# What will my out the door price be?

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.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/out-the-door-price-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/out-the-door-price-calculator.json
- Version: c728791b07f2

## Default answer

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.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| price | Car price | The agreed price of the car, after any discount. |
| dfee | Dealer fees and add-ons | Documentation fee, dealer prep and add-ons you agree to (0 if none). |
| ftax | Dealer fees are taxed | Whether your state charges sales tax on the dealer fees and add-ons. |
| tax | Sales tax rate | Your state and local sales tax rate on vehicles, in percent. |
| gfee | Title, registration and other government fees | Fees the state or county charges, such as title, registration and plates (0 if none). |
| trade | Trade-in value | What the dealer gives you for your old car (0 if none). |
| credit | Trade-in lowers the taxed price | Whether your state takes the trade-in off the price before tax (most states do). |
| owed | Loan owed on the trade-in | What you still owe on the old car, which the dealer pays off (0 if none). |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| otd | Out-the-door price | Car price + dealer fees + sales tax + government fees. |
| tax | Sales tax | Taxed price × sales tax rate. |
| taxable | Taxed price | Price + taxed dealer fees − trade-in credit, never below 0. |
| due | Left to pay after trade-in | Out-the-door price − trade-in value + loan owed on the trade-in: the cash or loan you need. Below 0, the dealer owes you the difference. |

## 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.

## Assumptions

- 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

1. price = $20,000.00, trade = $5,000.00, tax = 6.25%, ftax = yes, credit = yes gives taxable = $15,000.00, tax = $937.50, otd = $20,937.50, due = $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.
2. price = $35,000.00, dfee = $150.00, gfee = $400.00, tax = 7%, ftax = yes, credit = yes gives taxable = $35,150.00, tax = $2,460.50, otd = $38,010.50, due = $38,010.50. Source: 35,000 + 150 + 2,460.50 + 400 = 38,010.50 (FTC: the out-the-door price includes taxes and fees).
3. price = $20,000.00, trade = $5,000.00, owed = $2,000.00, tax = 6.25%, dfee = $200.00, ftax = no, credit = no gives taxable = $20,000.00, tax = $1,250.00, otd = $21,450.00, due = $18,450.00.
4. price = $10,000.00, trade = $15,000.00, tax = 6.25%, ftax = yes, credit = yes gives taxable = $0.00, tax = $0.00, otd = $10,000.00, due = -$5,000.00.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Sources

- Federal Trade Commission, Automobile Industry Pricing Transparency: FAQs (an advertised price must include every dealer-required fee; dealers may exclude government-required charges such as taxes). https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/automobile-industry-pricing-transparency-faqs (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, 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: $937.50). https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/motor-vehicle/sales-use.php (retrieved 2026-10-05)