How car sales tax works in Wisconsin
Wisconsin charges 5% state sales tax plus the county tax of the place where the car will be customarily kept, not where the dealer is. Seventy of the 72 counties charge 0.5%. Milwaukee County charges 0.9%, and the city of Milwaukee adds 2%, for a total of 7.9%. Waukesha and Winnebago counties charge no county tax, so the rate there is 5%.
- Trade-in credit: the trade-in allowance is subtracted before tax when it is part of the same deal.
- Manufacturer rebates do not reduce the tax. Dealer discounts and dealer rebates do.
- The dealer service (doc) fee is taxable. There is no dollar cap, but it must be reasonable and disclosed.
- Private sales: same rates, paid to WisDOT with the title application.
- Family: sales between spouses, parents, children, stepparents, stepchildren and in-laws are exempt if the car was registered in Wisconsin in the seller's name.
- New residents: no tax on a car bought for personal use at least 90 days before moving here.
Title and registration fees in Wisconsin
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $214.50 |
| Registration (passenger car, annual) | $85 |
| Plate issuance (2 plates) | $12 |
| Electric vehicle surcharge | + $175 / year |
| Hybrid surcharge | + $75 / year |
| Loan filing fee | $10 |
| Local wheel tax | $0 – $80 |
Many cities and counties add a wheel tax to each registration: $71 in the city of Milwaukee ($41 city + $30 county), $80 in Madison ($40 + $40 Dane County). You can skip the $12 plate fee by transferring plates you already own.
Example: a $32,000 new car in Milwaukee County
Price $32,000.00, $1,000.00 manufacturer rebate, $8,000.00 trade-in and a $350.00 doc fee, bought from a dealer:
| Sales and use tax (5%) | $1,217.50 |
| Local tax (0.9%) | $219.15 |
| Title fee | $214.50 |
| Registration fee | $85.00 |
| License plate | $12.00 |
| Total taxes | $1,436.65 |
|---|---|
| Total government fees | $311.50 |
| Out-the-door price | $33,098.15 |
| After the trade-in, you pay | $25,098.15 |
Common mistakes
- Using the dealer's county rate. Wisconsin charges the county and city tax where the car will be kept.
- Subtracting a manufacturer rebate before tax. Wisconsin taxes the price before the manufacturer rebate.
- Forgetting the local wheel tax, which is $71 a year in the city of Milwaukee.
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