Disclaimer

What our results mean

A "likely qualifies" result means the vehicle facts we can check - final assembly, GVWR class and vehicle type - pass the tests in IRC §163(h)(4) and 26 CFR §1.163-16. It is not a guarantee, and it does not cover the things a VIN cannot show:

• whether your use of the vehicle is the first use after it was sold, registered or titled (the "new" test);
• whether you bought rather than leased, or whether a lease buyout is involved;
• whether your loan is secured by a first lien on the vehicle and was incurred to purchase it;
• whether personal use is expected to be more than 50% of the use;
• whether part of the amount financed was for something other than the vehicle;
• whether your MAGI phase-out reduces the deduction, and whether you will report the VIN on Schedule 1-A.

What the calculator is

The calculator is a mathematical model of a standard fixed-payment amortised loan, plus the Schedule 1-A, Part IV arithmetic. It assumes the loan behaves as written, with no extra payments, no late charges and no early payoff. Your lender's Form 1098-VLI (or its statement, under the 2025 transition relief) is the authoritative figure for interest you actually paid, and it wins over our estimate.

Data limits

• Vehicle decoding is NHTSA's, not ours. Where NHTSA cannot decode a VIN, we say so.
• Model pages describe carlines from NHTSA's Part 583 reports, not individual vehicles. A nameplate assembled in two countries can produce two different answers.
• NHTSA's Part 583 reports cover vehicles up to 8,500 lb GVWR, so the door-jamb label is the final word on the 14,000 lb test.
• The rules could change. The deduction is scheduled to run for tax years 2025 to 2028; legislation could extend, amend or repeal it, and this site's "last reviewed" date tells you when we last looked.

Advertising and referrals

Advertising slots are labelled and reserve space. Any referral link is labelled "Ad / Referral". Commercial arrangements do not affect verdicts, model ordering or the sources we choose.

If you need a real answer

For your own return, use the IRS instructions for Schedule 1-A and Form 1098-VLI, and consult a tax professional if anything is unclear. If you think something on this site is wrong, tell us at contact@doesmycarqualify.com and we will correct it.

Primary sources

1. IRC §163(h)(4), added by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, Pub. L. 119-21, §70203 (the car loan interest deduction) — accessed 2026-10-07.
2. T.D. 10054, final regulations under 26 CFR §1.163-16 and §1.6050AA-1, 91 FR (September 8, 2026); effective November 9, 2026 — accessed 2026-10-07.
3. Proposed regulations REG-113515-25 (91 FR 67, January 2, 2026) and IRS news release IR-2025-129 (December 31, 2025) — accessed 2026-10-07.
4. IRS Schedule 1-A (Form 1040), Part IV "No Tax on Car Loan Interest", lines 22-30, and the IRS explainer for Schedule 1-A — accessed 2026-10-07.
5. IRS Topic No. 505, Interest expense — accessed 2026-10-07.
6. IRS Notice 2025-57 (2025 lender reporting transition relief) and Form 1098-VLI, Vehicle Loan Interest Statement — accessed 2026-10-07.
7. NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (named in the regulation preamble as a way to check the plant of manufacture) — accessed 2026-10-07.
8. NHTSA Part 583 American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA) reports - final assembly point by carline, MY2025 and MY2026 — accessed 2026-10-07.
9. NHTSA public VIN decoder - look up a vehicle's plant of manufacture yourself, without this site — accessed 2026-10-07.

We link to primary sources: the statute, the regulations, IRS forms and instructions, and NHTSA's own vehicle data. Where those sources do not settle a question, we say so rather than guess.