Massachusetts Car Sales Tax Calculator
Massachusetts charges a state vehicle sales/use tax of 6.25% on a car purchase. On a $20,000 vehicle that is about $1,250.00 in state tax before any local add-ons. Enter your own price below — and your trade-in, if Massachusetts allows a trade-in credit — to estimate what you'll owe.
Quick answer: Massachusetts’s state vehicle sales/use tax rate is 6.25%. Local (county/city) taxes may apply on top.
Estimate your Massachusetts car sales tax
Enter the vehicle price. If Massachusetts gives a trade-in tax credit, add your trade-in value to reduce the taxable amount.
State rate only. Many Massachusetts counties and cities add a local sales tax on top, so your actual total may be higher. Trade-in credit rules vary — confirm eligibility with the official source below.
How Massachusetts taxes a car purchase
| State vehicle sales/use tax rate | 6.25% |
| Taxable amount | Price − trade-in credit (where allowed) |
| Local / county tax | Varies by jurisdiction — added on top of the state rate |
Massachusetts title fee is $75. Standard passenger registration (2-year) is $60. State sales/use tax on vehicles is 6.25%. Cities/towns also bill an annual motor vehicle excise tax separate from registration.
Sales tax on a used car in Massachusetts
Massachusetts applies the same 6.25% state sales/use tax to a used car as to a new one. On a private-party sale the tax is normally collected when you title and register the vehicle — calculated on the price you paid, minus a trade-in credit where the state allows one, and checked against the vehicle's fair-market value to deter under-reporting.
Dealer vs. private-party purchases in Massachusetts
Massachusetts dealers collect 6.25% sales tax at delivery, file the RMV-1 with the Registry, and process plates and registration the same day under the dealer's bond. Private-party buyers must use an insurance agent to stamp the RMV-1, take the paperwork to a Registry service center (or process online for plate transfers), and pay tax based on the purchase price or NADA value. Both paths apply the same 6.25% rate — no private-party discount.
Source ↗What's different about Massachusetts vehicle tax
Massachusetts taxes vehicle purchases at 6.25% state sales/use tax with no local add-on. The Department of Revenue assesses the tax on the greater of the actual sale price or the NADA "clean trade-in" book value; if your declared price is below NADA, you can submit photos and a repair-estimate affidavit to use the lower number. Family transfers — spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild — qualify for a sales-tax exemption with a properly completed Form MVU-26.
Source ↗County & local taxes in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has no county-level sales tax — the 6.25% rate is uniform statewide. The local cost variance comes from the annual motor vehicle excise tax billed separately by each of the 351 cities and towns. The rate is fixed by statute at $25 per $1,000 of valuation, but valuation depreciates by a state-mandated schedule (90% in the year before the model year, 60% the model year, 40% the next year, 25%, 10%, and then a 10% floor). A two-year-old $30,000 car typically gets a roughly $300 excise bill from the municipality.
Source ↗Worked example: buying a car in Massachusetts
Erin buys a used 2021 Subaru Outback from a private seller in Middlesex County, Massachusetts for $24,000.
| Vehicle price | $24,000.00 |
| State sales/use tax | $1,500.00 |
| Title fee | $75.00 |
| Registration fee | $60.00 |
| Annual motor vehicle excise (year 1, paid to the town) | $450.00 |
| Annual safety/emissions inspection | $35.00 |
| Estimated total | $26,120.00 |
Erin pays 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax ($1,500) at the RMV plus the $75 title fee and $60 biennial registration. Her town will mail an excise-tax bill of roughly $450 based on the vehicle's depreciated valuation under the state schedule. She also pays $35 for the annual safety-and-emissions inspection. The town excise is independent of the RMV transaction and is not a one-time charge — she will pay it every year.
What this estimate excludes
- Local and district taxes. County, city, and transit taxes are added on top of the Massachusetts state rate.
- Title, registration, and plate fees. These are separate from sales tax — use the Massachusetts registration and title-transfer calculators for those.
- Dealer documentation fees. A dealer “doc fee” is charged on top and is often itself taxable.
- Exemptions. Gifts, inheritance, and certain family transfers may be exempt — confirm with Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).
Official Massachusetts sources
Related Massachusetts tools & guides
Frequently asked questions
How much is sales tax on a car in Massachusetts?
The Massachusetts state vehicle sales/use tax rate is 6.25%. Multiply it by the taxable purchase price (usually the price minus any trade-in credit). Counties and cities may add a local sales tax on top, so confirm your combined rate with Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).
Do I pay sales tax when buying a used car from a private seller in Massachusetts?
In most states, sales or use tax on a private-party vehicle purchase is collected when you title and register the car, not at the point of sale. The rate is generally the same as a dealer sale. Confirm the private-sale rules with Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).
Does Massachusetts give a sales tax credit for a trade-in?
Most states tax only the difference between the vehicle price and your trade-in value, which lowers the tax you owe. A handful of states tax the full price with no trade-in credit. Verify Massachusetts's treatment before you rely on the estimate above.
Are there local or county car sales taxes in Massachusetts?
Often, yes. The rate shown here is the Massachusetts state rate only; many counties, cities, and transit districts add a local sales tax on vehicle purchases, so your combined rate can be higher. Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) publishes the official combined rates.
Can you legally avoid sales tax on a used car in Massachusetts?
The legitimate ways to lower or avoid vehicle sales/use tax in Massachusetts are a qualifying trade-in credit (where the state allows one), a genuine gift or qualifying family transfer, or a specific exemption the state grants — not understating the sale price, which is illegal and easily caught by Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) against the vehicle's fair-market value. Confirm any exemption with Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) before relying on it.
What is the Massachusetts motor vehicle excise tax and is it the same as registration?
No. Registration is a flat $60 every two years paid to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Excise tax is an annual property tax on the vehicle billed by your city or town. The rate is $25 per $1,000 of valuation, with valuation depreciating on a fixed state schedule. A new $30,000 car gets roughly a $675 bill the first year, $450 the second, $300 the third, and a $75 minimum thereafter.
Do I owe Massachusetts sales tax if I buy a car from a parent or child?
Family transfers between spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild qualify for a complete sales-tax exemption when accompanied by a properly executed Form MVU-26. Gifts (not sales) from anyone qualify under Form MVU-24, provided no consideration changed hands and the donor has owned the vehicle for at least one year.
How does the Massachusetts annual safety inspection affect my title transfer?
Massachusetts requires a passing safety-and-emissions inspection within seven days of the new plate being issued. The previous owner's inspection sticker does not transfer with the vehicle. Plan to visit an inspection station ($35) right after the RMV transaction, or arrange for a dealer to handle the inspection as part of delivery.
Last reviewed: 2026-01-01 · Reviewed by the Car Paperwork editorial team · Based on official Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) sources · Independent resource · Not legal advice