At the same nominal vehicle price of $45,000 / £45,000 with a $5,000 down payment, $10,000 trade-in, and a 60-month loan, here is how the total tax and duty on buying a new car compares across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Each country is shown in its own currency — this is a structural comparison, not a currency conversion.
All five loans use the same 6.5% APR so only tax and fees differ. Your own rate will be different.
Figures use each country's official 2026 rates at a single standard setting: California for the US (7.25% sales tax, no trade-in credit), England for the UK (first-year VED band 131–150 g/km), Ontario for Canada (13% HST, dealer), New South Wales for Australia (3%/5% stamp duty, no LCT below threshold), and petrol rego for New Zealand. Currencies are not converted — each country is shown in its own local currency at the same nominal price.
Because currencies differ, the absolute tax figures are not directly comparable across borders — the ranking reflects each country's tax structure at the same nominal price, not purchasing power. New Zealand tops the list because it levies no purchase tax at all.
This comparison puts the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand side by side in one place. The table uses the same nominal vehicle price, down payment, trade-in, and loan term in each country so the only variable is the tax system itself.
A few caveats keep the comparison honest. The US figure uses California — selecting a no-tax state like Oregon or Montana changes the result dramatically. Canada uses Ontario; BC and Quebec differ. Australia uses New South Wales stamp duty and stays below the LCT threshold at this price. The UK uses a mid-range VED band. And because each country is shown in its own currency, the absolute numbers are not directly comparable across borders — the ranking and structure are.
For your real numbers, open the main calculator or your country page and enter your actual price, location, and finance terms.
New Zealand has no purchase tax or stamp duty at all — only GST (already in the dealer price) and ongoing rego/RUC. Among the others, US states with 0% sales tax (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon) are cheapest. Canada adds 5% to 15% sales tax depending on the province, and Australian states charge stamp duty (in New South Wales, 3% up to A$45,000 and 5% above), plus the 33% Luxury Car Tax on the value above A$80,809 (A$91,661 for fuel-efficient cars) in 2026–27. Use the table above at your actual price and location to compare.
Each country is shown in its own local currency ($, £, CAD, AUD, NZD) at the same nominal vehicle price. We deliberately do not convert currencies, because exchange rates fluctuate and a direct conversion would imply a false equivalence. The comparison shows the tax structure and total tax/duty in each country, not a purchasing-power comparison.
Because US sales tax is set by each state, from 0% to over 8%. The comparison uses California (7.25%, no trade-in credit) as the default US state so the five countries are comparable at a single setting. Open the US page and select your state for an accurate figure — a no-tax state like Oregon changes the result dramatically.
It combines the government taxes charged when you buy: US state sales tax, UK first-year VED, Canadian GST/PST/HST (plus the federal luxury tax on vehicles above its threshold), and Australian stamp duty plus Luxury Car Tax above its threshold. New Zealand charges no purchase tax. Registration fees are shown separately in the Registration column. VAT/GST already included in a new dealer price is not added again.
Not necessarily — registration fees, ongoing road tax, and what you get for the charge differ by country. A low purchase tax may come with higher annual fees or vice versa. Use this comparison to understand the structure, then factor in ongoing costs and your own circumstances.
This comparison applies each country's official 2026 rates at one standard setting, using the same nominal vehicle price, down payment, trade-in and loan terms in every country.