Sell your company car. Get paid before it leaves.

A business vehicle sells the same way as one you own yourself: a genuine offer, a deposit, an inspection, the balance into the business’s bank account, then collection once the funds clear. What changes is who signs, whether GST sits inside the price, and how any business finance is paid out.

We’re a licensed motor dealer, not tax advisers or lawyers. This guide covers the practical side of the sale and points you to the right person for the rest.

Who is the seller, and who can sign?

The seller is whoever legally owns the vehicle, and that isn’t always the person who drives it. As business.gov.au puts it, “A company is a legal entity that’s separate from you.” So a company car is sold by the company, in the company’s name.

For a trust, business.gov.au says the trustee is legally responsible for its operations, and a trustee can be a person or a company.

If a fleet manager or bookkeeper is handling the sale, have the business’s authority in writing, such as a letter signed by a director. Not sure who can sign? Check the company’s constitution, or ask your accountant or lawyer.

Driving a company car doesn’t make it yours to sell: that’s the owner’s decision. On a novated lease, the finance company owns the car until the lease is paid out. Our guide to selling a car on a novated lease mid-term sets out the order to do things in.

GST and tax invoices: what to tell us

Tell us on the call whether the business is registered for GST and whether the vehicle was used in the business. Then agree whether the offer includes GST before you accept.

Here’s why. A GST-registered business that sells a vehicle used solely or partly for business generally has to account for GST of one-eleventh of the sale price. That includes trade-ins and sales to private buyers, and it goes on the BAS at G1 and 1A. The ATO also says “GST is not payable on the disposal of privately owned assets”. Its example is a sole trader’s car that was never used in the business and had no GST credit claimed.

With a made-up figure, not a valuation: if $33,000 is agreed and nobody says whether it includes GST, $3,000 of it is GST.

If your accountant says the sale needs a tax invoice, make it out to the buyer, Autohaus Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 54 618 813 737). We can work with your tax invoice.

Luxury car tax may also apply when a GST-registered business sells a luxury car. And the ATO’s capital gains tax exemption covers a car that carries a load of less than 1 tonne and fewer than 9 passengers, so some dual-cab utes may fall outside it. Our guide to tax when you sell a car covers both, with questions for your accountant. Selling a work ute? See selling your ute or 4WD.

Chattel mortgage or business finance owing

If the business financed the vehicle with a chattel mortgage, the business owns it and the lender holds security over it until the loan is paid out. That security interest usually shows up on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR), where any buyer will see it.

Business finance doesn’t stop a sale. When you sell to us, we deal with your lender directly to pay out the loan, then pay any equity to the business. It usually takes 2 to 3 business days to settle. If the business owes more than the vehicle is worth, that negative equity has to be covered before settlement.

Ask your lender for a payout figure for the day you expect to settle. Any balloon is part of what’s owed, so it’s included. Loans taken out mainly for business purposes generally fall outside the National Credit Code, so ask your lender how it provides the figure. Our guide to car loan payout letters explains what the figure includes.

Leases work differently. On a finance, operating or novated lease, the finance company generally owns the vehicle, so talk to the lessor before you sell.

Selling several vehicles from a fleet

Retiring a few vehicles at once? Have a list ready before you call. For each vehicle, note:

• Make, model and variant
• Year and kilometres
• Rego number or VIN
• Where it’s kept
• The lender, if there’s finance owing
• Any damage, warning lights or missing keys

We’re buying cars, utes, SUVs and 4WDs 2021 or newer with 100,000 km or less. If some of your list is older or has done more kilometres, send it through anyway and we’ll tell you straight away if we can help. Each vehicle gets its own price and goes through the same steps. If you need them gone by a set date, say so on the call.

Before each one leaves, take back fuel cards, toll tags and any tracker you own, and remove the rego from your toll account. Our guide to wiping personal data from your car covers phones and accounts. Keep the vehicle insured until it has been collected.

Collection from depots and worksites

The inspection happens after you accept, at a time and place that suits you, which can be the depot or site where the vehicle is based. Collection is arranged by us, anywhere in Australia, and only after you confirm the funds have cleared. Key drop-off can be arranged if no one can be there.

Tell us what a driver needs to know:

• The site address and the gate or yard hours
• Any sign-in or safety rules for visitors
• Who has the keys, and whether there’s a spare set
• Whether the vehicle is registered and drivable

Sort out one thing early. The balance goes into the business’s bank account, so decide who confirms the funds have cleared. If that’s the accounts team, not the person at the depot, make sure they know collection is waiting on them.

Recording the sale in your state

Every state records a sale its own way, and a company seller can’t always use the online form an individual would. We’ll make sure your notice of disposal is done correctly. Here’s what we found on each state transport authority’s website, as at October 2026. Check the details with your authority before the sale.

Usually no roadworthy or safety certificate is needed when you sell to us. Rules differ by state, and we confirm what applies to your vehicle on the call.

Selling your business vehicle to us

Once you know who signs, whether GST is in the price and what’s owed, the rest is the same as any sale. Sell Your Car Australia is run by Autohaus Australia Pty Ltd, a NSW licensed motor dealer (MD 077404, ABN 54 618 813 737). Our valuer has priced cars since 1992 and supplies dealerships nationwide.

You get a genuine offer by phone from a licensed dealer, not an online estimate. If you accept, a deposit is often paid the same day, and the inspection happens at a time and place that suits you. The balance goes into the business’s bank account, and we collect the vehicle only after you confirm the funds have cleared. We prepare the sale paperwork and help with the transfer of ownership.

The valuation is free, there’s no obligation, and no fees come out of the offer. Start with a free valuation or call 1800 73 55 73.