How Indiana taxes car purchases
- State vehicle tax rate
- 7%
- Trade-in lowers the tax
- Yes
- Tax cap
- None
- Source
- Official source, checked 2026-10-05
These are the rules for a new car bought from a dealer. Used-car and private-sale rules can differ. How we check this data.
Indiana charges 7% at the state level. That rate is higher than 46 states and lower than 1 state. County and city taxes may add to it, so check your local rate and enter the total in the calculator.
What to know in Indiana
Indiana's 7% sales tax applies to vehicles, and Indiana has no county or city sales taxes, so the state rate is the whole tax. That makes Indiana one of the easiest states to estimate: leave the calculator at 7% and put title and registration costs in the fees field.
A like-kind trade-in, such as a car traded for a car, is deducted from the price before the tax is figured, so trading in at the dealer saves 7% of the trade-in's value.
Does Indiana tax your trade-in?
No. Indiana only taxes the difference between the new car's price and your trade-in. On a $35,000 car with a $10,000 trade-in, you'd pay $1,750.00 in state tax instead of $2,450.00, a saving of $700.00. That saving is worth counting when you compare a dealer's trade-in offer with selling the car yourself.
Example: a car loan in Indiana
A $35,000 car with $5,000 down, $1,500 in fees, and a 60-month loan at 6.5% APR ($2,450.00 state tax, rolled into the loan):
- Monthly payment: $664.27
- Amount financed: $33,950
- Total interest: $5,906
- Total cost of the car: $44,856
Change any number in the calculator above to see your own figures.
Rebates and fees
The calculator charges tax on the price before any manufacturer rebate. Ask the dealer how Indiana treats your specific rebate. Title, registration and dealer documentation fees vary, so ask for an itemized out-the-door price and put the fee total in the calculator.
Other states
States with similar vehicle tax rates:
- Georgia 7%
- Rhode Island 7%
- Tennessee 7%
- Minnesota 6.875%
- Nevada 6.85%