{"id":1168,"date":"2020-05-22T14:00:12","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T13:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1168"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:51:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T14:51:51","slug":"importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained","title":{"rendered":"Taxes &#038; Duties Explained &#8211; Importing a Car to the USA"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_55 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Eligibility_for_Import\" title=\" Is my car eligible for import to the US?\"> Is my car eligible for import to the US?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Import_Duty\" title=\" What is Import Duty and how much will it cost me?\"> What is Import Duty and how much will it cost me?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Returning_US_Citizens\" title=\"Returning US Citizens \">Returning US Citizens <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Free_Entry\" title=\" Free entry\"> Free entry<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Temporary_Visitors\" title=\" Temporary visitors\"> Temporary visitors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Special_Circumstances_%E2%80%93_Show_and_Display\" title=\"Special Circumstances  &#8211; Show and Display\">Special Circumstances  &#8211; Show and Display<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Gas-Guzzler_Tax\" title=\" What is Gas Guzzler tax?\"> What is Gas Guzzler tax?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#How_to_Tell_If_You%E2%80%99re_Liable_for_the_Gas-Guzzler_Tax\" title=\"How to Tell If You&#8217;re Liable for the Gas-Guzzler Tax\">How to Tell If You&#8217;re Liable for the Gas-Guzzler Tax<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Determining_The_Fuel_Economy_of_Your_Car\" title=\" How do I determine the fuel economy of my car?\"> How do I determine the fuel economy of my car?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\/#Are_Any_of_These_Charges_Subject_to_Change\" title=\" Are any of these charges subject to change?\"> Are any of these charges subject to change?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re taking a car into the United States and choose AutoShippers to ship it for you, we will always strive to be clear and upfront with you regarding all costs involved. Not just our own prices, but any other costs that you&#8217;ll incur, such as port fees and customs clearance charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of these charges are set fees that are the same for everyone, and so quite straightforward. Where things can get a little more complicated, though, is when it comes to the tariffs and taxes that become payable to the local government on arrival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, in this article, we&#8217;ll focus on the US and look at what monies may be owed to Uncle Sam \u2013 and what discounts or exemptions you may qualify for, depending on your personal circumstances and the vehicle we&#8217;re moving for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two separate issues to consider here. The first, which will apply to everyone, is <strong>import duty<\/strong>, while a limited number of vehicles (but by no means all) may also be subject to what is known as the &#8216;<strong>gas guzzler tax<\/strong>&#8216;. Let&#8217;s take a closer look at each of those in turn &nbsp;\u2013 but first of all, you need to be sure your car is eligible for import in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Eligibility_for_Import\"><\/span><strong>Eligibility for Import<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s important to note that not all cars can be taken into\nthe USA. This is because the United States has its own laws regarding vehicle\nsafety and emissions, and any cars being brought into the country must comply\nwith those laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the case in most countries \u2013 but moving cars between other countries tends to be a bit easier because most national vehicle standards worldwide match those laid down by the United Nations&#8217; World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations. Unfortunately, this is not true of the United States, which means cars manufactured in (for instance) Europe or Japan are built to a different set of standards \u2013 and so are not eligible for US import.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s an exception for cars that are over 25 years old \u2013 and we have written extensively about &#8220;the 25-year rule&#8221; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-25-year-rule\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"here (opens in a new tab)\">here<\/a>. Some more recent cars can also still be imported if you use the services of a Registered Importer \u2013 a company that has been state-certified as being able to adapt a given overseas-built vehicle so that it matches up to US safety and emissions regulations.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for the private individual\nmoving their own vehicle, the rule of thumb is that you can only take a car\ninto the US permanently if it is over 25 years old, or if it was built for the\nUS market in the first place (ie, it&#8217;s an American car).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that we said\n&#8220;permanently&#8221; there. That&#8217;s important because the rules change if you\nare only taking a car into the US temporarily \u2013 defined in this case as meaning\na period of less than a year. In that case, not only does your car not have to\ncomply with US safety and emissions standards, you won&#8217;t have to pay import\nduty on it either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, now that we&#8217;ve established\nwhether your vehicle can legally be imported at all, let&#8217;s look more closely at\nthe taxes and duties involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Import_Duty\"><\/span><strong>Import Duty<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In theory, this is quite simple: the US levies an import tariff on all imported vehicles, based on their value at the time of purchase. This is charged at 0-2.4% for motorcycles, 2.5% for cars, and 25% for trucks and lorries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, this depends on your being able to prove the value of your vehicle when you bought it, so when you go to Customs to collect it, you&#8217;ll need to make sure you have the Bill of Sale with you. Once you&#8217;ve paid the import tariff, you will be given a copy of CBP Form 7501 \u2013 the Customs document confirming that the tariff has been paid. Keep this safe, because you will need to present it when you register and insure the vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s all pretty straightforward, right? It is \u2013 however, there are numerous exceptions that apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where there&#8217;s some good news for our many American customers because if you&#8217;re a US citizen, this tariff can be reduced. It may even be waived altogether \u2013 both for US citizens and for overseas visitors, although this only applies in certain circumstances and a fair degree of jumping through hoops is involved (see &#8216;Free entry&#8217; below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Returning_US_Citizens\"><\/span>Returning US Citizens <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Firstly, all &#8220;returning US citizens&#8221; (anyone who&#8217;s been working, studying or travelling abroad) qualify for an $800 exemption. This isn&#8217;t $800 off the fee payable, but rather a deduction of $800 from the car&#8217;s taxable value, and it applies as long as the vehicle in question&#8230;: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Was purchased while they were overseas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is being shipped into the US at the time of their own return to the country, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is for their personal use (ie, is not used primarily for business purposes, being imported on another&#8217;s behalf or intended for imminent resale).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that if a family group is moving together, with a\nsingle vehicle, each of their $800 exemptions can be applied to the same car.\nBut note, too, that for the purposes of calculating this tariff, the first\n$1,000 of the car&#8217;s value is then taxed at the slightly higher rate of 3%, with\nany remaining value charged at the standard rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things are getting complicated already, so an example may be\nhelpful here\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John, Claire and their daughter have been living in the UK for some time, but are returning home to the States and taking their car with them. The car is eligible for legal US importation and was purchased last year in the UK, for the rather convenient sum of $40,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, 2.5% of $40,000 is $1,000. However, John and Claire won&#8217;t have to pay that much because the import duty is actually calculated based on a reduced value of $37,600 \u2013 that is, $40,000 less the $800 exemption for each of the three family members. The first $1,000 of this figure is charged at 3% ($30) and then the remaining $36,600 is subject to the usual 2.5% tariff, which comes to $915. A reduction of $85.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the good news doesn\u2019t stop there &#8211; used personal effects imported at the same time as your car are duty-free. That means families like John and Claire\u2019s can ship their household belongings without paying extra import tax as long as they have been owned and used for more than 12 months. So if you are also moving other stuff then our sister company 1<sup>st<\/sup>\u00a0Move International can help and offer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipit.co.uk\/removals-to-usa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">weekly international moving services from the UK to the USA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further information on customs and duties for importing personal effects can be found on 1st Move&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipit.co.uk\/customs-guides\/united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">USA Customs Guide here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Free_Entry\"><\/span>Free Entry<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>US military personnel and civilian employees of the US armed forces who are returning from an overseas posting of no less than 140 days \u2013 or 120 days in the case of navy personnel on board a vessel \u2013 and who are bringing a car that they have purchased while overseas back to the States with them, can bring it into the country without paying any import duty, providing they do not sell the car within the next 365 days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Should they decide to sell it within that period, the import duty on the vehicle (calculated as above) must be paid at the nearest Customs &amp; Border Patrol office before the sale is completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Temporary_Visitors\"><\/span>Temporary Visitors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who are bringing a car into the country for a period of fewer than 12 months may also qualify for free entry, providing that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The car is for their personal use, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The car leaves the country when they do.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This rule applies both to US citizens who ordinarily live\noverseas but are returning to the US for a short visit or a temporary work\nposting, and to foreign nationals \u2013 for instance, anyone who&#8217;s coming to the US\nfor a touring holiday in their own vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Non-US citizens will, however, need to prove that their visit is only temporary and that they, therefore, qualify for free entry. This means you will need to obtain Non-Resident Temporary Importation Approval from the Environmental Protection Agency in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Proving Temporary Visitor Status<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>To get the necessary approval, you will need to write to the\nEPA (or email imports@epa.gov) in advance \u2013 ideally at least a month before\nshipping \u2013 clearly stating:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Your full name, address, telephone number and email address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The address, telephone number and email address where you can be contacted during your stay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your vehicle&#8217;s make, model, year of manufacture and Vehicle Identification Number<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your reasons for bringing the car into the country, when it will arrive and when you will be leaving.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This submission must be accompanied by the following\nsupporting documents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Proof of ownership (copies of the logbook and bill of sale)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A copy of the vehicle&#8217;s registration document, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A copy of your passport.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If approval is granted \u2013 a process that can take up to two\nweeks \u2013 you will be sent a Non-Resident Temporary Importation Approval form by\nthe EPA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will then need to present this form at Customs when you\ncollect the vehicle, along with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A completed Environmental Protection Agency declaration form 3520-1 (to confirm that the vehicle conforms to US emissions standards)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A completed Department Of Transporation form HS-7 (the form that certifies your car can be legally imported)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A completed Customs &amp; Border Patrol form 3299. This is the &#8216;Declaration for free entry of unaccompanied vehicles&#8217; and you will need to tick the box for Code &#8216;O&#8217;, &#8220;imported by a non-resident for personal use for a period of one year&#8221;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The bill of lading you were given by your shipping company<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A copy of your passport.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The above forms can be downloaded from the websites of the relevant agencies. As you can see, there are a lot of them to fill in, so we&#8217;d recommend setting aside a full day \u2013 before the car is shipped \u2013 for dealing with all the paperwork and making sure everything&#8217;s in order. As always, professional car shipping companies such as Autoshippers will be happy to help. Feel free to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/contact.htm\">get in contact<\/a> with us for advice or to help with any questions you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Special_Circumstances_%E2%80%93_Show_and_Display\"><\/span>Special Circumstances  &#8211; Show and Display<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The above standard rules for temporary visitors assume that\nthe vehicle is road-legal in the US to start with. But special exemption from\nimport tariffs can also be granted for non-compliant vehicles that are being\nbrought into the US for &#8216;show and display&#8217; purposes, or to take part in motor\nraces, as long as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>they are not going to be driven on public roads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>they will be re-exported within 12 months. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This will only apply in a vanishingly small fraction of cases. If you do happen to need more detailed information on what taking an F1 car or ultra-rare Japanese prototype into the US entails, though, then again you can contact one of our customer advisers who will be happy to help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A far greater proportion of AutoShippers customers, on the\nother hand, will need to take into account the second fee they may have to pay,\non top of the import tariff described above \u2013 the so-called &#8216;gas-guzzler tax&#8217;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gas-Guzzler_Tax\"><\/span><strong>Gas-Guzzler Tax<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As with import tariffs above, let&#8217;s take a quick overview\nhere before we start drilling down into the details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a nutshell: in a bid to reduce air pollution (and,\nlatterly, to minimise CO<sub>2<\/sub> emissions), the United States government\nhas since 1978 applied a levy on vehicles with very low fuel efficiency. For\ncars manufactured and sold in the United States, this tax is paid by the\nmanufacturer, and the customer won&#8217;t even notice. But if you already own such a\nvehicle and are importing it from overseas, you become liable for the tax when\nyou import it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this reason, you will need to complete IRS Form 6197 when you import your car. This can be downloaded from the Inland Revenue Service&#8217;s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news here is that the tax won&#8217;t apply to the vast majority of vehicles as the bar is set at 22.5mpg, which is extremely low compared to the fuel economy of most modern cars. So, if you&#8217;re shipping a typical family saloon or hatchback, you should be golden! You&#8217;ll still need to fill out Form 6197, but you can simply tick the box for Line 1 &#8211; MPG of at least 22.5, in which case the tax payable is 0%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bad news is that cars which fall foul of this requirement\ntend to be top-of-the-range vehicles \u2013 think Ferraris, Bentleys, Aston Martins,\nLamborghinis and Rolls-Royces. And we do actually ship a fair number of such\ncars to the US every year. So if you&#8217;re intending to take such a car to the\nStates, read on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Tell_If_You%E2%80%99re_Liable_for_the_Gas-Guzzler_Tax\"><\/span>How to Tell If You&#8217;re Liable for the Gas-Guzzler Tax<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To find out if this tax applies to you, you will need to visit the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"US Environmental Protection Agency's website (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/fueleconomy\/gas-guzzler-tax#vehicles\" target=\"_blank\">US Environmental Protection Agency&#8217;s website<\/a>, where you can find lists (by model year) of all vehicles manufactured since 1980 that are subject to the tax. Note that vintage cars manufactured before the gas-guzzler tax was introduced are exempt \u2013 as they are from emissions regulations generally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your vehicle is on one of those lists, then you&#8217;re going to have to pay \u2013 and this is a progressive tax, so the poorer the car&#8217;s fuel economy, the more it&#8217;s going to cost you to bring it into the country. The current rates are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>  Average fuel economy (mpg) <\/td><td>  Tax payable <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21.5-22.5<\/td><td> $ 1,000  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20.5-21.5  <\/td><td> $ 1,300 <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19.5-20.5  <\/td><td>  $ 1,700  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18.5-19.5  <\/td><td> $ 2,100  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17.5-18.5  <\/td><td>  $ 2,600  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16.5-17.5  <\/td><td> $ 3,000  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15.5-16.5  <\/td><td>  $ 3,700  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14.5-15.5  <\/td><td>  $ 4,500  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13.5-14.5  <\/td><td>  $ 5,400  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12.5-13.5  <\/td><td>  $ 6,400  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>&lt;12.5 <\/td><td>  $ 7,700  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If those rates seem somewhat punitive\u2026 they&#8217;re supposed to\nbe! The tax is in place specifically to limit the number of inefficient\npolluting vehicles on US roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Determining_The_Fuel_Economy_of_Your_Car\"><\/span>Determining The Fuel Economy of Your Car<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that the gas-guzzler tax is applied based on the fuel\nefficiency of your vehicle as determined by the US Environmental Protection\nAgency, not by the manufacturer. This matters because, while car manufacturers\ntoday are obliged to make such information public \u2013 and, in many countries\nincluding the USA, ensure it&#8217;s displayed on a window sticker \u2013 the figure they\nquote may not be the same as that determined by the EPA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason for this is that the EPA figure reflects the car&#8217;s fuel efficiency as calculated in laboratory tests. First, the car&#8217;s average miles-per-gallon performance is ascertained in both urban and highway conditions, and then a &#8216;combined fuel economy&#8217; is calculated. This is not a simple average of the two but is actually based on the assumption that the average driver will spend 55% of their time driving in built-up areas, and 45% on highways. It is this combined fuel economy that is then used to determine tax liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Manufacturers use exactly the same tests, and use exactly\nthe same formula to work out the car&#8217;s combined fuel economy. But the figure\nthey quote in their literature (and print on those window stickers) is then\nadjusted to take into account the fact that real-world driving is not done\nunder laboratory conditions. Other, external factors such as weather\nconditions, ambient temperature, fuel quality and tire pressures all play a\npart in the fuel economy achieved in the real world, and the manufacturers&#8217;\nfigures reflect this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here&#8217;s the good news: all of those factors reduce fuel\nefficiency: by around 10-20% in the case of city driving, and 20-30% on the\nhighway. What this means is that the combined fuel economy quoted by the manufacturer\nis usually a few MPG lower than the value assumed for tax purposes\u2026 which may\noffer a small glimmer of hope for anyone whose heart sank when reading the\ntable above!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What If No EPA Figure is Available?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The EPA&#8217;s testing procedures are very thorough, but in the\ncase of extremely rare cars, a combined fuel economy figure may not have been\ndetermined. In this instance, your best bet is to contact both the\nEnvironmental Protection Agency and the Inland Revenue Service direct, and ask\ntheir advice. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Next Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By the time you&#8217;ve collected your vehicle from Customs and paid the relevant taxes as outlined above, you should have a completed CBP Form 7501 Entry Summary, confirming that the import tariff on your vehicle has been paid. You should also have copies of NHSTA Form HS-7 and EPA Form 3520-1 (declaring that your vehicle is compliant with emissions regulations), and you will have completed IRS Form 6197 to satisfy the gas-guzzler tax requirements. Make sure you retain all of this paperwork because you&#8217;ll need it when you come to register and insure the vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you qualified for free entry under the Temporary\nVisitors&#8217; exception, you will also have a completed CBP Form 3299. Again, keep\nhold of this \u2013 in fact, it&#8217;s a good idea to keep it with you at all times. Not\nonly will you need this for insurance purposes, having it to hand will make\nyour life a lot easier if you&#8217;re stopped by the police. We&#8217;re very used to\nseeing cars with European plates here in the UK, but over in the US, the same\ndoes not apply, and a vehicle sporting British plates is quite likely to\nattract attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_Any_of_These_Charges_Subject_to_Change\"><\/span><strong>Are Any of These Charges Subject to Change?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All of the above reflects the situation at time of writing.\nBut nothing stays the same forever, and while the processes outlined aren&#8217;t\nlikely to change, the numbers involved might.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years there has been much international wrangling regarding import tariffs between Europe and the US. In 2018, for instance, President Donald Trump threatened to raise the import tariff on European cars to 20% \u2013 although since the European Union said that it would simply respond in kind, that idea seems to have died a death. Trade agreements between the US and Europe are, however, subject to ongoing negotiations \u2013 and of course, just to complicate matters, the United Kingdom is in the process of leaving the EU, which means a new set of terms will need to be negotiated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naturally, this is a situation we are monitoring closely, and we will update the information on this website as and when things change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re taking a car into the United States and choose AutoShippers to ship it for you, we will always strive to be clear and upfront with you regarding all costs involved. Not just our own prices, but any other costs that you&#8217;ll incur, such as port fees and customs clearance charges. Many of these [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[28,30,105,35,56],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Find out if you have to pay import tax when shipping a car to the USA and how much it costs, as well as information on exemptions, gas guzzler tax and more.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"-1317\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/importing-a-car-into-the-usa-taxes-duties-explained\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taxes &amp; Duties Explained | Importing a car to the USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Find out if you have to pay import tax when shipping a car to the USA and how much it costs. 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