Vermont car sales tax calculator
The motor vehicle purchase and use tax in Vermont is 6.00% of the taxable amount.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
By Mr. Voltage · Data checked Oct 3, 2026 · Page changed Oct 30, 2026
Where will you register the car?
Vermont
Example quotes. Pick your place and type yours. Example: three quotes on one car in Harris County, Vermont. Pick your own place and type your quotes.
Your deals at a glance
| Deal | Payment | All-in |
|---|---|---|
| $575.06a month | $39,503.61so far | |
| $519.44a month | $42,400.10so far | |
| $564.11a month | $38,846.53so far |
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.
$575.06 a month · 60 payments
All-in $39,503.61 so far
$519.44 a month · 72 payments
All-in $42,400.10 so far
$564.11 a month · 60 payments
All-in $38,846.53 so far
Out-the-door $34,817.00 so far
so far: not including a doc fee yet. Enter your dealer’s.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $35,553.70 so far
so far: not including a doc fee yet. Enter your dealer’s.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $35,400.00 so far
so far: not including a doc fee yet. Enter your dealer’s.
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 plug-in hybrid cars pay an EV infrastructure fee; electric cars skip the $2 emission fee
New · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Fuel
Gas car. Electric and plug-in hybrid cars pay an EV infrastructure fee; electric cars skip the $2 emission fee
New · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Fuel
Gas car. Electric and plug-in hybrid cars pay an EV infrastructure fee; electric cars skip the $2 emission fee
Vermont law sets no figure for this fee.
Vermont calls it a documentation fee.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Vermont law sets no figure for this fee.
Vermont calls it a documentation fee.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Vermont law sets no figure for this fee.
Vermont calls it a documentation fee.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No local tax on a car: Vermont’s local option sales taxes, Burlington’s 1% among them, don’t apply to cars.
tax.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No yearly property tax on a car: cars are exempt.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No county or town registration fee.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No plate fee: standard plates come with the registration.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No limit on the tax or the trade-in credit for a car.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No local tax on a car: Vermont’s local option sales taxes, Burlington’s 1% among them, don’t apply to cars.
tax.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No yearly property tax on a car: cars are exempt.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No county or town registration fee.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No plate fee: standard plates come with the registration.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No limit on the tax or the trade-in credit for a car.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No local tax on a car: Vermont’s local option sales taxes, Burlington’s 1% among them, don’t apply to cars.
tax.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No yearly property tax on a car: cars are exempt.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No county or town registration fee.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No plate fee: standard plates come with the registration.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No limit on the tax or the trade-in credit for a car.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,117.00 in tax and fees first; $2,883.00 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,158.70 in tax and fees first; $2,841.30 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,150.00 in tax and fees first; $2,850.00 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 $575.07
72 payments, last $519.86
60 payments, last $564.04
cash down plus every payment
cash down plus every payment
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.
4 charges this total leaves out
4 charges this total leaves out
4 charges this total leaves out
What’s different in Vermont
Vermont calls it the motor vehicle purchase and use tax.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
A trade-in comes off the amount taxed at its full value, so only the difference is taxed.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Negative equity rolled into the new loan is not taxed. That point is not confirmed.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Vermont’s law sets no figure for the documentation fee. That point is not confirmed.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Selling your old car yourself within 3 months after you buy lowers the tax: the amount you receive, up to its J.D. Power clean trade-in value, comes off the taxable cost.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 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 Vermont’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 cost legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $22,700.00 |
| Vermont purchase and use tax legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $1,362.00 |
| Title fee legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $42.00 |
| Registration fee legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $89.00 |
| Emission fee (Clean Air Fund) legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $2.00 |
| Lien fee legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $14.00 |
| New motor vehicle warranty fee legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $8.00 |
| Out-the-door price | $34,217.00 |
| Cash down | $5,000.00 |
| Amount financed | $32,217.00 |
| Monthly payment | $621.35 |
| Interest over the loan | $5,063.91 |
| Total paid, interest included | $42,280.91 |
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 Vermont’s example market.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | $21,500.00 |
| Taxable cost legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $21,500.00 |
| Vermont purchase and use tax legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $1,290.00 |
| Title fee legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $42.00 |
| Registration fee legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $89.00 |
| Emission fee (Clean Air Fund) legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $2.00 |
| Lien fee legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $14.00 |
| Out-the-door price | $22,937.00 |
| Cash down | $5,000.00 |
| Amount financed | $17,937.00 |
| Monthly payment | $345.94 |
| Interest over the loan | $2,819.31 |
| Total paid, interest included | $25,756.31 |
The rules in Vermont
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Name of the tax | motor vehicle purchase and use tax dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Vermont purchase and use tax | 6.00% of the taxable amount legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| What is taxed | Taxed: the vehicle price, the doc fee, other dealer fees on the order, accessories fitted before delivery, protection packages and loose items sold with the car. Not taxed: service contracts, prepaid maintenance, GAP and government fees. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Trade-in | A trade-in comes off the amount taxed at its full value, so only the difference is taxed. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Maker’s rebate | A maker’s rebate does not lower the amount taxed. That point is not confirmed. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Dealer discount | A dealer discount lowers the amount taxed. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Negative equity | Negative equity rolled into the loan is not taxed. That point is not confirmed. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Doc fee | The law sets no figure for the documentation fee. That point is not confirmed. dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Title fee | $42.00 legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Registration fee | $89.00 a year legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Registration fee (two years) | $163.00 legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Emission fee (Clean Air Fund) | $2.00 a year legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Private-party purchase | Tax on the greater of the price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value, paid at DMV. A buyer may file a Vermont Dealer Appraisal (VD-012) if the car is worth less. dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Tax paid to another state | A credit for sales or use tax paid to another state. If it was less than the Vermont tax, the buyer pays the difference. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| New resident | No tax if the car was registered to the buyer in a state that taxes vehicle sales. Otherwise 6% of the J.D. Power clean trade-in value. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Family gift | A car given to a spouse, mother, father, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild is exempt. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Electric and hybrid fees | A battery electric car pays $89.00 a year on top of registration, and a plug-in hybrid $44.50. A battery electric car does not pay the $2 emission fee. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Finance rate ceiling | 18% a year for a car of the current or previous model year, and 20% for an older one. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Interest rate markup | No statute limits a dealer’s markup on a retail installment contract it assigns to a lender; only the overall rate ceiling applies. legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
What has changed
· Fees: a new version takes effect.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
· The rules on this page start here. Nothing earlier is loaded.
Questions people ask
How does Vermont tax a car, and what is the purchase and use tax?
Vermont does not charge its sales tax on a car. It charges the motor vehicle purchase and use tax, often called the P&U tax: 6% of the taxable cost. On a dealer sale the taxable cost is the purchase price, which is the gross consideration paid for the car, including the doc fee, destination and dealer add-ons, less the trade-in allowance. The dealer works out the tax on form VD-119 and sends it to DMV with your registration application and fees. No town adds to it. Burlington’s 1% local option tax does not apply to a car sale taxed under the purchase and use tax. Cars pay no property tax in Vermont, so there is no yearly tax bill after you buy.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
tax.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is there a limit on the Vermont dealer doc fee?
We found no dollar limit in Vermont law. No statute or rule was found that sets an amount, limits it or presumes one reasonable; that absence is not confirmed. The Attorney General’s advertising rule says an advertised selling price must be the actual total purchase price, excluding only tax, registration and title fees. So the doc fee must be included in the advertised price, not added to it. DMV treats the doc fee as part of the purchase price, so the purchase and use tax applies to it. No law sets a separate dealer fee for registering the car either; any charge for that would be part of the doc fee. Our examples use $499 as the doc fee. It is not a state amount.
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
ago.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
ago.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Does a trade-in lower the Vermont purchase and use tax?
Yes, in full, with no cap. The value the dealer allows on your trade-in comes off the taxable cost, provided you owned it and it was registered or titled in your name, and you paid tax on it. There is no credit on a leased vehicle. If you owe more than the trade-in is worth, the full allowance still comes off and the payoff goes into the loan, not the tax. That reading of the law is not confirmed by DMV. Selling your old car yourself can count too: the amount you receive, up to its J.D. Power clean trade-in value, comes off the taxable cost if the sale is within 3 months after you buy.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is a private car sale taxed in Vermont?
Yes. The buyer pays the 6% use tax at DMV with the registration application, on form VD-119. The tax is on the greater of the price or the car’s J.D. Power clean trade-in value. If the car is worth less, you may submit a Vermont Dealer Appraisal form (VD-012). One sent after registration must arrive within 30 days to be considered for a refund, and DMV does not accept values from online research. A gift to a spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild is exempt. Paying late adds a penalty of 1% of the taxable cost or $150, whichever is smaller.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
I bought a car out of state or moved to Vermont. What do I pay?
A Vermont resident who buys out of state pays Vermont’s 6% use tax when registering the car, less a credit for sales or use tax paid to the other state. If the other state’s tax was less, you pay the difference. If it was more, there is no refund. For a car bought out of state, DMV may use the J.D. Power clean trade-in value in place of the price. A new resident owes no tax if the car was registered to them in a state that taxes vehicle sales. Otherwise the tax is 6% of the J.D. Power clean trade-in value.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
What do title, registration and electric car fees cost in Vermont?
The title is $42. Registration is a flat $89.00 a year or $163.00 for two years, with no weight, value or age factor. A $2.00 Clean Air Fund fee is added each year, except for an electric car. A new car also pays an $8.00 warranty fee, which funds the Lemon Law program. A lien adds $14.00. A battery electric car pays an EV infrastructure fee equal to the registration fee, $89.00 a year, and a plug-in hybrid pays $44.50. From January 1, 2027, a battery electric car pays a mileage-based user fee of $0.014 a mile instead, up to $178 a period, with a one-time road usage charge of $89 at registration in 2027 and 2028.
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
legislature.vermont.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026