Your numbers
Enter the hammer price and the auction's premium and fee terms above, then click Calculate.
Your estimate
| Component | Amount |
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Max bid for your budget
What this does and doesn't do
This stacks the buyer's premium (capped per lot if you enter a cap), an online-bidding premium if you check that box, sales tax on the full purchase price unless you mark the purchase exempt, a card surcharge on the whole invoice if you're paying by card, and a flat doc/title fee. It does not know any specific auction house's or state's actual terms — you supply them — and it is not a determination that a specific exemption, cap, or fee applies to your purchase. Treat every number here as a planning estimate to confirm against the auction's own printed terms before you bid.
Common questions
What is a buyer's premium?
A fee the auction house adds on top of your winning (hammer) bid, usually a percentage of it — commonly 10% at farm and heavy-equipment auctions. It is part of what you owe, not included in the hammer price you won at.
Does the buyer's premium cap apply per lot?
Usually yes at equipment auctions — a cap like "$2,500 per lot" limits the premium on each item you win separately, so winning three lots can mean three separate caps, not one shared cap for the whole sale. Always confirm this in the specific auction's own printed terms, since a per-sale or per-day cap works very differently.
Why does bidding online cost more than bidding in person?
Many auctioneers running a live online-bidding platform charge a separate internet or online-bidding premium — commonly 2-3% — for anyone who bids through it, on top of the standard buyer's premium. Bidding from the floor in person usually avoids this extra fee entirely.
Is sales tax charged on the buyer's premium too, or just the hammer price?
Under most published auction terms, sales tax is charged on the full purchase price — the hammer price plus the buyer's premium and any online-bidding premium — not the hammer price alone. Some states or auctioneers only tax the hammer price, and many states exempt qualifying farm equipment entirely, so check the specific auction's terms and your state's rules.
Is this legal, tax, or financial advice?
No. It applies the buyer's premium, fee, and tax terms you enter to a hammer price or budget you supply, as a planning estimate — not a determination of what a specific auction, state, or lender will actually charge. Always confirm the exact terms with the auction house before you bid.