Are you thinking of buying a Toyota Prius or hybrid Honda Civic?
It pays to wait until Jan. 1, when purchases of every hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle in Washington State will be exempt from sales tax. If you would otherwise be required to pay 8.5 percent in tax on a $22,000 Toyota Prius, the savings hovers around $1,800.
Vehicles that qualify for the tax break include passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles that are powered by natural gas, propane, hydrogen or electricity, or are hybrids that get at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway.
The tax break applies to vehicles purchased between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2010. If you buy a vehicle before Jan. 1, 2009, you can still get the tax break of the vehicle is registered, titled and delivered after the first of the year.
Here’s another bit of good news: according to TerraPass, that sales tax savings is enough to pay for 11 years-worth of carbon offsets for my very average Everett life.
There’s just one detail missing: how many carbon offsets should one purchase if the Prius is shipped to the U.S.?
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