WorldCalcs

Auto Loan Calculator

Estimate your monthly car payment with sales tax, trade-in, down payment and interest.

Reviewed by the WorldCalcs team · Methodology · Last reviewed: June 2026

Monthly payment

605.95

Amount financed

30 240.00

Sales tax

2 240.00

Total interest

6 116.85

Total of payments

36 356.85

Sales tax is applied to (vehicle price − trade-in); adjust if your region taxes differently.

This is a general estimate, not financial advice. Actual car-loan terms and taxes vary. See our Disclaimer.

What is an auto loan calculator?

An auto loan calculator works out the monthly payment on a car loan, taking into account the vehicle price, your down payment, any trade-in value, and sales tax. It then amortizes the financed amount over the loan term to show the monthly payment, total interest and total cost.

How it's calculated

First it works out the taxable amount, usually the price minus the trade-in, and applies the sales-tax rate. The amount financed is the price plus tax, minus your down payment and trade-in. That figure is then run through the amortization formula (monthly rate and number of months) to find the payment.

Example

A 35,000 car with a 5,000 down payment and an 8,000 trade-in, at 7% sales tax: tax on (35,000 minus 8,000) is 1,890, so the amount financed is 35,000 + 1,890 - 5,000 - 8,000 = 23,890. At 5% over 60 months the payment is 450.83 a month, with 3,160.03 total interest.

All calculations happen in your browser. Nothing is sent, stored, or tracked.

Results are estimates and may contain errors — for general information only, not professional advice. Always verify before relying on them. Disclaimer

How to use

Enter the vehicle price, your down payment, any trade-in value, your local sales tax rate, the interest rate and the loan term in months. Results update as you type.

Amount financed = vehicle price + sales tax − down payment − trade-in. The monthly payment uses the standard amortizing formula.

Leave trade-in or sales tax at 0 if they don't apply to you.

Frequently asked questions

How is a car loan payment calculated?+

The financed amount (price plus tax, minus down payment and trade-in) is amortized over the term.

How does a trade-in lower my payment?+

It reduces the amount financed and, in many places, the taxable amount too.

Is sales tax included?+

Yes, the tool applies your tax rate; note that tax rules and what is taxed vary by region.

How does the down payment help?+

A bigger down payment lowers the financed amount, so a smaller monthly payment and less interest.

What loan term should I choose?+

A longer term lowers the monthly payment but increases total interest; shorter is cheaper overall.

What is amortization?+

Repaying the loan in equal monthly instalments of principal and interest.

Does this include other fees?+

No, registration, dealer and documentation fees are not included.

How is this different from a regular loan?+

It adds trade-in and sales-tax handling; for a plain loan, see our Loan Calculator.

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