Out-the-Door Price Calculator
The short answer: the sticker price is not the price. This calculator adds sales tax — using your state's trade-in rule — plus title and dealer fees, subtracts your trade-in, and shows the real total and what you'd finance. Negotiate to this number, not the advertised one.
How this is calculated
Out-the-door = price − trade-in + sales tax + fees. The tax is where states split: most tax the difference (price minus trade-in); California, Virginia, and Hawaii tax the full price; Michigan taxes the difference only up to a capped trade-in credit. Check the math by hand: a $30,000 car with a $5,000 trade-in in California at 7.25% owes tax on the full $30,000 — $2,175. The same deal in Texas at 6.25% owes tax on $25,000 — $1,562.50. This calculator returns exactly those figures.
Rates pre-filled here are state-level examples. Local taxes can add several points, so edit the rate to match your paperwork — the seller's buyer's order is the document that counts.
Frequently asked questions
What does out-the-door price mean?
The total you pay to drive away: negotiated price, plus sales tax and title/registration/dealer fees, minus your trade-in. It is the only number worth negotiating to — a low price with padded fees is not a low price.
Do all states give a trade-in tax credit?
No. Most states tax only the difference (price minus trade-in). California, Virginia, and Hawaii tax the full price even with a trade-in, and Michigan caps the trade-in credit. This calculator applies your state's rule.
What fees are normal on top of the price?
Title and registration are set by the state. A dealer documentation fee is common and varies widely by state and dealer. Anything else — protection packages, VIN etching, market adjustments — is optional and negotiable; this calculator counts only the fees you enter.