Georgia Car Sales Tax Calculator (2026)

• Georgia replaced sales tax and annual vehicle property tax with a one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax of 7% of fair market value.
• For a new vehicle, TAVT is based on the greater of the selling price or the state assessment manual value, then reduced by trade-in and dealer rebates or discounts.

Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT)

7%In effect since Jul 1, 2023

Local tax

None on vehicles

Trade-in

Full credit: reduces the taxable price

Manufacturer rebate

Not taxed: the rebate lowers the taxable price

Figured with Georgia's rules for a buyer from a dealer.

• Used car, no trade-in$1,260

  $18,000 price. Taxed on $18,000.

• New car with a trade-in$1,750

  $35,000 price, $10,000 trade-in. Taxed on $25,000. The trade-in saves $700.

• New car with a trade-in and a rebate$1,960

  $45,000 price, $15,000 trade-in, $2,000 rebate. Taxed on $28,000. The trade-in saves $1,050. The rebate saves $140.

These examples treat the agreed price as the taxable price. Where a state uses a book value instead, the tax can differ.

Georgia has no local tax on vehicles, so buyers in Atlanta, Columbus and Augusta-Richmond County and everywhere else in Georgia are figured at the same state rate: $2,100 on a new $30,000 car. Whether the tax applies to your purchase still depends on the rules above.

The calculator covers a car bought from a dealer. These rules apply to other ways of buying or bringing a car to Georgia.

Buying from a private seller

For a used car, Georgia's TAVT is figured on the value in the state motor vehicle assessment manual, not on the price paid. A trade-in reduces the value only when the seller is a dealer, not in a sale by a private individual. (dor.georgia.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

A car received as a gift

A car transferred to an immediate family member pays a reduced TAVT of 0.5% of fair market value, if it has a Georgia title and TAVT was already paid on it, with Form MV-16. Other transfers pay TAVT each time ownership changes. (dor.georgia.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Moving to Georgia with your car

New residents registering a car in Georgia for the first time pay TAVT at 3% of the car's fair market value instead of the full 7% rate. (dor.georgia.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Active-duty military

Active-duty service members stationed in Georgia who are not Georgia residents, and their qualifying dependents, do not have to pay TAVT; they are under sales and use tax rules instead, or may choose to pay TAVT, using Form PT-472NS. Georgia residents in the military pay TAVT like other residents. (dor.georgia.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Deadline to pay

Owners have 30 days from the date the car was bought or transferred to apply for a Georgia title at the buyer's county tag office, and TAVT is paid with the title application. (dor.georgia.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Paying late

Missing the 30-day title deadline adds a $10 title penalty. In a private sale, TAVT paid late carries a penalty of 10% after day 30 plus 1% more each month; for a dealer sale the penalty is 5% after day 30 plus 5% more each month. (dor.georgia.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Georgia is tied for 44th lowest of all 50 states and the District of Columbia for tax on a $30,000 car. See all states.

Tax on a $30,000 car before trade-in, in nearby states. You generally pay tax based on where you register the car.

• South Carolina$500
• Alabama$600 – $2,250
• North Carolina$900
• Florida$1,800 – $1,900
• Georgia$2,100
• Tennessee$2,176 – $2,188

• All car calculators
• Sales tax calculators by state
• Car sales tax by state
• Trade-in tax credit by state
• Car cost by state
• Georgia out-the-door price
• Auto loan calculator

• Alabama car sales tax
• Florida car sales tax
• North Carolina car sales tax
• South Carolina car sales tax
• Tennessee car sales tax