You can’t deduct the total amount you paid, only the portion of the fee that’s based on your vehicle’s value. And, not all states have value-based registration fees. The states that do are list below along with the deductible portion of your registration fee. The fee must be assessed on an annual basis. See Where you can find your car registration fees: if you need more details to determine what amount is taxable since you have them totaled on your statement. You can report the total amount deductible on one line item, you don't need to list each vehicle, but be sure to keep detailed records.
States with deductible car registration fees and which portion you're allowed to claim
States where you claim personal property tax in lieu of vehicle registration fees
To deduct the value-based portion of your registration fee, you must itemize your deductions using IRS Form Schedule A.
- Car fees go on the line for "state and local personal property taxes."
- Note that your state might not specifically refer to the fee as a personal property tax.
- Nevertheless, if the fee is value-based and assessed on a yearly basis, the IRS considers it a deductible personal property tax.
Identifying value-based portion
Depending on your state, it might not be apparent whether a portion of your car registration is value-based or how to identify what portion of the fee qualifies for the deductions.
- In California, for instance, the value-based portion is identified on car owners' billing statements as a "vehicle license fee" and is specifically labeled as tax-deductible.
- In Iowa, the state provides a worksheet for determining the deduction based on information from the car registration document.
- In Texas, on the other hand, no portion of the registration fee is based on car value, so you can't deduct anything.
Related Information:
**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post
**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"
