During this time of pandemic, the Island has become a new permanent home to many people seeking a safe haven for their loved ones and themselves.
During this time of pandemic, the Island has become a new permanent home to many people seeking a safe haven for their loved ones and themselves. One issue that comes to mind as I drive around the Island is the many out of state vehicle license plates I see. With the increased use of Island roads, we will need increased maintenance and repair which, costs money. I would hope that the powers that be would look to possible revenue increase by monitoring the out of state vehicles and their owners who fall within the parameters set forth by the state of Massachusetts.
According to the Massachusetts state website for the RMV and Secretary of the Commonwealth, residency status is defined in three ways:
• Your home is in Massachusetts for the entire tax year.
• Your home is not in Massachusetts for the entire tax year but you maintain a permanent place of abode in Massachusetts, and spend a total of more than 183 days of the tax year in Massachusetts, including days spent partially in Massachusetts.
• You must register your vehicle in Massachusetts as soon as you become a Massachusetts resident. The law does not provide a grace period.
The fees and taxes collected will help offset the increased costs which the state and towns will incur. Many of our new Islanders work online for out-of-state companies, so whether or not Massachusetts will see any income tax is questionable.
Eric Poehler
Vineyard Haven
Comments
There are a significant
June Manning AquinnahThere are a significant number of Coast Guard families who are part of United States Coast Guard Station Menemsha. They are exempt from excise tax. I kind of enjoy parking next to one of their cars which still has a license plate from Hawaii. Unfortunately, during the beginning of the pandemic, a few of the crew had been questioned while out in public about their out of state license plates. It is sad that they had to stop and explain to the general public why they had them. The public should be more concerned about the crew who have had to remain on the Vineyard and have been unable to travel back to visit their families across the country. At first they were not allowed to leave the island but now they have been confined to remain within the borders of Massachusetts.
Here we go again - now we are
Carl Oak BluffsHere we go again - now we are trying to blame the seasonal residents for potholes and wearing out the lane marking paint on the roads? If you want to shake them down so that you can live tax-free, just say so, and stop hiding behind residency rules.
By the way - you're asking for the Government to monitor the goings about of your neighbors to decide who lives where. That's a very bad idea. You might want to make an off-island trip to Lexington & Concord to learn why.
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