Import tax and duty calculator

What a car will cost you to bring into the UK: guide shipping, import duty and VAT, in one number.

Your car

Where is it now?

What is it? Car Motorbike

What did it cost, in pounds?

Roughly is fine. Convert from the local currency at today's rate.

Any of these apply? It is over 30 years old I'm moving to the UK and have owned it 6+ months It was UK-registered before

Pick a country and enter a price to see an estimate.

An estimate, not a quote. Shipping is a guide price from a year of real jobs. Registration, testing and any work to make the car UK-legal are not included.

How the tax is worked out

UK import tax on a car is charged on what it cost you plus the cost of getting it here. Duty comes first, then VAT is added on top of everything, duty included. That is why a non-EU car pays a little more than 30% in total, not exactly 30%.

The price comes from your purchase invoice. If that invoice is more than 3 months old, the car is valued instead, so an older purchase is taxed on what it is worth now.

An example

A £20,000 car shipped from the USA. With the £1,450 guide shipping price, tax is worked out on £21,450. Duty at 10% is £2,145. VAT at 20% on £23,595 is £4,719. So the tax comes to £6,864, and with shipping you are looking at around £8,314 on top of the car.

When you pay less, or nothing

Over 30 years old: 5% VAT and no duty.
Moving to the UK: Transfer of Residence can make the car tax and duty free, if you have lived abroad for more than 12 months and owned the car for more than 6.
Coming home: a car that used to be UK-registered may come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C.

We are HMRC CDS authorised agents, so we clear the car ourselves and make sure you pay the right amount, with no unnecessary add-ons.

Questions

What is the tax worked out on?

The price you paid for the car plus the cost of getting it to the UK. Duty is worked out first, then VAT is charged on the total including the duty. If the purchase invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.

Do I pay duty on a car from the EU?

A car bought in the EU pays 20% import VAT when it arrives. A car bought outside the EU pays 20% VAT and 10% duty.

Is a classic car cheaper to import?

Yes. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% import VAT and no duty.

Can I bring my car in tax free?

If you are moving to the UK, have lived outside the UK for more than 12 months and have owned the car for more than 6 months, Transfer of Residence makes it tax and duty free. You apply to HMRC before the car arrives. A car that used to be UK-registered may also come back tax free, with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C.

Who pays the tax, and when?

It is paid when the car is cleared through UK customs. We are HMRC CDS authorised agents, so we clear the car ourselves and include the tax in your quote, so the number you see is the number you pay.

Want the exact figure?

Where it is, what it is and when you need it here. We will come back with a price for the whole job, not just the boat.

Where is the car now?

Free and no obligation. A real person writes every quote.

Rather talk it through? Call 01332 810442