Being able to calculate Florida car tax can help you determine the final purchase price for a vehicle. Taxes such as the Florida state auto sales tax can add considerably to the price of a new or used cars, and you will need to know how figure them into your budget when shopping for a vehicle. While there is no easy to use Florida car tax calculator, the following method will show you how to get a good ball park amount for taxes you will have to pay.
What You Will Need
- Car to Calculate Tax For
- Local Sales Tax Rate
- Title Transfer Fee Information
- Registration and Licensing Fee Information
Step 1 - Choose a Car to Calculate Tax for
First, find a car make and model that you are interested in.
Step 2 - Compare Prices and Choose the Lowest Price
Always compare prices from several sources for the vehicle. Remember, the more you pay for a car, the more you will pay in Florida car taxes on the vehicle.
Step 3 - Calculate Florida State Auto Sales Tax
If you don't already know the sales tax rate in your local areas, visit a local business and ask or go online and perform a search with a major search engine. Once you have the percentage rate for sales tax in your city, multiple the purchase price of the vehicle times the sales tax percentage rate to obtain the amount of sales tax to be paid. Example:
Sales Tax is set at 9.75%. Cost of the car is $10,000. So, $10,000 x .0975 (or 9.75%) = $975.00 in sales tax.
Step 4 - Calculate Title Transfer Fees
Call or visit the local branch of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (HSMV) and ask how much title transfer fees are. Typical fees usually run about $20 to $40, but ask just to be sure. Jot this amount down for future reference.
Step 5 - Calculate Licensing and Registration Fees
For licensing and registration fees, you will again probably need to contact the HSMV (or you might be able to ask a friendly car dealer to give you the information). You will need to provide the exact year, make and model before you can receive an accurate quote.
Step 6 - Calculate the Total Car Tax
After you have the all of the above mentioned amounts (Sales Tax, Transfer Fees and Licensing and Registration Fees), simply add the amounts together. The final amount is the amount of Florida car tax you can expect to pay.