Real Maine deals, worked out
Each example runs through the same calculator above, line by line, so you can check every number yourself.
1Portland: new car with a trade-in
A buyer pays $33,000 for a new car and trades in $9,000. Sales tax is 5.5% of $24,000, and first-year excise is on the full MSRP.
| Vehicle price | $33,000.00 |
| Sales tax (5.5%) on $24,000.00 | $1,320.00 |
| Title fee | $33.00 |
| Registration | $35.00 |
| Municipal excise tax | $792.00 |
| Out-the-door | $35,180.00 |
| Due after the $9,000 trade-in | $26,180.00 |
2Three-year-old car
A buyer pays $18,000 for a car that stickered at $27,000. Excise uses the original MSRP at the third-year rate.
| Vehicle price | $18,000.00 |
| Sales tax (5.5%) on $18,000.00 | $990.00 |
| Title fee | $33.00 |
| Registration | $35.00 |
| Municipal excise tax | $364.50 |
| Out-the-door | $19,422.50 |
Sales tax and trade-ins
Maine Revenue Services taxes only the difference between the sale price and the trade-in allowance, as long as both are self-propelled vehicles. Trading a car toward a boat, for example, gets no credit.
Maine car tax at common prices
What a new gas car bought from a dealer comes to at four prices. The trade-in column shows how much a $10,000 trade-in changes the tax under Maine's rules.
| Price | Tax | Tax with $10,000 trade-in | Taxes + fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15,000 | $825.00 | $275.00 | $1,253.00 |
| $25,000 | $1,375.00 | $825.00 | $2,043.00 |
| $35,000 | $1,925.00 | $1,375.00 | $2,833.00 |
| $50,000 | $2,750.00 | $2,200.00 | $4,018.00 |
The town excise tax
Excise tax is paid at your town office before registration, for one year from the date you register. It's the MSRP times a mil rate that falls as the car ages. Maine Revenue Services' own example is a three-year-old car with a $19,500 MSRP paying $263.25, a rate of 13.5 mills; a new car pays a higher rate in its first year.
Maine taxes and fees at a glance
Officialfrom a state agency sourceEst.varies or not yet confirmed
| Item (portland: new car with a trade-in) | Status | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax (5.5%) | Official | $1,320.00 |
| Title fee | Official | $33.00 |
| Registration (yearly) | Estimate | $35.00 |
| Municipal excise tax (yearly) | Estimate | $792.00 |
| Total taxes and fees | $2,180.00 |
Maine car tax FAQ
What is the sales tax on a car in Maine?
5.5% of the price after a trade-in of another vehicle.
What is Maine's excise tax on cars?
A yearly tax paid to your town, based on the MSRP and a mil rate that falls as the car ages.
How much is a Maine title?
$33 for vehicles 25 model years old or newer.
Sources
We build every number from these agency pages. If something has changed, tell us and we'll fix it.