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In Ontario, run a PPSA search on the VIN before money moves: a lien follows the vehicle, not the seller. A Safety Standard Certificate is required to transfer registration on most used sales - the seller's responsibility unless the vehicle is sold as-is, and an as-is vehicle cannot be plated until it passes. Private sellers must provide the Used Vehicle Information Package, which shows registration history, lien status and the wholesale value used to calculate tax - tax is charged on the greater of the sale price or that value. All-in price advertising is mandatory for dealers, so a dealer adding fees after an advertised price is in breach.
Pre-approval before the dealership changes the negotiation from a payment to a price. Dealer financing can carry a rate marked up above what the lender approved, so an approval in hand is a benchmark, not a formality. Term length is the largest cost variable: long terms lower the payment, raise the total, and extend the period where the loan exceeds the vehicle's value.
| Dealer | 13% HST |
|---|---|
| Private | 13% RST on the greater of the price paid or the wholesale value |
| Note | Private sales are taxed on the Red Book value if it exceeds the price paid. Vehicles 20 years or older need an appraisal. |
| Confidence | VERIFIED-MULTI |
13% either way, but calculated differently. A dealership charges 13% HST on the sale price. A private sale is taxed at 13% RST on the greater of what you paid or the vehicle's wholesale value, which means a low negotiated price does not lower your tax bill. Vehicles 20 years or older require an appraisal.
Dealer financing is arranged at the point of sale and is convenient; independent lenders let you arrive with an approval and negotiate as a cash buyer. Because Ontario taxes private sales on assessed value rather than the price paid, the tax outcome is the same either way, so the decision comes down to the rate and whether you want the leverage of a pre-approval.
