Only you get the preferred payoff as the original lessee from US Bank. Third party payoffs, such as when the car is traded in or purchased by a third party (such as Carmax) are used as an excuse by US Bank to jack up the payoff to their perception of market value. The only way to avoid this is to buy the car out of the lease yourself. No “grounding” it, which is akin to returning the car to US Bank, hence the normal lease termination fees for miles and excess wear. If you transfer it to another party within 10 days, no sales tax is due. US Bank is hoping you don’t have the cash to payoff the lease so they can raise the payoff and make money.
Are you able to come up with the payoff money yourself? If so, tell US Bank you’re going to payoff the lease and don’t want to pay the sales tax. They’ll tell you what to do, which will include an affidavit that you’re going to resell the car within 10 days per California’s tax exemption. They know this damn well and can give you the verbiage they need and guide you through this.
Look here at 2m:
https://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/faqex.htm
Transfer of a Vehicle to Lessee by Lessor for Purposes of Resale (10-day Presumption)
Generally, when a lessee elects the option to purchase the leased property at the expiration of the lease, tax applies to the sale of the property when the option is exercised. Nevertheless, if the lessee transfers title and registration for a vehicle to a third party within 10 days from the date the lessee acquired title from the lessor at the expiration or termination of a lease it is rebuttably presumed that the transfer of the vehicle to the lessee was a sale to the lessee for purposes of resale. The presumption may be rebutted by establishing that the lessee made a taxable use of the vehicle prior to the time that the vehicle was resold to the third party.
On the other hand, if, instead of reselling the vehicle within 10 days, the lessee makes a gift of the vehicle to a third party, the lessee owes tax based on the amount required to be paid by the lessee upon exercising the option to purchase the vehicle. The gift of the vehicle is considered a taxable use by the lessee. For more information, please see Regulation 1610(d)(2).