International visitors to the US often ask us if owning a vehicle in the US will expose them to US income tax.
Generally speaking, two classes of income are subject to US income tax:
Worldwide income earned by US citizens and green card holders, and
Income earned within the United States
Simply owning a vehicle in the US does not cause a person to become a citizen or green card holder, nor does it necessarily create income.
However, if an international visitor to the US rents the vehicle that he owns (income earned within the United States), the rental income may be subject to income tax.
The sale of a vehicle that you own for personal use is generally treated as an asset disposal - not income. If the sale of a vehicle resulted in a gain (i.e., it was sold for more than it cost), the gain may be considered income.
visitor.us is neither a tax nor a legal advisor. Nothing written here should be considered tax or legal advice.