Cheaper license plates could be on Indiana cars by July 1.
The state Senate set the date Wednesday by amending legislation that would cut Indiana’s auto excise taxes by half this year.
If the bill passes, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles would have to put the new rates in place by July 1. For motorists who paid for their plates before that date, the amendment included a provision requiring the BMV to send rebates to those taxpayers by Sept. 1.
The excise cuts are part of a $410 million tax package agreed to this month by Gov. Evan Bayh, a Democrat, and Republican legislative leaders. It was made possible by Indiana’s $1.46 billion budget surplus.
Under the plan, all auto excise taxes over $100 a year would be cut by half beginning this year. Rates between $50 to $100 would be cut to $50, and rates below $50 would stay the same.
