What will my out the door price be?
Type the car’s price, your sales tax rate, the dealer’s fees and the state’s fees. The out the door price calculator shows the total you pay before financing, and what is left after your trade-in.
- Out-the-door price
- $38,018.75
Out-the-door price: $38,018.75, with $2,218.75 of sales tax. Left to pay after trade-in: $38,018.75.
- Sales tax
- $2,218.75
- Taxed price
- $35,500.00
- Left to pay after trade-in
- $38,018.75
Out-the-door price: $38,018.75. Out-the-door price: $38,018.75, with $2,218.75 of sales tax. Left to pay after trade-in: $38,018.75.
The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use
How to calculate
Adds sales tax, dealer fees and title and registration fees to a car’s price for the out-the-door price, with the trade-in credit and what is left to pay.
Example with the default inputs (Car price $35,000.00, Dealer fees and add-ons $500.00, Dealer fees are taxed Yes, Sales tax rate 6.25%, Title, registration and other government fees $300.00, Trade-in value $0.00, Trade-in lowers the taxed price Yes, Loan owed on the trade-in $0.00): Out-the-door price: $38,018.75, with $2,218.75 of sales tax. Left to pay after trade-in: $38,018.75.
Method: Taxed price = price + dealer fees (if taxed) − trade-in (if your state gives a trade-in credit), at least 0; sales tax = taxed price × rate; out-the-door price = price + dealer fees + sales tax + government fees; left to pay = out-the-door − trade-in + loan owed on the trade-in.
- Government fees (title, registration, plates) are not taxed.
- Rebates and incentives are taken off the price you type; states differ on whether a rebate is taxed.
- You type your own tax rate and fees; this page fetches no rates.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Car price $20,000.00, Trade-in value $5,000.00, Sales tax rate 6.25%, Dealer fees are taxed yes, Trade-in lowers the taxed price yes gives Taxed price $15,000.00, Sales tax $937.50, Out-the-door price $20,937.50, Left to pay after trade-in $15,937.50.Source: Texas Comptroller, Motor Vehicle – Sales and Use Tax (6.25 percent of sales price, minus any trade-in allowance; $20,000 less a $5,000 trade-in is taxed on $15,000: $937.50). https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/motor-vehicle/sales-use.php
- Car price $35,000.00, Dealer fees and add-ons $150.00, Title, registration and other government fees $400.00, Sales tax rate 7%, Dealer fees are taxed yes, Trade-in lowers the taxed price yes gives Taxed price $35,150.00, Sales tax $2,460.50, Out-the-door price $38,010.50, Left to pay after trade-in $38,010.50.Source: 35,000 + 150 + 2,460.50 + 400 = 38,010.50 (FTC: the out-the-door price includes taxes and fees)
- Car price $20,000.00, Trade-in value $5,000.00, Loan owed on the trade-in $2,000.00, Sales tax rate 6.25%, Dealer fees and add-ons $200.00, Dealer fees are taxed no, Trade-in lowers the taxed price no gives Taxed price $20,000.00, Sales tax $1,250.00, Out-the-door price $21,450.00, Left to pay after trade-in $18,450.00.
- Car price $10,000.00, Trade-in value $15,000.00, Sales tax rate 6.25%, Dealer fees are taxed yes, Trade-in lowers the taxed price yes gives Taxed price $0.00, Sales tax $0.00, Out-the-door price $10,000.00, Left to pay after trade-in -$5,000.00.
How it works
- Taxed price = car price + dealer fees (when your state taxes them) − trade-in value (when your state gives a trade-in credit). It is never below 0.
- Sales tax = taxed price × sales tax rate ÷ 100.
- Out-the-door price = car price + dealer fees + sales tax + title, registration and other government fees.
- Left to pay after trade-in = out-the-door price − trade-in value + loan owed on the trade-in. Below 0, the dealer owes you the difference.
Empty fees, trade-in and loan owed count as 0. Every step is an exact fraction of the amounts you type; dollar outputs round once, half up, to the cent.
Assumptions
- Government fees are not taxed. The rate is from 0% to 25%; amounts are from $0 to $1,000,000,000.
- You type your own tax rate and fees; states and counties differ, and this page fetches no rates.
- Rebates are taken off the price you type; whether a rebate is taxed differs by state.
Worked examples by hand
Texas Comptroller's trade-in. $20,000 car, $5,000 trade-in, 6.25%: taxed price 20,000 − 5,000 = $15,000; tax 15,000 × 6.25% = $937.50; out-the-door 20,000 + 937.50 = $20,937.50; left to pay 20,937.50 − 5,000 = $15,937.50.
Fees and tax. $35,000 car, $150 documentation fee (taxed), 7%, $400 government fees: taxed price $35,150; tax $2,460.50; out-the-door 35,000 + 150 + 2,460.50 + 400 = $38,010.50.
No trade-in credit, untaxed fees, a loan on the trade-in. $20,000 car, $200 dealer fees, 6.25%, $5,000 trade-in with $2,000 owed: taxed price $20,000; tax $1,250; out-the-door 20,000 + 200 + 1,250 = $21,450; left to pay 21,450 − 5,000 + 2,000 = $18,450.
A trade-in worth more than the car. $10,000 car, $15,000 trade-in, 6.25%: taxed price 10,000 − 15,000 is below 0, so $0; tax $0; out-the-door $10,000; left to pay 10,000 − 15,000 = −$5,000.
Other questions people ask
What does out the door price mean?
It is the total you pay for the car before any financing: the price plus dealer fees, sales tax, and title and registration fees. The FTC advises asking the dealer for this price in writing so you can compare offers.
How do I calculate the out the door price?
Add the taxed amount’s sales tax to the price, the dealer fees and the government fees. A $35,000 car with a $150 documentation fee, 7% tax and $400 of title and registration fees: (35,000 + 150) × 7% = $2,460.50 of tax, so 35,000 + 150 + 2,460.50 + 400 = $38,010.50.
Does a trade-in lower the sales tax?
In most states, yes: you pay tax on the price less the trade-in. Texas, for example, taxes 6.25% of the sales price minus any trade-in allowance, so a $20,000 car with a $5,000 trade-in is taxed on $15,000, which is $937.50. A few states tax the full price; turn off the trade-in switch for those.
Are dealer fees taxed?
In many states the documentation fee and dealer add-ons are part of the taxed sale price; in others they are not. Use the switch to match your state. Government fees for title and registration are not taxed here.
Which fees must a dealer include in the advertised price?
The FTC says an advertised price must include every fee the dealer requires you to pay. The dealer may leave out charges a government requires you to pay, such as taxes and registration, which is why the out-the-door price is higher than the advertised price.
What if I still owe money on my trade-in?
Type what you owe. The dealer pays off the loan, so it adds to what you must pay or finance: Left to pay = out-the-door price − trade-in value + loan owed. If you owe more than the car is worth, the difference is negative equity.