Worried About Car Tab Fee Increase? How To Estimate Your Bill

SEATTLE, WA - Many drivers in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties will see a car tab fee increase this year due to the Sound Transit 3 mass transit package.

Fifty-four percent of voters approved Sound Transit 3 in November. The $53.8 billion transit package will build a number of new mass transit lines around the region, most notably expanding light rail in Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, and on the east side.

To pay for that expansion, ST3 implemented three new taxes: a 0.8 percent car tab excise tax; a 0.5 percent sales tax increase; and a property tax increase of 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value.

But not all residents living in the three counties will be affected by the car tab or other tax increases - only drivers living in the Sound Transit taxing district will. For example, residents of Enumclaw and Gig Harbor are not part of the district, but residents of Puyallup and Renton are.

Here's how you can figure out if you'll be paying higher car tab fees this year:

• Check if you live in the Sound Transit district: enter your address and find out
• Estimate your car tab fees: use this tool from the state Department of Licensing

In general, car tabs will increase $80 per $10,000 of value. So if your car is worth $30,000, your bill should increase by $240.

This week, news reports have surfaced describing how owners of expensive cars have seen massive car tab bills. One Tesla driver, Robert Klem told KOMO News that his bill is $1,500.

Image via Creative Commons