Do I have to pay taxes when selling my car?
When you decide to sell your car, one of the first questions that come to mind is whether you have to pay taxes on the proceeds.
The answer isn’t always simple, as state and federal laws vary in this regard.
If you’re not sure if you need to report the sale of your vehicle, here’s what you need to know about paying taxes when selling a car.
Do I have to pay taxes from a car sale?
If you sell your car, whether it’s privately or not, you may have to pay taxes on it.
For example, if you sold your old car for $5,000 and used it in part for business purposes, then any profit from selling it will be subject to capital gains tax.
According to IRS Publication 550 If your vehicle is used partly for business and partly for personal purposes (for example, a truck that is mainly used for hauling tools), use Form 4797.
The form requires you to declare how much of any proceeds from selling your vehicle are due to regular income and how much represents a capital gain.
If you’re wondering about sales tax, state laws vary widely but generally apply only when someone sells their vehicle to another person.
Some states also exempt people who buy cars for their businesses from paying sales tax.
In general, though, most people don’t need to worry about paying sales tax when they’re selling their cars.
However, if you made a profit from the sale (which is not common, since cars tend to lose value over time) you will need to submit the amount as capital gains during tax season.
What is considered capital gains from an automobile sale?
The IRS uses Section 1231 of its tax code to classify capital gains and losses from various assets.
If your vehicle was used for business purposes during the year, then you will be required to pay taxes on your vehicle sale if it falls under Section 1231.
This can affect how much money you’re expected to pay in taxes when selling a car, as well as whether or not you qualify for any additional deductions.
Tax-deductible costs can include points you paid when taking out a loan, commissions, licensing fees, and even parking tickets!
If you made a profit out of your sale, this money should be reported as a capital gain.
Keep in mind that these steps are general recommendations. If you would like more details, you can always consult a tax professional.
If you made a profit out of your sale, then you are expected to pay taxes on it.
A capital gain occurs when an asset is sold for more than its original purchase price.
You may also have heard of tax-free gains called like-kind exchanges.
Which allow you to swap one type of property for another without having to pay taxes on any capital gains.
For these rules and exemptions to apply, certain requirements must be met.
- Consider reading our article: 7 Ways to Make the Most With Your Tax Refund
Never get rid of any sales documentation
One of your responsibilities is to keep all records for at least four years. It means every time you make a sale, get receipts from any purchases you made.
To avoid taxes when selling a car and be on the safe side, document everything.
Any documents relating to repairs should be noted in detail.
Keep copies of all estimates with each repair company’s name, contact information, written estimate along with an invoice number, name of person issuing receipt/invoice, date item was received and amount paid.
How to report a capital gain from selling a car?
If you are interested in reporting some profit gain from your vehicle, you need to use a specific IRS form 1040 Schedule D.
Regarding the classification of this capital gain, you must use a short-term capital gain assuming that you owned the vehicle for less than a year.
However, if you’ve owned the vehicle for more than a year, you need to classify this tax gain as a long-term capital gain.
An IRS Schedule D form is used to report your capital earnings. It also includes worksheets to help you determine your acclimated cost base, so you can duly report net earnings or losses.
However, you may be suitable to abate some of those costs from the gain to help reduce your duty obligation.
Although there are many other important facts regarding taxes when selling a car; hopefully, we’ve given you enough information now to feel more confident when making decisions about accounting for tax purposes after selling your vehicle.
Ways to reduce your potential taxes when selling a car
The good news is that as of now, only sales tax on profits (plus insurance reimbursement) must be paid.
Most states will allow you to deduct car-related expenses; such as interest, registration, and property taxes from your income—so long as they’re necessary business expenditures.
Since vehicles are treated as depreciating assets in accounting terms, you’ll also get an immediate deduction for any remaining value of your old car on your taxes. (new cars take longer because their value doesn’t decline as quickly)
If you trade it in for a new car, there may be no profit for tax purposes at all.
Another option can be donating your car.
When you donate a car instead of selling it, you can write off any donation up to $5000.
Consult with an accountant for more detailed advice about taxes when selling a car.
