Total Loss Payout Calculator: What Your Insurer Owes You
Estimate your total loss settlement. Enter your vehicle's value, deductible and loan balance to see the payout, any gap, and what sales-tax reimbursement adds in your state.
Estimate your total loss settlement
How this is calculated
The settlement is built from actual cash value, not your purchase price and not your loan balance:
payout = (ACV + sales tax reimbursement + title/registration fees) − deductible
Three things drive most disputes, and they are worth knowing before you argue with an adjuster:
- ACV is the insurer's opinion, and it is negotiable. It comes from a valuation vendor using comparable local listings. If the comparables are worse cars than yours, or ignore recent work, say so in writing with your own listings.
- Sales tax is often owed to you. Many states require the insurer to reimburse sales tax on a totalled vehicle, because you need it to replace the car. Some do not. It is frequently left out of a first offer, so check your state's rule.
- Your loan is not the insurer's problem. They owe the car's value, not what you borrowed. That gap is exactly what gap insurance exists for, and it is why a long loan on a fast-depreciating car is risky.
What this does not model: state-specific total-loss thresholds (the damage-to-value ratio at which a car must be declared a total loss varies widely), betterment deductions, or salvage retention if you keep the vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does an insurer decide my car is a total loss?
Each state sets a threshold, usually expressed as repair cost plus salvage value as a percentage of actual cash value. Cross it and the car must be declared a total loss. Thresholds vary widely between states, so an identical repair can total a car in one state and be repaired in another.
Can I argue with the actual cash value they offered?
Yes, and you should if the comparables are weak. Ask for the valuation report, read which vehicles it used, and send your own listings for similar cars in your area with similar mileage and options. Recent maintenance records and new tyres are legitimate adjustments. Put it in writing.
Do I get sales tax back on a totalled car?
In many states the insurer must reimburse sales tax, because you need it to buy a replacement. In others they do not. It is one of the most commonly omitted line items on a first offer, so check your state's requirement and ask for it explicitly.
What if I owe more than the car is worth?
The insurer owes the vehicle's value, not your loan balance. The difference is yours unless you carry gap insurance, which exists precisely for this. Note that many gap policies do not cover your deductible.