Texas vehicle sales tax rate
The normal Texas motor-vehicle sales tax rate is 6.25%. This calculator estimates purchase tax only; title, registration and other government fees are separate.
2026 Texas purchase tax
Texas Car Sales Tax Calculator
Texas generally imposes a 6.25% motor-vehicle tax. Estimate your purchase tax with qualifying trade-ins, rebates and private-party SPV rules taken into account.
Enter your purchase details
Tax only · Estimate date: 2026-10-07. Change the date in Advanced options.
Estimated Texas Vehicle Sales Tax
Enter your purchase details to see the tax, taxable value, and a short breakdown. Title and registration fees are not included.
Want the full cost?
Sales tax is one part of buying or registering a vehicle. Use the full TTL calculator to include title, registration, county and applicable vehicle fees.
Calculate Texas Tax, Title & RegistrationUnderstanding Texas vehicle purchase tax
How trade-ins affect Texas car sales tax
A qualifying motor vehicle transferred to the same seller as part of the same purchase reduces taxable consideration. Enter the vehicle’s trade-in allowance, not loan payoff or equity. Proceeds from a separate sale do not qualify.
Do rebates reduce Texas vehicle sales tax?
Qualifying rebates or discounts that are separately stated and passed to the purchaser reduce taxable consideration. Enter only amounts not already deducted from the purchase price.
Private-party purchases and SPV
Standard Presumptive Value (SPV) is TxDMV’s reference value for a used vehicle. For an ordinary applicable private-party purchase, Texas uses the greater of the purchase price or 80% of full SPV. A qualifying certified appraisal may establish value when the price is below that threshold, but cannot be below the actual purchase price. Vehicle age and certain sale types can exclude SPV.
Dealer fees and vehicle sales tax
A separately stated dealer documentary fee is excluded from taxable consideration. Taxable accessories or attachments affixed at sale are included if they are not already part of the entered vehicle price.
Texas car sales tax FAQ
What is the car sales tax rate in Texas?
The normal motor-vehicle sales tax rate is 6.25%. This page covers dealer and used private-party purchases, rather than special transfers or registration fees.
How do I calculate Texas vehicle sales tax?
For a dealer purchase, add taxable accessories to the price, subtract qualifying separately stated rebates and a qualifying trade-in, and apply 6.25% to the non-negative taxable amount. Applicable private-party purchases use the SPV rules described below.
Does a trade-in reduce car sales tax in Texas?
Yes, a qualifying motor vehicle traded to the same seller in the same transaction reduces taxable consideration. Loan payoff and equity do not determine this deduction.
Do rebates reduce vehicle sales tax in Texas?
Qualifying separately stated rebates or discounts passed to the purchaser reduce taxable consideration. Do not deduct a rebate again if it is already reflected in the price you enter.
Does Texas charge sales tax on private-party car purchases?
Yes. For ordinary used private-party purchases subject to SPV, tax uses the higher of the actual price or 80% of full SPV, unless a valid certified appraisal applies. SPV exclusions can change which value is used.
What is Standard Presumptive Value in Texas?
SPV is the used-vehicle reference value available from TxDMV. Enter the full SPV, not 80% of it. The county uses the official value when processing title, which may differ from your earlier lookup.
Is a dealer doc fee taxable in Texas?
A separately stated documentary fee is not part of motor-vehicle taxable consideration under the verified rules used here. It may still be a separate charge in your vehicle transaction.
Is Texas sales tax based on the price before or after a trade-in?
For a qualifying dealer trade-in, tax is based on taxable consideration after subtracting the trade-in allowance, with any other qualifying adjustments applied. The taxable value cannot fall below zero.