Fees & paperwork

Fees, taxes, title, contracts, and add-ons.

• Fees & paperwork · 10 min

  Car Sales Tax by State, and Whether a Trade-In Lowers It

  The state tax rate on a vehicle purchase in every state, whether your trade-in reduces the taxable amount, and how to work out what you will owe.

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• Fees & paperwork · 11 min

  Dealer Doc Fees by State: Which States Cap Them and What to Do Where They Don't

  Which states limit the dealer documentation fee, what the limit is, and how to handle the fee in states with no cap. Checked against official state sources.

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• Fees & paperwork · 6 min

  Car Sales Tax, Title, and Registration: How They Work

  Understand how vehicle sales tax is figured, what a trade-in does to it, how title and registration happen, and how to estimate the total for your state.

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• Fees & paperwork · 6 min

  Dealer Add-Ons: Which Are Worth It and Which to Skip

  A plain-language table of common dealer add-ons, when each can make sense, what the alternative is, and how to decline the ones you do not want.

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• Fees & paperwork · 6 min

  Dealer Fees Explained: Which Are Real and Which Are Negotiable

  Sort every fee on a car deal into government charges, manufacturer charges, and dealer charges, and know which ones you can push back on.

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• Fees & paperwork · 6 min

  How to Read a Buyer's Order and Finance Contract Before You Sign

  Walk through a buyer's order and retail installment contract line by line, and catch the common mismatches with the deal you agreed to.

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