AutoTaxCalculatorSales tax for cars in MA
Massachusetts car sales tax is 6.25% of the price after a dealer trade-in, with no local add-on, plus a $75 title fee. After that, you pay a yearly excise of $25 for every $1,000 of the car's excise value.
The sales tax is the same in Boston, Worcester or the Berkshires, because Massachusetts has no local sales taxes on vehicles. The excise is different. It's billed by your city or town each year, but the formula is set by state law, so a car with the same list price and age owes the same excise in Haverhill as in Weymouth. Only the billing and collection are local.
Mass car sales tax, by price
Massachusetts has one rate everywhere, so the mass sales tax on an auto is just 6.25% of the taxable price after any dealer trade-in. Here's what that comes to, plus the $75 title:
| Taxable price | 6.25% sales tax | Tax + $75 title |
|---|---|---|
| $15,000 | $937.50 | $1,012.50 |
| $25,000 | $1,562.50 | $1,637.50 |
| $35,000 | $2,187.50 | $2,262.50 |
| $50,000 | $3,125.00 | $3,200.00 |
Auto sales tax in MA is the same in Boston, Worcester or a small town. There's no local sales tax on vehicles. Where your city or town does matter is the yearly excise, below.
How Massachusetts vehicle sales tax is calculated
From a dealer
6.25% of the purchase price minus the trade-in. The dealer usually collects it and files the title and registration for you.
Example: $35,000 car, $10,000 trade-in
- Taxed amount: $35,000 − $10,000 = $25,000
- Sales tax: $25,000 × 6.25% = $1,562.50
- Plus the $75 title: $1,637.50 before registration
From a private seller
On a private sale, you pay the 6.25% when you register at the RMV. Massachusetts taxes the higher of the price you paid or the car's book value, which stops a $500 bill of sale on a $10,000 car from avoiding tax. If you paid less because the car has problems, the RMV can accept evidence of the lower value.
Example: you paid $8,000, book value is $10,500
- Taxed amount: the higher of the two, $10,500
- Sales tax: $10,500 × 6.25% = $656.25
Family transfers
Transfers between spouses, between parents and children, and between siblings are generally exempt from Massachusetts sales tax when no money changes hands. You complete a family transfer affidavit at the RMV.
The Massachusetts motor vehicle excise
Every vehicle registered and normally garaged in a Massachusetts city or town owes an excise for each calendar year, under Chapter 60A of the General Laws. Local assessors issue the bill and local collectors collect it, but the value and rate are fixed statewide. That means the Haverhill excise tax, the Weymouth excise tax and the bill in any other city or town are all figured the same way, at $25 per $1,000. Only where you pay differs. The excise doesn't use what you paid, the mileage or the condition. It uses only the manufacturer's list price and the vehicle's age:
| Year | % of list price | Excise on a $30,000 list price |
|---|---|---|
| Year before the model year | 50% | $375 |
| Model year | 90% | $675 |
| Second year | 60% | $450 |
| Third year | 40% | $300 |
| Fourth year | 25% | $187.50 |
| Fifth year and later | 10% | $75 |
The rate is $25 per $1,000 of value, and the minimum bill is $5. If you register a vehicle after January 31, the excise is prorated from the first day of the month you registered it through December 31. Register on July 10 and you owe six months (July to December).
Example: the mass.gov examples, worked through
- $30,000 list price, second year: $30,000 × 60% = $18,000 → 18 × $25 = $450
- $20,000 list price, five years or older: $20,000 × 10% = $2,000 → 2 × $25 = $50
Excise abatements
If you sell, trade, move out of state or cancel the registration during the year, you can apply to your town's assessors for an abatement of the months you no longer had the car. Keep your plate return receipt. Abatements are also granted when a vehicle was valued wrongly under the schedule.
Massachusetts registration fees
Registration fees in Massachusetts depend on the plate type: passenger, motorcycle, commercial, specialty and so on. Standard passenger registrations are issued for two years. The RMV's schedule of fees lists the current amount for each plate type, and the dealer or RMV adds it to the $75 title fee and sales tax when you register.
Frequently asked questions
What is Massachusetts car sales tax in 2026?
6.25% of the price after a dealer trade-in, statewide, with no local add-on.
Do I pay Massachusetts sales tax on a car I bought in New Hampshire?
Yes, if you register it in Massachusetts. You pay the 6.25% at the RMV. If you paid sales tax to another state, you can get credit for it up to the Massachusetts amount.
How do I calculate the excise tax in Massachusetts?
Multiply the manufacturer's list price by the percentage for the car's age (50%, 90%, 60%, 40%, 25% or 10%), divide by 1,000 and multiply by $25. Prorate by month if you registered after January.
Why is my excise bill so high for a new car?
In the model year the excise uses 90% of the full list price, regardless of any discount you got. It falls to 60% the next year and keeps dropping until it reaches 10%.
Who do I pay the excise to?
Your city or town collector, for example the Haverhill or Weymouth collector, not the RMV. Unpaid excise can stop you from renewing your registration or license.
Sources
- Mass.gov Division of Local Services: A brief introduction to motor vehicle excise
- Mass.gov RMV: Registration and title for a vehicle purchased from a dealer (6.25% sales tax)
- Mass.gov RMV: Registration and title for a vehicle purchased from an individual
- Mass.gov RMV: Apply for a certificate of title ($75)
This calculator gives an estimate. The RMV and your town's assessors set the final amounts. How we calculate