Texas Car Sales Tax Calculator
Texas 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 Texas allows a trade-in credit — to estimate what you'll owe.
Quick answer: Texas’s state vehicle sales/use tax rate is 6.25%. Local (county/city) taxes may apply on top.
Estimate your Texas car sales tax
Enter the vehicle price. If Texas gives a trade-in tax credit, add your trade-in value to reduce the taxable amount.
State rate only. Many Texas 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 Texas 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 |
Texas title fee is $33 (varies slightly by county). State motor vehicle sales/use tax is 6.25% of sale price or Standard Presumptive Value (SPV), whichever is higher. Annual passenger registration is $51.75 plus county fees.
Sales tax on a used car in Texas
Texas 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 Texas
Texas dealers collect the 6.25% Motor Vehicle Sales Tax and handle title paperwork on the buyer's behalf, usually within 30 days of sale. Private-party sales require the buyer to visit the county tax assessor-collector's office with the signed title, Form 130-U, and proof of insurance. Both dealer and private-party purchases are taxed on the greater of sale price or SPV — there is no private-party exemption.
Source ↗What's different about Texas vehicle tax
Texas charges 6.25% Motor Vehicle Sales/Use Tax on the greater of the sale price or the Standard Presumptive Value (SPV) — a state-published market estimate. If your declared price is more than 20% below SPV, the county will assess tax on the SPV figure unless you provide a certified appraisal from a licensed dealer or insurance adjuster. Gifts between qualifying family members pay a flat $10 gift tax instead.
Source ↗County & local taxes in Texas
Texas adds county-level fees to the statewide $51.75 base registration: a $10–$31.50 local fee depending on county, $1 for the Department of Public Safety, and various optional add-ons (child-safety, transportation, road-and-bridge). Harris County totals about $90, Travis County about $87, Bexar County about $80, Dallas County about $80. The county tax assessor-collector's office is the actual point of payment.
Source ↗Worked example: buying a car in Texas
Aisha buys a 2020 Toyota Camry for $14,500 from a private seller in Harris County, Texas (Houston).
| Vehicle price | $14,500.00 |
| State sales/use tax | $906.25 |
| County / local tax | $0.00 |
| Title fee | $33.00 |
| Registration fee | $90.00 |
| Inspection Program Replacement Fee | $7.50 |
| Estimated total | $15,536.75 |
Aisha pays $906.25 in Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (6.25% of $14,500), $33 for the title, and roughly $90 for the first year of Harris County registration (state base $51.75 plus county fees and the new $7.50 inspection-program replacement fee). Because Harris County is in the Houston-Galveston emissions area, she also needs to pass an annual emissions test starting at her first renewal.
What this estimate excludes
- Local and district taxes. County, city, and transit taxes are added on top of the Texas state rate.
- Title, registration, and plate fees. These are separate from sales tax — use the Texas 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 Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV).
Official Texas sources
Related Texas tools & guides
Frequently asked questions
How much is sales tax on a car in Texas?
The Texas 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 Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV).
Do I pay sales tax when buying a used car from a private seller in Texas?
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 Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV).
Does Texas 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 Texas's treatment before you rely on the estimate above.
Are there local or county car sales taxes in Texas?
Often, yes. The rate shown here is the Texas state rate only; many counties, cities, and transit districts add a local sales tax on vehicle purchases, so your combined rate can be higher. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) publishes the official combined rates.
Can you legally avoid sales tax on a used car in Texas?
The legitimate ways to lower or avoid vehicle sales/use tax in Texas 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 Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) against the vehicle's fair-market value. Confirm any exemption with Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) before relying on it.
What is Texas Standard Presumptive Value (SPV) and why does it matter?
SPV is the Texas Comptroller's published estimate of a vehicle's fair-market value, used to calculate sales tax. If you buy a car for less than 80% of SPV, the county tax office will calculate the 6.25% tax on the SPV figure instead of your sale price — unless you produce a certified appraisal from a licensed dealer or insurance adjuster supporting the lower number. The tool to look up SPV is on TxDMV.gov.
Do I owe Texas sales tax if I bought my car in another state?
Texas charges a 6.25% Use Tax on vehicles purchased out of state and brought to Texas, calculated the same way as sales tax. You receive credit for any sales tax already paid to another state, up to the Texas rate. If you bought in a state with a lower rate, you pay the difference at title transfer.
What's the difference between a gift and a sale in Texas?
A true gift between certain family members (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, guardian/ward) pays a flat $10 gift tax instead of the 6.25% sales tax — but requires both donor and recipient to sign Form 14-317 in front of a notary. A car sold for $1 to a friend or cousin is not a gift in the comptroller's eyes; SPV-based tax still applies.
Last reviewed: 2026-01-01 · Reviewed by the Car Paperwork editorial team · Based on official Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) sources · Independent resource · Not legal advice