The cost of importing a car from the USA. How much does it cost to bring a car from America?
Are you considering importing your dream car from America, but worried about the cost of importing a car from the USA? Before deciding to participate in the auction, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the applicable fees. These include, but are not limited to, transport charges, excise duty and VAT. Although the list is long, it does not mean that importing a car from the USA is unprofitable. Overseas car prices are really attractive in relation to the European market, and in the end the venture is financially beneficial. If you are thinking about importing a vehicle from the United States, be sure to read our article - we explain exactly what the costs of importing a car from the USA look like.
The cost of importing a car from the USA — what does it include?
When buying a car from the United States, it is important to remember that the cost of a car from the USA consists of several factors. So, you should not be guided only by the price of a particular model and the fee for the service of bringing a vehicle, which companies specializing in this field charge. What else is worth knowing about? Below we explain, what exactly does the cost of importing a car from the USA include.
VAT
The VAT rate depends on the port of destination, and the amount of tax can vary from 19 to 23%. If your car is imported into Germany, you will pay 19% VAT. In the case of Dutch ports, the rate is 21% and Polish ports — 23%. The exception is vintage cars, which are subject to a lower tax of 7-9%.
Excise
The amount of excise duty is related to the capacity of the engine a specific car. For a car with an internal combustion engine of up to 2.0 liters, you will pay a rate of 3.1%. For MHEV hybrid vehicles and HEV hybrids (ordinary hybrids) with an internal combustion engine of up to 2.0 liters, the rate is 1.55%. PLUG-IN hybrid and REX electric cars with a capacity of up to 2.0 liters are exempt from excise duty. Importing a car with a larger capacity engine is associated with higher costs — the rate is 18.6%. Hybrid vehicles MHEV, HEV, PLUG-IN with a volume of 2.0 liters to 3.5 liters are subject to a rate of 9.3%. The exception is vintage cars, exempt from excise duty.
Customs
As for the duty, the rates are as follows:
- cars and quads: 10%,
- vintage vehicles: 0%,
- motorcycles: 6%,
- jet skis - 1.7%,
- boats and yachts - 1.7% to 2.7%,
- trucks - 22%.
Transportation Charges
Another cost that is worth keeping in mind is the transport fees, that is:
- fee for land transport from the auction site to the selected port — from $150,
- sea freight fee — in the case of a motorcycle or quad it costs from $350, and in the case of passenger cars — from $800.
Additional costs
VAT, excise, customs duties and transport fees are not all expenses that come with importing a car from the USA. The costs also include the commission required by American auction houses - its amount depends on the amount of the vehicle auctioned and ranges from $400 upwards. In the case of cooperation with our company, you should also add:
- deposit, i.e. financial security of the transaction — 10-15% of the auctioned amount, not less than 1000$,
- the fee for the service of bringing a car — in the case of a passenger car it is PLN 3000, for a motorcycle, snowmobile/jet ski or quad — PLN 2000, and in the case of other vehicles the price is determined individually.
It is also worth bearing in mind costs of adapting the vehicle to Polish regulations. These are due to differences in the range of lights or the meter.
Is it profitable to import a car from the USA?
It is impossible to hide that Importing cars from America involves a lot of fees. However, additional costs should not discourage this type of transaction. It should be borne in mind that Cars from America They are up to 30-40% cheaper than models available in the European Union. Even after taking into account all the charges So importing a vehicle from the United States is as profitable as possible. You also don't have to worry about the formalities involved in bringing your dream four wheels to Poland. Our company provides customers with comprehensive support in this area: we pay customs and VAT and help with excise tax. Feel free to contact us to discuss the details!
