Car flip profit calculator.

How the calculation works

The calculator builds the cost of the car in layers. Buyer fee = price × buyer fee percent + flat fee. Sales tax = your rate × (price + percent buyer fee), or on price alone if you untick the box, because states differ on whether fees are taxed. All-in cost = price + buyer fee + sales tax + transport + title and registration + reconditioning.

Holding cost = days ÷ 30 × (insurance + storage + depreciation) + amount financed × APR × days ÷ 365. Net sale = sale price − selling fee percent − listing fees. Profit = net sale − all-in cost − holding cost. ROI = profit ÷ all-in cost. Profit per day = profit ÷ days held, and per hour = profit ÷ hours you invest.

The break-even sale price is (all-in + holding + listing fees) ÷ (1 − selling fee percent). The maximum bid solves the same equation backwards for the purchase price that leaves exactly your target profit: if the answer is negative the tool shows $0 and says no bid reaches the target. Sales tax on the sale is not counted because in most places the buyer pays it when titling the car; check yours.

Worked example

Price $7,000, 5% buyer fee plus $100 flat ($450.00), 6% tax on price plus fee ($441.00), $150 transport, $120 title and registration, $900 of repairs and detail. All-in cost is $9,061.00. Holding for 30 days at $90 insurance and $60 storage a month is $150.00. A $10,500 sale with a 2% fee and $40 listing fee nets $10,250, so profit is $1,039.00, a 11.5% return on all-in cost, $34.63 a day and $51.95 an hour over 20 hours. Break-even sale price is $9,439.80. For a $1,000 target the maximum bid is $7,035.04. Stretch the sale to 90 days and profit falls to $739.00 because holding cost rises to $450.00.

Results vary. This page is arithmetic on the numbers you enter; it does not predict what any car will sell for, how long it will take, or whether flipping will earn you anything. A flip can break even or lose money, which is why the inputs matter more than the output.

What this does not cover

• Dealer licensing and whether your volume of sales needs a licence: see the dealer licence explainer.
• Income tax, self-employment tax and sales tax reporting: see car flipping taxes and fees.
• The cost of unseen mechanical faults, title problems, odometer or flood damage, warranty claims or buyer disputes. Add a contingency to reconditioning for these.
• Market price. The expected sale price is your estimate; the tool never looks up values.
• Mileage and fuel for viewing cars, and any state or local business fees.

Sources and method

• IRS: Understanding your Form 1099-K (retrieved October 2026): income is reportable whether or not you receive a form

Fee percentages, tax rates and prices are inputs, not claims. The defaults are round placeholders chosen to make the example readable, not typical figures.

Frequently asked questions

Is flipping cars profitable?

It can be, but this tool cannot tell you. Profit depends on the price you pay, fees, repairs, how long the car sits and what a buyer actually pays. Enter your own numbers: in the worked example a $1,000 change in purchase price moves profit by about $1,000 plus the tax and fee on it, and a longer holding period reduces it further. Results vary and a flip can lose money.

How do I calculate car flip profit?

Subtract everything you spent from what you net on the sale: price, buyer fees, sales tax, transport, title, repairs, then the cost of holding the car (insurance, storage, loan interest) and selling fees. Divide by the all-in cost for ROI, by days for profit per day.

What is a maximum allowable offer for a car flip?

It is the highest price you can pay and still hit a target profit once every other cost is counted. The calculator solves the profit formula backwards for the purchase price and checks it by running the forward calculation.

Should I count my time?

It is worth seeing. Enter the hours you spend and the calculator shows profit per hour so you can compare a flip with other uses of your time.

Which fees should I include?

Everything the seller or auction charges you, plus transport, taxes, title and registration, repairs and the cost of holding. Use the fee schedule of the auction or platform you actually use; this page does not assume one.