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The Daily Insight

Are vintage cars exempt from capital gains tax?

Author

James Williams

Published Mar 21, 2026

Ordinary cars for private use are exempt from capital gains tax due to their status as ‘wasting assets’, meaning they are not expected to be useful past 50 years of age. The same exemption applies to veteran, Edwardian, vintage or classic cars. This is due to a little used provision in the 1992 legislation.

Is an antique a capital asset?

Thus, for example, gain from the sale of a collectible held as an investment (e.g., antique furniture) for more than a year by one taxpayer could potentially qualify as a collectible gain, but the same asset owned by a dealer for sale as inventory (not a capital asset) in the ordinary course of business would be …

Is a vintage car a wasting chattel?

A classic cars within a category of assets known as ‘wasting assets’ and the good news is that personal property which is a wasting asset is entirely exempt from capital gains tax. This includes vintage cars of this type. The types of cars not included in this exemption are; taxi cabs.

What is a collectible capital gain?

Collectibles are considered alternative investments by the IRS and include things like art, stamps & coins, cards & comics, rare items, antiques, and so on. If collectibles are sold at a gain, you will be subject to a long-term capital gains tax rate of 28%, if disposed of after more than one year of ownership.

Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell my car?

Unlike other types of investment, the profit you make upon the disposal of a classic car does not generally attract CGT. This is because they are classed as a ‘wasting asset’; in other words, an asset that is estimated to have less than 50 years’ worth of use remaining.

Do you pay capital gains tax on cars?

Cars also have a different tax treatment to traditional investments such as stocks and shares. They don’t attract capital gains tax (CGT) if you make a profit on sale, as they are classed as “wasting assets”, which have a predicted useful life of less than 50 years – even if they are still going strong after this time.

Does selling a car count as capital gains tax?

You don’t have to pay any taxes when you sell a private car. Even in the unlikely event that you sell your private car for more than you paid for it, special HM Revenue and Customs rules mean that you don’t pay Capital Gains Tax.

Normal motor cars are, therefore, exempt from Capital Gains Tax (CGT). This includes vintage cars of this type. The types of cars not included in this exemption are; taxi cabs.

Do I pay capital gains tax if I sell my car?

Selling a vehicle for a profit is considered a capital gain by the IRS, so it does need to be reported on your tax return. But if the original sales price plus the improvements add up to $8,000 and you sell the car for $10,000, you’ll have to pay capital gains tax on your $2,000 profit.

Do you pay capital gains tax on vehicles?

Whether you have to pay taxes on the sale of your car mainly depends on how much you sell it for. If this happens, you’ll pay short-term capital gains tax at your regular income tax rate on a car you owned for one year or less. If you owned the car longer than a year, you’ll pay long-term capital gains tax.

What’s the tax rate on a collectible car?

Capital gains tax on collectibles: Ordinarily, capital gains on property that has been held for at least one year are subject to either a 0%, 15% or 20% tax rate depending on your income, however gains on collectibles such as cars are given a special 28% tax rate.

What’s the difference between capital gains and collectibles?

“Collectibles” are a special category of capital gains, and are taxed at a maximum rate of 28%. Big difference, especially if you’re talking six figures. I have found substantial disagreement among tax professionals, both lawyers and accountants, as to whether an old muscle car, for example, is a “collectible“ for the purposes of tax law.

How is capital gains taxed when selling a classic car?

Capital gains tax on vintage cars: If you sell a collector or classic car that you owned for at least a year, then the profit you make is a long-term capital gain. That means it’s taxed at lower rate than if you only owned the car for less than a year. The difference is significant; 20 percent compared to 39.6 percent.

Is it good to invest in collectible cars?

The Top Index was up 33.78% for the year 2019, and more than 500% over the preceding 10 years thanks to increasing global wealth chasing a limited number of super-collectible cars. The S&P 500 was up 30.5% over the same period.