Home › Car buying › Tennessee out-the-door calculator
Direct answer: Tennessee out-the-door price = price + doc fee + 7% state tax + local tax on the first $1,600 + 2.75% single-article tax on $1,600–$3,200 + title and plate fees. With a $699 doc fee, a $30,000 car in Davidson County comes to $32,973.43 and a $35,000 car in Sumner County to $38,315.43.
By the numbers: The state single article tax rate of 2.75% is applied to the amount of the sales price of a single article of tangible personal property between $1,600 and $3,200. Source: TN Department of Revenue, Single Article Special Tax Rates
“Purchasers of new and used vehicles must pay state sales tax at the rate of 7 percent and the state single-article tax at the rate of 2.75 percent.” — TN Department of Revenue, VTR-34: Sales Tax on a Vehicle Purchase
Updated 2026-10-17
About $32,973.43 with a $699 doc fee: $2,148.93 state tax, $44 local tax (2.75% on the first $1,600), $44 single-article tax and $37.50 state title and plate fees. County wheel tax and clerk fees are extra.
About $38,315.43 with a $699 doc fee in unincorporated Sumner County (2.25% local rate). In Gallatin or Hendersonville (2.75%) add $8. County wheel tax and clerk fees are extra.
Why trust this: VaultRubric's owner spent 11 years in dealership sales and management. This guide explains how the deal is built from the other side of the desk, and every number is either cited or yours.
Short answer: the out-the-door price is everything you pay to drive away: price, add-ons, doc fee, sales tax and title/registration. Enter your numbers below.
Your out-the-door price in Tennessee: $32,936. Compare dealers on this one number in writing, never on the monthly payment. Trade-in rule in Tennessee: full credit: tax is figured on price minus trade.
The math:
Sources: Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2026, Table 18 (State & Local Sales Tax Rates) (January 1, 2026); state vehicle rules best-effort (Best-effort, checked October 12, 2026); FTC: Financing or leasing a car
A best fit for the situation described, not financial advice or a buy/sell recommendation. Partner links never change a pick.
Local tax: 2.75% default, the rate in 58 of 95 counties in our rate file and the legal maximum, charged on at most the first $1,600 (source: Tennessee Department of Revenue, Streamlined Sales Tax rate file TNR2026Q4AUG21 and boundary file TNB2026Q4AUG21). Rates run 2% to 2.75%, so pick your county and city above for your exact rate.
| Vehicle price | $30,000.00 |
| + Dealer-installed add-ons | $0.00 |
| + Service contract / GAP | $0.00 |
| − Rebate | $0.00 |
| + Doc fee | $699.00 |
| + State tax (7% on $30,699 taxable) | $2,148.93 |
| + Local 2.75% on first $1,600 (default; pick your county) | $44.00 |
| + State single-article 2.75% on $1,600–$3,200 | $44.00 |
| + Title & registration | $0.00 |
| = Out-the-door price | $32,935.93 |
Doc fee taxed: TN DOR County Clerk Sales and Use Tax Manual (June 2025) says document and prep fees are part of the vehicle's sales price.
Updated October 17, 2026 · TN Department of Revenue rules
| Vehicle price | $30,000.00 |
| Doc fee (example; taxed in Tennessee) | $699.00 |
| State sales tax 7% × $30,699.00 | $2,148.93 |
| County 2.25% on first $1,600 | $36.00 |
| Davidson Co. transit surcharge 0.5% on first $1,600 | $8.00 |
| State single-article 2.75% on $1,600–$3,200 | $44.00 |
| Total sales tax | $2,236.93 |
| Title $11 + standard plate $26.50 | $37.50 |
| Out-the-door price | $32,973.43 |
Local rate 2.75% applies only to the first $1,600. Open this example in the calculator (enter $37.50 for title & registration).
| Vehicle price | $35,000.00 |
| Doc fee (example; taxed in Tennessee) | $699.00 |
| State sales tax 7% × $35,699.00 | $2,498.93 |
| County 2.25% on first $1,600 | $36.00 |
| State single-article 2.75% on $1,600–$3,200 | $44.00 |
| Total sales tax | $2,578.93 |
| Title $11 + standard plate $26.50 | $37.50 |
| Out-the-door price | $38,315.43 |
Local rate 2.25% applies only to the first $1,600. Open this example in the calculator (enter $37.50 for title & registration).
In Sumner County, Gallatin and Hendersonville add a 0.5% city rate on the first $1,600 (2.75% total), so the same $35,000 car comes to $38,323.43, $8.00 more. Davidson County's 2.75% is 2.25% county plus a 0.5% transit surcharge.
Not included: county wheel tax and county clerk fees, which vary by county (TN DOR VTR-34). Sources: TN DOR VTR-34, Sales Tax on a Vehicle Purchase (7% state + 2.75% single-article; page updated Sept. 30, 2026) · TN DOR Single Article Special Tax Rates · County Clerk Sales and Use Tax Manual (doc and prep fees are part of the sales price) · TN DOR local rate file. Checked 2026-10-17.
Want the add-ons to decline with the exact words, plus a finance-office checklist? VaultRubric Pro's Car buying help builds your plan from this out-the-door number and lines up dealer quotes side by side.
7 days free, then $7/mo (or $59/yr). Cancel before day 8 and you pay nothing. The calculator above stays free.
Tennessee: 7% state vehicle tax. Local option tax (up to 2.75%) applies to the first $1,600, plus a 2.75% state single-article tax on $1,600–$3,200; adds up to about $88. (confidence: medium).
Want the monthly payment? Tennessee auto loan calculator · Tennessee car sales tax with your county
Out-the-door calculator for any state
About $32,973.43 with a $699 doc fee: $2,148.93 state tax, $44 local tax (2.75% on the first $1,600), $44 single-article tax and $37.50 state title and plate fees. County wheel tax and clerk fees are extra.
About $38,315.43 with a $699 doc fee in unincorporated Sumner County (2.25% local rate). In Gallatin or Hendersonville (2.75%) add $8. County wheel tax and clerk fees are extra.
The total you pay to drive the car away: vehicle price, dealer add-ons, doc fee, sales tax, and title and registration, minus rebates. The FTC advises getting it in writing before you visit.
Some states cap it (California, Maryland, New York, Oregon and Washington in our best-effort check). Where it isn't capped, dealers usually charge every buyer the same fee, so negotiate the vehicle price down by that amount instead.
Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.
Was this calculator helpful?
We save only this page, your answer and the time. Nothing you typed.
We email you when top savings rates or our picks change. Email only. We send one email first so you can confirm; every email has a one-click unsubscribe.
Free tools need no account, SSN, or address. Most calculators run in your browser; a few send the numbers you enter to our server to do the math.