Texas dealer year-end checklist
Last verified: November 9, 2026. Every rule links to its official source.
The Texas dealer year-end checklist runs from now to February 28, 2027. Finance licensees renew with the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) by December 31. Dealers file the monthly inventory tax statement by the 10th and the annual declaration by February 1, 2027 (file by January 31 to be safe). Dealers who remit seller-financed sales tax as payments come in report to the Comptroller by the 20th.
The Texas dealer year-end checklist, date by date
Where a date falls on a weekend or holiday, you should file before it. “Financing” marks duties for dealers who carry their own customers’ notes.
| Date | Duty | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Now | Check GDN and bond expiration dates; GDN renewal opens 180 days early | eLICENSING | TxDMV |
| Now to December 31, 2026 | Financing: renew each OCCC license | NMLS | OCCC |
| December 1, 2026 | Financing: OCCC annual assessment due | NMLS | 7 TAC 84.617 |
| December 10, 2026 | November inventory tax statement and prepayment | Tax office; copy to appraisal district | Tax Code 23.122 |
| December 20, 2026 | Financing, monthly filers: November seller-financed report | Comptroller | Comptroller |
| December 31, 2026 | Financing: last day to renew an OCCC license. All: count the year’s sales | NMLS; your records | OCCC; Tax Code 23.121 |
| January 1, 2027 | Financing: add-on rate classes shift. All: get the year’s unit property tax factor | Your contracts; county tax office | Finance Code 348.104; Tax Code 23.122 |
| January 10, 2027 | December inventory tax statement and prepayment | Tax office; copy to appraisal district | Tax Code 23.122 |
| January 20, 2027 | Financing: December report (monthly) or fourth-quarter report (quarterly) | Comptroller | Comptroller |
| January 31, 2027 | Pay any 2026 inventory tax bill before it is delinquent; safe date for the declaration | County tax office | Tax Code 23.122 |
| February 1, 2027 | Annual inventory tax declaration | Appraisal district; copy to county tax office | Tax Code 23.121 |
| February 10, 2027 | January inventory tax statement and prepayment | Tax office; copy to appraisal district | Tax Code 23.122 |
| February 20, 2027 | Financing, monthly filers: January report | Comptroller | Comptroller |
| February 28, 2027 | Financing: OCCC reinstatement ends, 11:59 p.m. | NMLS | OCCC |
Federal year-end filings are not covered here.
What does a finance licensee need to do before December 31?
Renew every OCCC license between November 1 and December 31, 2026; the OCCC’s rule makes the annual assessment due by December 1. The calendar-year term took effect May 7, 2026. An unrenewed license expires at midnight on December 31, and reinstatement until February 28 adds a $1,000 late filing fee. The steps are in Texas OCCC license renewal.
On January 1 the add-on rate classes for used vehicles move with the calendar year (Finance Code 348.104). For 2027 sales: $10 per $100 per year for model years 2025 and newer, $12.50 for 2023 and 2024, $15 for 2022 and older. Check the OCCC’s rate chart in January; the 2027 chart was not posted on November 9, 2026. Your 2026 contracts feed the OCCC annual report due June 30, 2027. See Financing your own sales in Texas.
Which inventory tax filings are due in December, January and February?
Three monthly statements and one annual declaration. This is the Vehicle Inventory Tax (VIT), which most county tax offices and the pre-licensing course call special inventory tax (SIT).
- Monthly statement. By the 10th, even after a month with no sales, file the Dealer’s Motor Vehicle Inventory Tax Statement (Form 50-246) with the county tax assessor-collector, copy to the appraisal district, and deposit the unit property tax on last month’s sales (Tax Code 23.122). Late costs $500 for each month or part of a month.
- Annual declaration. File the Dealer’s Motor Vehicle Inventory Declaration (Form 50-244) with the appraisal district, copy to the tax assessor-collector, by February 1; file by January 31 to be safe, the date Tarrant County prints (Tax Code 23.121). Late costs $1,000 for each month or part of a month, and a non-filer can be reported to TxDMV to start cancellation of the GDN.
- The year’s bill. If escrow falls short of the year’s tax, the collector bills the difference, and tax not received by January 31 is delinquent. By February 15 the collector distributes the escrow to the taxing units. Money in escrow is not refunded.
- The 2027 factor. Each sale’s unit tax is its sales price times the unit property tax factor, one-twelfth of the prior year’s aggregate tax rate where your inventory sits. Get the new factor from your county.
- Opened in 2026? The first-year rule (no unit tax assigned, no money sent) covers only the calendar year you were not in business on January 1. Ask your county tax office what your 2027 statements need.
More in Texas Vehicle Inventory Tax (VIT), explained.
What sales tax is due over the year-end?
If you finance sales and remit tax as payments come in, the seller-financed report (Form 14-117) is due by the 20th of the month after each period: monthly if you collect more than $500 a month, quarterly if less (Comptroller: seller-financed tax). A late report costs $50 even if no tax was due, plus 5 percent of the tax if paid 1 to 30 days late and 10 percent after that.
Texas gives a dealer 30 days from the sale date to file title and registration (45 if you financed the sale yourself) under 43 TAC 215.144. TxDMV tells new dealers to file within 20 business days, which is also when the Tax Code says the sales tax is due. Treat 20 business days as your working deadline and 30 days as the limit. On a sale you finance, if you have not applied for title within 60 days of delivery, all unpaid tax is due with your next report. See After the sale in Texas.
What should you check on your TxDMV license and plates?
- GDN renewal. File in eLICENSING up to 180 days before expiration (TxDMV): $400 per GDN for two years, plus plates (Transportation Code 503.007). A timely filer may keep operating while TxDMV decides. A late renewal is accepted for 90 days after expiration, with no licensed business until it is approved; after that, the license is closed (43 TAC 215.83). Dealer plates expire with the license.
- Course and fingerprints. If the owner or manager who took the dealer course has left, a replacement must take it before the next renewal (TxDMV). Fingerprints may be due at renewal.
- Dealer bond. The $50,000 bond begins on the first day of a month and ends on the last day of the month two years later (TxDMV guide), in your legal business name with each location’s address (43 TAC 215.137).
- Plates. You are liable for missing or misused plates (Transportation Code 503.063). Report a lost, stolen or destroyed plate within 24 hours of discovering it, and destroy, recycle or return voided plates within 10 days (43 TAC 215.158). You should count the plates in your safe against the plate system.
- Five-sale minimum. Count your 2026 sales. If the declaration reports fewer than five, the chief appraiser must report you to TxDMV to start cancellation of your GDN (Tax Code 23.121). TxDMV can also cancel a GDN held at least 12 months that has not assigned at least five vehicles in the previous 12 months (Transportation Code 503.038).
See How to get a Texas dealer license (GDN), What is a GDN? and the Texas startup guide.
Which records can you move off-site?
TxDMV requires the last 13 months of purchase and sales records at your licensed location and lets older ones go off-site. Keep each record at least this long:
| Record | Keep at least | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase and sales records (the deal jacket) | 48 months; the last 13 months at the licensed location | 43 TAC 215.144 |
| OCCC contract records | 4 years from the contract or 2 years from the final entry, whichever is later | 7 TAC 84.708 |
| Comptroller motor vehicle tax records | 4 years from the date made | 34 TAC 3.74 |
| Surrendered titles (webDEALER) | 4 calendar years | 43 TAC 217.74 |
Since October 29, 2026, each sales file must also include the dealer’s copy of the buyer’s license plate receipt. See Who can inspect a Texas dealership.
What trips people up
- Skipping a no-sales month. The statement is due every month regardless.
- Swapping the offices. The declaration’s original goes to the appraisal district; the statement’s goes to the tax assessor-collector.
- Paying the OCCC on December 31. The OCCC’s rule makes the annual assessment due by December 1.
- Using 2026 rate classes in January. The add-on classes shift on January 1.
- Discarding records at 13 months. That is the on-site rule; the minimum is 48 months.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Texas inventory tax declaration due?
By February 1 each year; file by January 31 to be safe, the date Tarrant County prints. The original Form 50-244 goes to your county appraisal district and a copy to the tax assessor-collector. A late declaration costs $1,000 for each month or part of a month.
I paid into escrow on every sale. Why do I owe more?
The year’s tax rests on a market value figured from the prior year’s sales, while your escrow builds from this year’s sales. If this year’s sales came in lower, for example, the escrow can fall short, and the collector bills the difference. Tax not received by January 31 is delinquent.
Will extra money in my inventory tax escrow be refunded?
No. A dealer may not withdraw escrow funds, and by February 15 the collector distributes the escrowed money to the taxing units. Dallas County, for one, says a surplus is distributed proportionally to the taxing units. Money in escrow is not refunded.
Will I need to be fingerprinted to renew my GDN?
Possibly; that is TxDMV’s own answer. Existing license holders are fingerprinted once, at the earlier of their license renewal or an amendment to change ownership. The vendor is IdentoGO, and as of October 1, 2026 the cost is $40 plus any service fees.
Your next step
Book a LeftLane demo to see the deal file and each finance account’s activity log in one place, and how LeftLane produces the OCCC annual report from live data. LeftLane’s team moves your data over from another system, and real people answer at 512-222-9549.
Sources
- TxDMV: Dealers, dealer plates, dealer education, fingerprinting, eLICENSING guide, Chapter 215 amendments, Form LP801
- Texas Administrative Code: 43 TAC 215.137, 215.144, 215.158, 217.74; 34 TAC 3.74; 7 TAC 84.708
- Texas statutes: Tax Code Chapter 23, Tax Code Chapter 152, Transportation Code Chapter 503, Finance Code Chapter 348
- Counties: Tarrant County dealer FAQ, Dallas County dealer escrow FAQ
- Comptroller: special inventory, seller-financed tax, motor vehicle forms
- OCCC: Motor Vehicle Sales Finance, licensing, 7 TAC 84.617 adoption, rate charts, annual report notice
This guide is general information for dealers, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Confirm with the agency or a licensed attorney in your state before you act.