How does the Vehicle Import Taxes Calculator work?

The Vehicle Import Taxes Calculator uses the latest Kenya tax rates and regulations to provide accurate calculations.

Is the Vehicle Import Taxes Calculator free to use?

Yes, the Vehicle Import Taxes Calculator is completely free to use. No registration or payment required.

Are the calculations accurate?

Yes, our Vehicle Import Taxes Calculator uses the most current Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) rates and government regulations to ensure accuracy.

Can I use this calculator on mobile?

Yes, the Vehicle Import Taxes Calculator is fully responsive and works perfectly on mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers.

How are vehicle import taxes calculated in Kenya?

KRA starts from the CRSP (Current Retail Selling Price), strips the 25% dealer margin, applies EAC age depreciation from first registration to arrival, then reverse-engineers customs value by backing out import duty, excise, and VAT (not IDF or RDL). Taxes are then layered: import duty (typically 35% for passenger cars, 25% for many commercial units and motorcycles), excise by engine/fuel or a motorcycle specific amount, VAT 16%, IDF 2.5%, and RDL 2%. If you declare a CIF, KRA usually takes the higher of CIF and the CRSP-derived value. Finance Act 2026 did not change these ordinary-car rates.

What is CRSP for motor vehicles?

CRSP is KRA's official tax-inclusive retail reference for a model. It is not your auction invoice. Customs value is derived from CRSP after markup, depreciation, and tax reverse-engineering. This calculator uses the July 2025 CRSP schedule (5,200+ models), which KRA still listed as the current download as of September 2026.

Are these rates still current in 2026?

Yes for ordinary used-car imports. VAT remains 16% (VAT Act s.5). IDF is 2.5% and RDL is 2% (Miscellaneous Fees and Levies Act). Passenger-car import duty is 35% per KRA’s June 2025 CRSP clarification. Excise bands follow the Excise Duty Act First Schedule. Finance Act 2026 added 50% excise only for antique/classic vehicles (30+ years and at least KES 10 million) — those units cannot be imported under the 8-year KEBS rule anyway — plus a 1 September 2026 export-document requirement.

What is the maximum age for importing a car?

KEBS KS 1515:2000 prohibits importing used vehicles older than 8 years from the year of first registration abroad — not the shipping date and not manufacture year. From 1 January 2026 KEBS accepts right-hand-drive units first registered from 1 January 2019 (a 2018 unit cannot arrive after 31 December 2025). KRA duty depreciation still uses first-registration month to arrival date.

How does excise duty vary by engine size?

Petrol: 20% up to 1500cc, 25% for 1501–3000cc, 35% above 3000cc (8703.24.90). Diesel: 20% up to 1500cc, 25% for 1501–2500cc, 35% above 2500cc (8703.33.90). Hybrids and PHEVs are treated at 25% on KRA’s procedures page. Fully electric vehicles (8703.80) attract 10%. Motorcycles of tariff 87.11 pay KES 12,952.83 per unit; electric motorcycles are excluded from that specific duty. Excise (when ad valorem) is charged on customs value plus import duty.

What documents are needed for vehicle importation?

Typically: bill of lading, commercial invoice, insurance, export certificate/logbook from origin, QISJ Certificate of Roadworthiness (or destination validation at KES 12,000 if there is no CoR), Import Declaration Form (IDF) via iTax, and a licensed clearing agent for Mombasa clearance. From 1 September 2026, Finance Act 2026 also requires an export declaration or equivalent from the country of export, kept for five years.

Calculators / Vehicle Import Taxes Calculator

Vehicle Import Taxes Calculator

CRSP is KRA's KES list (July 2025, live as of October 2026) — not your auction bid. Estimate only; confirm on iCMS with a licensed agent.

Vehicle type

Cars & vansMotorcycles

Make

Expected arrival / assessment

Model

Trim / spec (CRSP July 2025)

HS 8703 · 35% duty — Passenger car — 35% (KRA June 2025 CRSP clarification)

Year of first registration

Month of first registration

Duty age: 6 yrs, 9 mo → 60% dep · from Feb 2027: 65%. KEBS uses year of first registration (not shipping, not manufacture) — OK until 2028-12-31.

Engine size

Fuel type

CRSP value (KRA KES list, tax-inclusive)

KES

This looks like a Japan auction bid in yen, not CRSP. Put the bid under CIF / purchase below — CRSP stays on the KES list.

Compare auction / invoice CIF (not CRSP)

Add purchase & freight (cash to land)

Duty override, channel, clearing & notes

Import channel

Override import duty rate

Edit clearing / port cost estimates

Passenger cars: 35% import duty (KRA June 2025). Commercial and motorcycles default to 25%. Excise by engine / fuel. VAT 16%. IDF 2.5% (MFLA s.7). RDL 2% (MFLA s.8).
Excise: petrol ≤1500cc 20%, 1501–3000cc 25%, >3000cc 35%. Diesel ≤1500cc 20%, 1501–2500cc 25%, >2500cc 35%. Hybrid 25%. EV 10%. Motorcycles KES 12,952.83 per unit (not electric).
KEBS KS 1515:2000 uses the year of first registration (2019+ for a 2026 arrival). Manufacture year and shipping date do not count. Last legal arrival for this unit: 2028-12-31.
CRSP schedule: July 2025 · 5,277 vehicles · 465 motorcycles. KRA still lists this as the current download as of October 2026.

KES 573,589

Total KRA duties

+ KES 152,000 clearing (defaults)

WhatsApp 9:16 card

Import duty (35%)KES 200,255

Excise duty (25%)KES 193,103

VAT (16%)KES 154,483

IDF (2.5%)KES 14,304

RDL (2%)KES 11,443

Total KRA dutiesKES 573,589

Clearing / port (defaults)KES 152,000

How KRA got this

CRSP (tax-inclusive KES)KES 3,500,000

After 25% markup strip + 60% dep.KES 1,120,000

Customs value from CRSPKES 572,158

Vehicle age at arrival6 yrs, 9 mo

ClassificationHS 8703 · passenger

Excise bandPetrol 1501–3000cc — 25%

Duty on customs value100.3%

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How to use this calculator

Pick the exact CRSP make and trim (search by chassis code). Set first-registration year (KEBS) and expected arrival (duty age). Confirm fuel — hybrids named in the model are taxed as hybrid even if CRSP says gasoline. Optionally enter auction CIF in JPY. Read Total KRA duties first; add purchase/freight for cash to land.

Definition

A Kenya vehicle import tax calculator estimates KRA customs value from the July 2025 CRSP schedule, then applies import duty, excise, 16% VAT, 2.5% IDF, and 2% RDL as of October 2026, with a KEBS year-of-first-registration gate.

Example

A 2020 1800cc petrol car on the July 2025 CRSP is depreciated to your arrival date, reverse-valued to customs value, then stacked with 35% duty, 25% excise, VAT, IDF, and RDL. A Hilux or motorcycle is classified at 25% duty instead.

How KRA taxes imported cars

Kenya does not tax your Japanese auction price at face value. KRA uses the Current Retail Selling Price (CRSP) — a tax-inclusive retail reference from the July 2025 schedule — then reverse-engineers a customs value: strip the 25% dealer margin, apply EAC age depreciation from first registration to arrival, and back out import duty, excise, and VAT. IDF and RDL are added afterwards; they are not stripped out of CRSP.

Passenger cars typically face 35% import duty. Pickups, trucks, buses, and motorcycles are usually assessed at 25%. Excise follows the Excise Duty Act (20–35% by engine, 10% for EVs, or KES 12,952.83 per motorcycle). VAT is 16%, IDF 2.5%, and RDL 2%. If you declare a CIF, KRA takes the higher of that CIF and the CRSP-derived value. Finance Act 2026 did not change those ordinary-car rates.

Stay inside the KEBS year-of-first-registration limit (2019+ for a 2026 arrival — not shipping date, not manufacture year), match the exact CRSP chassis/trim, and budget clearing/port costs on top of the KRA bill. This tool is an estimate — the iCMS assessment at Mombasa is final.