Arkansas car sales tax calculator
Arkansas’s law sets a maximum for the service and handling fee of $129.00 (its words: “no less than zero dollars ($0.00) and no more than one hundred twenty-nine dollars ($129)”).
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
By Mr. Voltage · Data checked Oct 2, 2026 · Page changed Oct 11, 2026
Where will you register the car?
Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas
Example quotes. Pick your place and type yours. Example: three quotes on one car in Harris County, Arkansas. Pick your own place and type your quotes.
Your deals at a glance
| Deal | Payment | All-in |
|---|---|---|
| $579.64a month | $39,778.55+$650.61 more than Deal C | |
| $523.54a month | $42,694.95+$3,567.01 more than Deal C | |
| $568.80a month | $39,127.94Lowest |
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Your numbers stay in this browser.
$579.64 a month · 60 payments
All-in $39,778.55
$523.54 a month · 72 payments
All-in $42,694.95
$568.80 a month · 60 payments
All-in $39,127.94Lowest
Out-the-door $35,054.52
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $35,794.69
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $35,640.27
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
New · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Fuel
Gas car. Electric and hybrid cars pay more in some states
Car or light truck
A car or SUV. Trucks and vans rated up to one ton pay a flat $21 to register
Curb weight
Assumes a car of about 3,500 lb. Change the weight class if yours is heavier
New · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Fuel
Gas car. Electric and hybrid cars pay more in some states
Car or light truck
A car or SUV. Trucks and vans rated up to one ton pay a flat $21 to register
Curb weight
Assumes a car of about 3,500 lb. Change the weight class if yours is heavier
New · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Fuel
Gas car. Electric and hybrid cars pay more in some states
Car or light truck
A car or SUV. Trucks and vans rated up to one ton pay a flat $21 to register
Curb weight
Assumes a car of about 3,500 lb. Change the weight class if yours is heavier
$129.00: the most Arkansas law allows (“no less than zero dollars ($0.00) and no more than one hundred twenty-nine dollars ($129)”).
Arkansas calls it a service and handling fee.
It must be the same whether you pay cash or finance.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
The notice Arkansas requires with this fee
A SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL FEE. A SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW BUT MAY BE CHARGED TO THE CUSTOMER FOR PERFORMING SERVICES AND HANDLING DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE CLOSING OF A SALE OR LEASE. THE SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE MAY RESULT IN PROFIT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE PAYMENT FOR THE PREPARATION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS. THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
$129.00: the most Arkansas law allows (“no less than zero dollars ($0.00) and no more than one hundred twenty-nine dollars ($129)”).
Arkansas calls it a service and handling fee.
It must be the same whether you pay cash or finance.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
The notice Arkansas requires with this fee
A SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL FEE. A SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW BUT MAY BE CHARGED TO THE CUSTOMER FOR PERFORMING SERVICES AND HANDLING DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE CLOSING OF A SALE OR LEASE. THE SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE MAY RESULT IN PROFIT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE PAYMENT FOR THE PREPARATION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS. THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
$129.00: the most Arkansas law allows (“no less than zero dollars ($0.00) and no more than one hundred twenty-nine dollars ($129)”).
Arkansas calls it a service and handling fee.
It must be the same whether you pay cash or finance.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
The notice Arkansas requires with this fee
A SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL FEE. A SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW BUT MAY BE CHARGED TO THE CUSTOMER FOR PERFORMING SERVICES AND HANDLING DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE CLOSING OF A SALE OR LEASE. THE SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE MAY RESULT IN PROFIT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE AND HANDLING FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE PAYMENT FOR THE PREPARATION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS. THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
Assumes etching, coatings and similar products sold with the car are taxed with it. No Arkansas source names them. If they aren’t, the state tax is 6.5% of their price less.
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
Assumes each tax line is rounded to the cent on its own. Arkansas’s half-cent rule is written for city tax; for the state tax it is assumed. If the tax is rounded once on the total, it can be a cent less.
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
Assumes each tax line is rounded to the cent on its own. Arkansas’s half-cent rule is written for city tax; for the state tax it is assumed. If the tax is rounded once on the total, it can be a cent less.
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 · figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
Assumes each tax line is rounded to the cent on its own. Arkansas’s half-cent rule is written for city tax; for the state tax it is assumed. If the tax is rounded once on the total, it can be a cent less.
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 · figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
Assumes each tax line is rounded to the cent on its own. Arkansas’s half-cent rule is written for city tax; for the state tax it is assumed. If the tax is rounded once on the total, it can be a cent less.
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 · figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
Assumes each tax line is rounded to the cent on its own. Arkansas’s half-cent rule is written for city tax; for the state tax it is assumed. If the tax is rounded once on the total, it can be a cent less.
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 · figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 · figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
Assumes each tax line is rounded to the cent on its own. Arkansas’s half-cent rule is written for city tax; for the state tax it is assumed. If the tax is rounded once on the total, it can be a cent less.
- No city or county fee is charged on the day you buy; county personal property tax is billed separately each year.
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
- No emissions or safety inspection fee was found for Arkansas registrations.
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
- No city or county fee is charged on the day you buy; county personal property tax is billed separately each year.
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
- No emissions or safety inspection fee was found for Arkansas registrations.
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
- No city or county fee is charged on the day you buy; county personal property tax is billed separately each year.
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
- No emissions or safety inspection fee was found for Arkansas registrations.
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,354.52 in tax, fees and the doc fee first; $2,645.48 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,399.69 in tax, fees and the doc fee first; $2,600.31 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,390.27 in tax, fees and the doc fee first; $2,609.73 goes toward the price.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
60 payments, last $579.79
72 payments, last $523.61
60 payments, last $568.74
cash down plus every payment
+$650.61 more all-in than Deal C
cash down plus every payment
+$3,567.01 more all-in than Deal C
cash down plus every payment
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
3 charges this total leaves out
3 charges this total leaves out
3 charges this total leaves out
What’s different in Arkansas
Arkansas calls it the gross receipts tax.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
A trade-in comes off the amount taxed at its full value, so only the difference is taxed.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
Negative equity rolled into the new loan is not taxed. That point is not confirmed.
codeofarrules.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
Arkansas’s law sets a maximum for the service and handling fee of $129.00 (its words: “no less than zero dollars ($0.00) and no more than one hundred twenty-nine dollars ($129)”).
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
Arkansas taxes a used car at a lower state rate (3.5%) when it costs from $4,000 through $9,999, and not at all under $4,000. At $10,000 or more it is taxed like a new car.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
Worked examples
Each line below is worked by the same engine as the calculator, on the day this page was built (Nov 11, 2026).
A new car with a trade-in and negative equity
A new car at $32,700.00, with a trade-in allowed at $10,000.00 and $13,000.00 still owed, $5,000.00 down, financed at 5.90% for 60 months, bought from a dealer and registered in Arkansas’s example market.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | $32,700.00 |
| Trade-in allowance | $10,000.00 |
| Still owed on the trade-in | $13,000.00 |
| Equity (negative if you owe more than it is worth) | −$3,000.00 |
| Taxable amount law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $22,829.00 |
| State gross receipts tax dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $1,483.89 |
| City sales tax (first $2,500) law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $28.13 |
| County sales tax (first $2,500) law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $25.00 |
| Doc fee law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $129.00 |
| Title fee dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $10.00 |
| Registration fee law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $25.00 |
| Validation decal dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $2.50 |
| Postage dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $0.50 |
| Lien filing fee law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $0.50 |
| Out-the-door price | $34,404.52 |
| Cash down | $5,000.00 |
| Amount financed | $32,404.52 |
| Monthly payment | $624.96 |
| Interest over the loan | $5,093.39 |
| Total paid, interest included | $42,497.91 |
A used car from a dealer
A used car, model year 2022, at $21,500.00, $5,000.00 down, financed at 5.90% for 60 months, bought from a dealer and registered in Arkansas’s example market.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | $21,500.00 |
| Taxable amount law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $21,629.00 |
| State gross receipts tax, used vehicle law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $1,405.89 |
| City sales tax (first $2,500) law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $28.13 |
| County sales tax (first $2,500) law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $25.00 |
| Doc fee law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $129.00 |
| Title fee dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $10.00 |
| Registration fee law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $25.00 |
| Validation decal dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $2.50 |
| Postage dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $0.50 |
| Lien filing fee law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 | $0.50 |
| Out-the-door price | $23,126.52 |
| Cash down | $5,000.00 |
| Amount financed | $18,126.52 |
| Monthly payment | $349.59 |
| Interest over the loan | $2,849.14 |
| Total paid, interest included | $25,975.66 |
The rules in Arkansas
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Name of the tax | gross receipts tax law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| State gross receipts tax | worked by the calculator from the rule of the taxable amount, in some deals dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| State gross receipts tax, used vehicle | worked by the calculator from the rule of the taxable amount, in some deals law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| City sales tax (first $2,500) | worked by the calculator from the rule of the taxable amount law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| County sales tax (first $2,500) | worked by the calculator from the rule of the taxable amount law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| What is taxed | Taxed: the vehicle price, the doc fee, other dealer fees on the order, accessories fitted before delivery, protection packages, loose items sold with the car, service contracts and prepaid maintenance. Not taxed: GAP and government fees. law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Trade-in | A trade-in comes off the amount taxed at its full value, so only the difference is taxed. law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Maker’s rebate | A maker’s rebate does not lower the amount taxed. codeofarrules.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Dealer discount | A dealer discount does not lower the amount taxed. codeofarrules.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Negative equity | Negative equity rolled into the loan is not taxed. That point is not confirmed. codeofarrules.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Doc fee | The law sets a maximum for the service and handling fee of $129.00 (its words: “no less than zero dollars ($0.00) and no more than one hundred twenty-nine dollars ($129)”). law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Title fee | $10.00. A detail of that point is not confirmed. dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Registration fee | worked from the rule a year law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Registration fee, light truck or van | $21.00 a year law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Validation decal | $2.50 a year. A detail of that point is not confirmed. dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Postage | $0.50. A detail of that point is not confirmed. dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Local tax | The city and county rates of the buyer’s address, on the first $2,500 of the price only. law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Private-party purchase | The same rates, price bands and local limit as a dealer sale. The buyer pays at the revenue office, and there is no doc fee. law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Private-party price | Presumed to be the greater of the price on the bill of sale, invoice or financing agreement and the average loan value of the vehicle. law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Tax paid to another state | No credit for sales or use tax paid to another state on a vehicle first registered by the purchaser in Arkansas. law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Sale of your own car | A credit if you sell a used vehicle and buy a new or used one of greater value within 60 days. A signed bill of sale is required, and the credit can be combined with a trade-in. law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
| Late tax penalty | A penalty of 10% of the tax due. law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026 |
What has changed
· The rules on this page start here. Nothing earlier is loaded.
Questions people ask
Where do I pay Arkansas car sales tax?
You pay it to the Department of Finance and Administration’s revenue office when you register the car, not to the dealer, and the same goes for a car bought from a person. The deadline is the registration deadline, 60 days. A late payment adds a penalty of 10% of the tax due.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
How does Arkansas tax a used car under its price threshold?
Arkansas taxes used cars in price bands. If the total consideration is less than $4,000, no tax is due. From $4,000 through $9,999 the state rate is 3.5%, and at $10,000 or more it is the full 6.5%, as for a new car. Local taxes still apply at the full local rate. The band is judged on the price before any trade-in or private-sale credit, and the tax rate is then applied to what is left. Whether a dealer’s doc fee counts toward the band is not confirmed.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
Is the Arkansas dealer fee capped?
Yes. Arkansas law says the service and handling fee can be no less than zero and no more than $129, and the same limit applies to used-car dealers. It must be charged to all retail customers, with exceptions, such as a buyer who uses a manufacturer’s sales plan or financing through a finance company that caps the fee. It must be its own line, with a required notice that it is not an official fee, and the dealer must post the notice.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
Does Arkansas credit sales tax I paid in another state?
No. Arkansas allows no credit for sales or use tax paid to another state on a vehicle the buyer first registers in Arkansas. A resident who buys out of state pays the full Arkansas tax at the revenue office, with the local tax of the Arkansas address on the first $2,500 only.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026
Does selling my old car myself lower my Arkansas tax?
Yes. Under a 2021 law (Act 277), if you sell a used vehicle and within 60 days of the sale buy a new or used vehicle of greater value, the sale can be credited against the tax. A signed bill of sale is required. The Department’s page says the window is 60 days before or after, but 45 days if the sale comes after you register the new car, in which case you claim a refund. Its written rule still says 45 days. The credit can be combined with a trade-in.
law.justia.com · checked Oct 2, 2026
dfa.arkansas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026