A state tax rate of 6% applies to all car sales in Florida, but your total tax rate will vary based on county and local taxes, which can be anywhere from 0 to 1.5%. The average total car sales tax in Florida is 7.037%.

When you’re shopping for cars, chances are good that the number you’re paying attention to is the big one on the sticker. However, it’s important to be mindful of the additional fees and taxes involved, as they can really add up! The amount of sales tax you pay for a car will vary depending on where the purchase is made.

Florida has a state sales tax that’s higher than average, and to know what your final tax total will be, you need to narrow it down to the city where you’ll be

buying a car in Florida

. Read on to find out how much you can expect to pay on sales tax when you’re buying a car in The Sunshine State. And, as an added bonus, we'll show you how to lower your

Florida car insurance costs

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How much is the car sales tax rate in Florida?

Florida charges a statewide sales tax of 6% on the purchase of all cars, new, used, or under a

car loan

. In addition, Florida allows for local governments to charge a tax of up to 1.5%.

The cities with the highest combined tax rate of 7.5% are Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Kissimmee. Citrus County has the lowest combined tax rate at 6.5%. On average, you can expect to pay a total of 7.037% for all state and local sales taxes in Florida.

MORE:

Florida gas tax

How are car trade-ins taxed in Florida?

Frequently when you are purchasing a new car, you are

trading in

an old one. How does this affect the amount of tax you will pay? In Florida, the value of your trade-in is deducted from the purchase price, and you only have to pay taxes on the difference. This saves you money on your tax bill!

For example: let’s say you’re buying a

Jeep Cherokee Limited

for $35,000 in

Jacksonville

, and you’re trading in your old

Toyota Camry

for a $4,000 credit. You’ll only have to pay tax on $31,000 of the purchase price.

It’s worth mentioning that any dealer rebates or incentives are not exempt from sales tax. They may lower the amount you’ll pay for the car itself, but you will pay taxes on the price before any rebates or incentives are applied.

MORE:

Gifting a car in Florida

How to calculate sales tax on a car in Florida

If you want to calculate what you’ll pay for taxes beforehand, you’ll need to find out what the local sales tax is and add it to the base 6% state sales tax. There are many online calculators you can use for this purpose if you know the zip code where you will be purchasing the vehicle.

Key Takeaway Combine the statewide sales tax of 6% with the local or county sales tax to get the total car sales tax where you are.

Exemptions from Florida car sales tax

Typically, most car purchases in Florida will have some kind of sales tax involved. However, there are a few situations where you might be all or partially exempt from paying sales tax. Here’s a quick look at two reasons where this might apply:

If a dealer is delivering the purchased car to a buyer outside of Florida, it is tax-exempt

If you live out of Florida, then you will pay the sales tax rate of your home state—unless it’s higher than 6%, then you will pay Florida’s rate

In order to apply for an out-of-state partial exemption, you must fill out

Form DR-123

and register the car in your home state within 45 days of purchase. For more detailed information about sales tax and exemptions for motor vehicles, contact the

Florida Department of Revenue

MORE:

Buying a car in Florida from out of state

How to estimate Florida tax, title, and registration fees

Sales taxes aren’t the only numbers you’ll need to note. Title, registration, and dealer documentation fees will all contribute to the total cost of your new car. Unfortunately, Florida has some of the highest dealership documentation fees in the nation, typically ranging from $500 to as high as $900.

Here’s a quick glance at how all the extra taxes and fees will break down:

Fee	Average cost
Sales tax	7.037%
Registration fee	$225.00
Title fee	$77.25
Plate transfer	included in registration fee
Documentation fee	$670

Find out if you can reduce your monthly car payments in minutes

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

Check your rate

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

MORE:

Is car insurance tax deductible?

How to find affordable car insurance in Florida

Now that you’ve negotiated a sticker price and figured out your taxes and fees, there’s just one more number to crunch: getting car insurance that meets Florida’s

minimum legal requirements

. Fortunately,

Jerry

’s got your back on this aspect of your car purchase, too.

Download the app, enter a little bit of info, and within minutes, you’ll have competitive

car insurance

quotes from a pool of over 50 top providers. Jerry can take care of signing you up completely through the app—no paperwork or phone calls needed! If you have questions at any point in the process, fully-licensed brokers are available to get you all the answers you need.

“I had limited time to find a new insurance plan in Florida, so I tried
Jerry
. My experience was personalized and professional, and they found me a plan that fits my portfolio. You should give them a try.” —Valencia T.

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