{
  "$comment": "Machine-readable companion to https://valem.run/calculators/usa/car-tax. Formula, inputs, outputs, engine-verified test vectors, cited sources and the re-runnable Valem ModelSpec behind the page.",
  "url": "https://valem.run/calculators/usa/car-tax",
  "dataUrl": "https://valem.run/calculators/usa/car-tax.json",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
    "attribution": "United States registration model by Valem (https://valem.run/calculators/usa/car-tax), CC BY 4.0.",
    "note": "Covers the model — the expression of each rule and the arrangement of the catalog. The rates and thresholds themselves are law and are not licensed by anyone; the cited sources are where they come from."
  },
  "verificationUrl": "https://valem.run/calculators/usa/car-tax/verify",
  "country": "usa",
  "countryName": "United States",
  "formula": "car-tax",
  "formulaName": "Registration",
  "title": "Vehicle Registration / Property Tax — USA",
  "answer": "US annual vehicle cost varies by state: a value-based fee like California's VLF, or a county personal-property tax.",
  "lang": "en",
  "currency": "USD",
  "taxYear": "2025",
  "verification": {
    "claim": "internal-consistency",
    "statement": "The Valem engine reproduces this model's stated formula through 2 self-test cases (below, and re-runnable against the spec). That asserts internal consistency, NOT that the formula matches current law — the cited sources are the evidence for that, and carry the date each was last checked.",
    "selfTestCases": 2,
    "ratesAreIllustrative": false,
    "sourcesCheckedOn": "2026-08-02"
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "CA DMV VLF",
      "url": "https://www.dmv.ca.gov",
      "checked": "2026-08-02"
    },
    {
      "label": "Virginia Tax — PPTRA",
      "url": "https://www.tax.virginia.gov",
      "checked": "2026-08-02"
    }
  ],
  "terminalOutput": "tax",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "name": "value",
      "type": "number",
      "label": "Vehicle value (USD)",
      "minimum": 0
    },
    {
      "name": "state",
      "type": "string",
      "label": "State"
    },
    {
      "name": "customRate",
      "type": "number",
      "label": "Rate if \"Other\" (fraction, e.g. 0.028)",
      "minimum": 0,
      "maximum": 1
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "name": "rate",
      "type": "number",
      "formula": "($s := state; $s = 'CA' ? $const.rateCA : $s = 'VA' ? $const.rateVA : customRate)"
    },
    {
      "name": "tax",
      "type": "number",
      "label": "Annual fee/tax",
      "format": "currency",
      "formula": "$round(value * rate, 2)"
    }
  ],
  "testCases": [
    {
      "description": "C1 CA 30,000 USD at 0.65% VLF",
      "given": {
        "value": 30000,
        "state": "CA"
      },
      "expect": {
        "tax": 195
      }
    },
    {
      "description": "C2 VA 25,000 USD at 2.8% property tax",
      "given": {
        "value": 25000,
        "state": "other",
        "customRate": 0.028
      },
      "expect": {
        "tax": 700
      }
    }
  ],
  "spec": {
    "id": "car-tax-usa",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "schema": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "value": {
          "type": "number",
          "minimum": 0
        },
        "state": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "customRate": {
          "type": "number",
          "minimum": 0,
          "maximum": 1
        },
        "rate": {
          "type": "number",
          "readOnly": true
        },
        "tax": {
          "type": "number",
          "readOnly": true
        }
      }
    },
    "constants": {
      "rateCA": 0.0065,
      "rateVA": 0.04
    },
    "defaultValues": [
      {
        "path": "$",
        "expr": "{'value': 30000, 'state': 'CA', 'customRate': 0.0065}"
      }
    ],
    "derivations": [
      {
        "path": "$.rate",
        "expr": "($s := state; $s = 'CA' ? $const.rateCA : $s = 'VA' ? $const.rateVA : customRate)"
      },
      {
        "path": "$.tax",
        "expr": "$round(value * rate, 2)"
      }
    ],
    "constraints": [],
    "metaDerivations": [],
    "viewDefinition": {
      "renderer": "builtin",
      "defaultView": "main",
      "views": [
        {
          "id": "main",
          "label": "Vehicle tax/fee",
          "layout": "vertical",
          "components": [
            {
              "id": "value",
              "type": "numericField",
              "label": "Vehicle value (USD)",
              "bind": "$.value"
            },
            {
              "id": "state",
              "type": "selectField",
              "label": "State",
              "bind": "$.state",
              "helperText": "Annual vehicle cost is set by your state and county. Pick one, or enter your own rate.",
              "options": [
                {
                  "value": "CA",
                  "label": "California — Vehicle License Fee, 0.65% of value"
                },
                {
                  "value": "VA",
                  "label": "Virginia — county personal-property tax, ~4%"
                },
                {
                  "value": "other",
                  "label": "Other state or county — enter your rate"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "id": "rate",
              "type": "numericField",
              "label": "Rate if \"Other\" (fraction, e.g. 0.028)",
              "bind": "$.customRate"
            },
            {
              "id": "tiles",
              "type": "group",
              "layout": "horizontal",
              "components": [
                {
                  "id": "taxTile",
                  "type": "statTile",
                  "label": "Annual fee/tax",
                  "bind": "$.tax",
                  "format": "currency",
                  "currency": "USD"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "id": "note",
              "type": "staticText",
              "text": "'USA: annual vehicle cost varies by state — California charges a Vehicle License Fee (~0.65% of value), Virginia a county personal-property tax (~4%), Texas a flat fee. Enter your state/county rate. Estimate, not tax advice. Texas and several other states charge a flat registration fee rather than a value-based rate, so use \"Other\" with a rate of 0 and read the flat fee separately.'"
            },
            {
              "id": "sources",
              "type": "sourceList",
              "label": "Sources",
              "items": [
                {
                  "label": "CA DMV VLF",
                  "url": "https://www.dmv.ca.gov",
                  "date": "2026-08-02"
                },
                {
                  "label": "Virginia Tax — PPTRA",
                  "url": "https://www.tax.virginia.gov",
                  "date": "2026-08-02"
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    "tests": [
      {
        "description": "C1 CA 30,000 USD at 0.65% VLF",
        "given": {
          "$.value": 30000,
          "$.state": "CA"
        },
        "expect": {
          "$.tax": 195
        }
      },
      {
        "description": "C2 VA 25,000 USD at 2.8% property tax",
        "given": {
          "$.value": 25000,
          "$.state": "other",
          "$.customRate": 0.028
        },
        "expect": {
          "$.tax": 700
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}