Berlin's Car Tax Sticker Shock Explained

Town of Berlin

BERLIN, CT — Changes in state law have, this years, resulted in some surprising findings for folks looking at their car tax bills this summer.

Berlin officials recently released information on changes on motor vehicle assessments that became effective Oct. 1, 2024:

Citing new state statutes, the Town of Berlin Assessor's Department is now required to assess registered and non-registered vehicles differently than in the past, the town wrote.

This means using the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of each vehicle and applying the included depreciation schedule to calculate the depreciated value of each vehicle.

This depreciated value will then be multiplied by the statewide assessment ratio of 70 percent to come up with the assessed value of the vehicle for taxation.

The end result for many vehicle owners, especially those of older vehicles, is higher-than-expected taxes on them.

The town released a standardized depreciation chart that shows how much a vehicle will depreciate over the years.