreciation schedule for vehicles is published online. Moreover, someone could pay twice as much as their friend who lives across the street or a few miles down the road to tag the same type of vehicle.
After determining taxpayers have no accessible method of viewing the full car tag price formula, the team at the Office of the State Auditor compiled the full formula along with figures showing the 2024-2025 millage rate across the state that taxpayers can view to get a better understanding of their car tag fee cost.
42 comments:
I can't imagine that they are more expensive than California. I paid mine last week and it was only $105.21.
State Panderer speaks more gibberish. I love how these folks are spending a lot of time NOT doing their job they were elected for. They get elected and then want to be something else.
If suddenly car tags were free, there would be a new tax, or an increase in some other tax. This is one of the oldest campaign tactics in Mississippi. Why? Because it appeals to everyone who owns a vehicle. The money has to come from somewhere. Ask Texans how nice it is to have no income tax. Then ask them what their property taxes cost them every year.
Before I moved to MS our tags were a set price, around $40, for a three year period.
The actual auto registration is not bad.
The high cost comes from the ad valorem tax; other jurisdictions may call it a use tax. When people cry that they pay a paltry amount to get their tag in Louisiana, for example, that part is true. What is often omitted, is the bill for the significant use tax to come later.
Mississippi elects to tie the ad valorem payment to the registration to facilitate collection and compliance.
Now, particularly with the price of automobiles nowadays, the formula should be revisited; but the practice of collecting both fees actually makes sense.
9 times out of 10 if you're paying alot for your car tag is is because Democrats are in control of your failing municipality.
The sooner everybody realizes Shad is the smartest guy in Mississippi government the quicker we can just put him in charge of everything he wants to improve!
Reminds me of John Arthur Eaves…the white suit and promises of a $10 car tag.
Attn 4:19 P.M. you must drive a “Beverly Hillbillies” truck! This article is about successful people driving nice and presentable automobiles.
Bingo! Years ago a businessman from Florida was visiting. I made a comment about the price of my tag having gone down year over year. He was shocked at how much the tag was told me how cheap Florida tags were. I asked him about his property tax and they were almost four times what mine were on a very similar size and priced house. The government money is going to come from somewhere. By the way, I drive an eighteen year old Honda Pilot Touring. The tag in Rankin county last year was under $50.00.
The less populated counties can have much higher tag costs. It cost $440 for a tag for a relative in 2024 where they lived and $187 in 2025 in Madison County.
@5:50 I am assuming you intended to troll 4:18 PM.
But let me tell you, I could own a $300k vintage Aston Martin or a vintage Rolls Toyce, and as long as it is over 25 years old, I can get a cheap antique tag. Same with a DeLorean or a classic Toyota Supra or Nissan Fairlady Z. All of those cars are highly collectible and valuable and over 25 years old.
2015 F150, bought used in 2017. A reliable, functional, comfortable vehicle. Looks pretty much new. Hinds county+Clinton = $39. If you want to drive a fancee car you get to pay a fancee price.
You know what else other states with cheaper car tags have that mississippi refuses to enforce? A legit law against not having valid insurance. In those states, the DMV immediately revokes your vehicles registration(tag) if your insurance cancels or lapses. Mississippi says they have a law against uninsured motorists, but it’s rarely enforced. This also leads to cheaper insurance. We’re too busy offending a certain demographic and politicians not willing to upset the apple cart to keep getting re-elected. At least Shad(and I am not a fan of the self promoter) is calling a spade a spade and backing it up with facts and stats.
Try in the ballpark of 800 for a new tag. That was 2018 honda accord.
6:58, Was that actually for the transfer of title, which would include sales tax?
Raise sales taxes, lower tags. Raise income taxes, lower tags, Raise property taxes, lower tags.
this is why you see so many florida tags in mississippi.
trust me , they aint tourists.
all you got to do is drive down to pensacola and get yourself a p.o. box.
after that a tag is 30$, no matter if its a lamborghini or a pearl oil blower hoopdee.
@6:09 I agree
You buy new, you get the screw.
You buy used, you're not abused.
No sales tax over 10 yrs
So buy a classic and don't shed tears
Exactly, we could increase the gas tax another 25 cents and pay it that way, increase house taxes 40% and get it that way…..
Friend of mine from Pennsylvania says his house taxes were almost 3 times our property tax so it’s not free people.
I can't complain. My tags cost me nothing and I will not have to ever buy another tag.
In Hinds County at least, you can look up your estimated tag online. https://www.co.hinds.ms.us/pgs/elected/tag.asp
Have you ridden out by John Arthur Eaves place lately?? The gardens are over grown, the chapel has turned in to a jungle. Its really run down from what it was.
As told to me years ago by a legislator, they keep car tags expensive to tax the poor people that drive expensive cars
Adams County has the highest priced tags in the state. A friend in Warren County bought a car and the tag was $115. One in Natchez bought the exact car and the tag was $1,100.
Remember when Fordice started his “Mississippi Miracle” by lowering the cost of car tags? Everyone was getting a custom tag and Dems were suddenly for lowering taxes.
Duh. Media stirs the emotions but the voters love what they get. Higher taxes. Bet nobody realized what they are paying this year in property tax which includes car tags is higher. Hahaha. I saw this last year when I went to the tax assessor website. I called it. It is so apparent yet u just opened ur eyes????? Not happy because more money out of my pocket but I am getting better at calling the idiot leaders ulterior motives. They are playing u guys like a drum!
One candidate for governor wants to do away with car tags. One candidate for governor wants to do away with property taxes. Another candidate will say that he or her wants to do a way with another tax. The problem is taxes pay for roads and bridges, jails, and schools so when a candidate talks about doing away with the tax they must have a plan to replace the tax revenue or we have no road roads, bridges, police, jails, sidewalks, schools etc.... if the candidate has no plan to replace the revenue, they are just talking and trying to get elected, not leading the state in a better direction
Gotta ask yourself, how many of these complainers have auto loans for more than 48 months; they likely cannot really afford the vehicle they are driving. Vehicles are a terrible investment, but we all need transportation to make life work; taxes, fuel and maintenance cost are just part of it.
Comparing MS to FL is not realistic, could probably run MS for a year based on one month of FL's sales tax revenue alone.
Maybe Shad should get busy figuring out how to get audits completed on-time for ALL governmental units.
Maybe free water and sewer for everyone! We know how well that works out.
Raise all taxes and FUND PERS like you bootlicking state legislators and state administrators are supposed to do. And fix the roads and bridges while you're at it. Given what's going on in Washington DC, Mississippi could just invade Tennessee or Alabama and take over all their revenue streams and natural resources to fund Mississippi but, hopefully, our beet red state is smarter than that.
"9 times out of 10 if you're paying alot for your car tag is is because Democrats are in control of your failing municipality."
Except for the fact that municipalities don't have a damned thing to do with the cost of tags.
It's not too much when you drive a 2006 chevy truck. 35 bucks
"The problem is taxes pay for roads and bridges, jails, and schools..."
Are you suggesting it costs four times as much to build roads, bridges, jails and schools in Tate County as it does in Madison County? I did not know that.
As others have said it's a trade off. Property taxes are generally much less here than in other states. They also vary widely but most people who are making mortgage payments have their taxes escrowed with their payment each month and don't miss it where a car tag comes as a single, one time cost. Renters don't get direct property tax bills either.
However, some municipalities without much to tax or those residents of special school districts often find themselves stuck with expensive car tags they often don't realize. Mississippi has many special interests that are funded by taxes. Eliminate city or special school districts and try to get more businesses in places where there are none and milage rates could be dropped.
Life in the Land of the Fee and the Home of the Wage Slave.
What our wealthiest citizens do is get a second home or condo in another state and sport "out of state" tags on their cars. We really need to start requiring economics and civics in high schools and college again.
@8:30
Municipal tax levies are the reason many car tags are so high. You're a dunce.
Yawn.................
I don’t think you know what “bootlicking” means.
It means you are licking the jackboot standing on your neck.
It’s like a retard with a Gadsden flag and a blue line flag bumper sticker
That’s a bootlicker.
I'm not sure everyone understands the difference between the cost of an annual vehicle registration, and the sales tax that is collected when a newly-purchased vehicle is titled for the first time.
Shad White knows the difference, but would rather try to score cheap political points. He muddled the issue in the very first paragraph of his report: "registration fee and the taxes required to legally operate the vehicle."
Shad makes not distinction for sales tax, which is 1% higher in Jackson. So, if you buy a $50,000 vehicle and live in the city, you will pay an extra $500 when you apply for a new title, which is required to register the vehicle in your name for the first time. But the sales tax and the registration costs are two separate things.
"Yawn................." says the guy whose parents still pay for his car.
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