How Much Does It Cost to Import a Used Car to Tanzania in 2026?
Import duty, engine and age excise, VAT, the railway levy, the customs fee and registration, calculated in the order TRA applies them, for a small saloon, a mid-size SUV and a large SUV.
Short answer: on a used car imported in 2026, expect taxes and registration fees of roughly 65% to over 100% of the car's CIF value (price plus shipping and insurance). Age and engine size decide where you land. In the worked examples below, a 9-year-old 1,300cc saloon with a CIF of TZS 13 million pays about TZS 10.6 million. A 12-year-old 2,000cc SUV with a CIF of TZS 17.5 million pays about TZS 17.7 million, more than the car itself. To get your own figure, put the numbers into the vehicle import duty calculator.
The tax stack, in the order it is calculated
These are the rates our used car tax calculator uses. They were checked against the Finance Act 2026 and TRA's Taxes and Duties at a Glance 2025/26, and they apply from 1 July 2026. Each step uses a value from the step before it, so the order matters.
| Step | Charge | Rate | Charged on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIF value | n/a | FOB price + shipping + insurance to Dar |
| 2 | Import duty | 25% | CIF |
| 3 | Excise: engine size | 5% up to 2,000cc; 10% above 2,000cc | CIF |
| 4 | Excise: vehicle age | 0% under 8 years; 18% at 8โ10; 35% at 11โ20; 40% over 20 | CIF |
| 5 | VAT | 18% | CIF + import duty + both excise duties |
| 6 | Railway Development Levy (RDL) | 2% | CIF |
| 7 | Customs Processing Fee | 0.6% | FOB |
| 8 | First registration | Fixed fees, see below | Engine size |
First registration is made up of three fixed amounts. The motor vehicle licence fee is TZS 200,000 up to 1,500cc, TZS 250,000 for 1,501โ2,500cc and TZS 300,000 above 2,500cc. The registration tax is TZS 250,000. The HIV/AIDS response levy is TZS 50,000 up to 1,000cc, TZS 100,000 for 1,001โ1,500cc, TZS 150,000 for 1,501โ2,500cc and TZS 200,000 above 2,500cc. In total that is TZS 500,000 to 750,000.
What changed on 1 July 2026. The Finance Act 2026 increased the age excise and split it into three bands: 18% at 8โ10 years (previously 15%), 35% at 11โ20 years (previously 30%) and a new 40% band for cars over 20 years. It also brought small petrol cars of 1,000cc or less into the 5% engine excise; they were previously at 0%. Older quotes and online calculators that still use 15% and 30% will understate your bill.
To check which age band a car falls in before you bid, use the car age and excise checker. The calculator works out age as the current year minus the year of manufacture.
Worked example 1: a 1,300cc saloon aged 9 years
Take a 2017 Toyota Passo-class or Vitz-class car, about 1,300cc, bought in Japan. Values are in TZS after conversion. Use the TZS converter for your own dollar or yen figures.
| Item | Calculation | TZS |
|---|---|---|
| FOB price | n/a | 10,000,000 |
| Shipping + insurance | n/a | 3,000,000 |
| CIF | FOB + freight + insurance | 13,000,000 |
| Import duty | 25% ร 13,000,000 | 3,250,000 |
| Excise, engine (โค2,000cc) | 5% ร 13,000,000 | 650,000 |
| Excise, age (8โ10 years) | 18% ร 13,000,000 | 2,340,000 |
| VAT | 18% ร (13,000,000 + 3,250,000 + 650,000 + 2,340,000 = 19,240,000) | 3,463,200 |
| Railway Development Levy | 2% ร 13,000,000 | 260,000 |
| Customs Processing Fee | 0.6% ร 10,000,000 (FOB) | 60,000 |
| Registration (licence 200,000 + tax 250,000 + HIV levy 100,000) | n/a | 550,000 |
| Total taxes and fees | n/a | 10,573,200 |
| Landed cost | CIF + taxes and fees | 23,573,200 |
Here the taxes add about 81% on top of the CIF value. Had the same car been under 8 years old, the 18% age excise would not apply. That removes TZS 2,340,000 of excise and the TZS 421,200 of VAT charged on it, a saving of roughly TZS 2.76 million.
Worked example 2: a 2,000cc SUV aged 12 years
Take a 2014 compact SUV, such as a RAV4-class or Harrier-class car, with a 2,000cc engine. That is right at the 2,000cc limit, so the engine excise stays at 5%.
| Item | Calculation | TZS |
|---|---|---|
| FOB price | n/a | 14,000,000 |
| Shipping + insurance | n/a | 3,500,000 |
| CIF | n/a | 17,500,000 |
| Import duty | 25% ร 17,500,000 | 4,375,000 |
| Excise, engine (โค2,000cc) | 5% ร 17,500,000 | 875,000 |
| Excise, age (11โ20 years) | 35% ร 17,500,000 | 6,125,000 |
| VAT | 18% ร 28,875,000 | 5,197,500 |
| Railway Development Levy | 2% ร 17,500,000 | 350,000 |
| Customs Processing Fee | 0.6% ร 14,000,000 | 84,000 |
| Registration (250,000 + 250,000 + 150,000) | n/a | 650,000 |
| Total taxes and fees | n/a | 17,656,500 |
| Landed cost | n/a | 35,156,500 |
At this age the taxes come to slightly more than the CIF value. The 35% age band is the main reason: together with the VAT charged on it, it adds about TZS 7.2 million. A 2,050cc version of the same car would also move into the 10% engine band, adding about TZS 1 million more once VAT is included.
Worked example 3: a 2,800cc SUV aged 6 years
Take a 2020 Land Cruiser Prado-class SUV with a 2,800cc diesel engine. It is above 2,000cc but younger than 8 years.
| Item | Calculation | TZS |
|---|---|---|
| FOB price | n/a | 40,000,000 |
| Shipping + insurance | n/a | 4,000,000 |
| CIF | n/a | 44,000,000 |
| Import duty | 25% ร 44,000,000 | 11,000,000 |
| Excise, engine (>2,000cc) | 10% ร 44,000,000 | 4,400,000 |
| Excise, age (under 8 years) | 0% | 0 |
| VAT | 18% ร 59,400,000 | 10,692,000 |
| Railway Development Levy | 2% ร 44,000,000 | 880,000 |
| Customs Processing Fee | 0.6% ร 40,000,000 | 240,000 |
| Registration (300,000 + 250,000 + 200,000) | n/a | 750,000 |
| Total taxes and fees | n/a | 27,962,000 |
| Landed cost | n/a | 71,962,000 |
Because there is no age excise, the taxes come to about 64% of CIF. Change one input and the result changes a lot. If the same Prado were 12 years old, the 35% age excise would add TZS 15.4 million, and VAT on that would add another TZS 2.77 million. Total taxes would be about TZS 46.1 million. On a big SUV, buying a car under 8 years old usually costs less overall even though the purchase price is higher.
Why your real bill may differ
- TRA values the car, not your invoice. For used cars, TRA charges duty on the customs value it assesses from its own valuation data, and that can be higher than what you paid. Every calculator, ours included, is an estimate until the assessment arrives.
- Exchange rate. Customs converts the foreign-currency value using its own exchange rate, not the rate you paid. If the shilling weakens between purchase and clearance, every line goes up.
- Clearing, port and storage charges are extra. None of the figures above include the clearing agent's fee, port handling or storage. Storage charges grow every day the car stays in port after the free period, so have the tax money ready before the ship docks.
- Electric cars are taxed differently, and the calculator does not cover them. Confirm the treatment with TRA.
- Goods vehicles and vans use different excise rules from passenger cars. This guide and the calculator cover passenger cars only.
The import process, step by step
- Before buying, check the year of manufacture and engine capacity on the export certificate and run the numbers in the calculator. Those two facts decide the excise.
- Appoint a licensed clearing and forwarding agent before the car ships. They lodge the customs declaration with TRA.
- Receive the assessment and pay the duties and taxes against the control number TRA issues.
- Collect the release and take the car out of the port.
- Register the car with TRA, paying the licence fee, registration tax and HIV levy, and collect the plates and registration card.
- Insure it and make sure the driver holds the right class of licence. Our driving licence classes guide explains which letter covers which vehicle.
Five ways to cut the cost
- Stay under 8 years old. This saves the most: 18%, 35% or 40% of CIF in excise, plus 18% VAT on that excise.
- Stay at or under 2,000cc. At 2,001cc the engine excise doubles from 5% to 10%.
- Keep shipping and insurance competitive. Freight is part of CIF, so every extra shilling of freight is taxed under import duty, excise, VAT and the RDL.
- Keep the paperwork consistent. If the invoice, bill of lading and export certificate disagree on year or engine size, expect queries and storage days.
- Budget for the full landed cost before you pay the seller abroad. A car stuck in port because the buyer cannot pay the duty is the most expensive car to own.
If the car is a company vehicle, record its landed cost as the asset value from the start. Import duty and excise are part of the cost. Whether the VAT is reclaimable depends on your VAT status and the type of vehicle. If you run Tawala Accounting, the asset register and depreciation can be set up from the customs assessment.
Sources: rates and calculation order from Tawala's vehicle import duty calculator, which was fact-checked on 27 September 2026 against the Finance Act 2026 (age-based excise bands and the 1,000cc engine excise) and TRA's Taxes and Duties at a Glance 2025/26 (engine excise, Railway Development Levy 2% of CIF, Customs Processing Fee 0.6% of FOB, registration licence fees, registration tax, HIV/AIDS response levy); Clyde & Co summary of the Finance Act 2026 (age excise 18%/35%/40%). Checked 24 October 2026.