Okay, when you place your order, you give the address, where you like to have the papers sent to. About 3 to 4 weeks after you ordered the car (about one week after the ship left Nagoya) you get to this address the Bill of Lading and other papers like the inspection from JAAI, technical details of the car. When you sign in on their web site you can follow the state of order. After shioment you can follow every day on a map, where the ship is. When you got the papers you fly to Dar, give the papers and a copy of your passport to the agent, after he made the calculation you give him the money, he pays (you get a detailed bil from the Tax department, that you can follow your payments) and about one or two day after the ship arrived you can drive your car. You need for the TRA a Tanzania address, can be the hotel where you stay, but write only the address, with your name, don't mention "Hotel" or so (but the aget can gibe advise). About payment it is rough and ready the same amount which is on your Invoice. For our surf (Invoice 6,000 USD) it is 9,1 Mill. TZS. Sounds difficult, but it isn't. If you like, we give you the contanct to an agent. Only thing you have to know (but I mentioned it before), when you like to go to Kenya you have to give your original - registration card to the border authorities, you get a receit and your card back when you come to TZ again. But it has to be the same border post. Tell the agent he should make at TRA a certified copy and keep the original only for this purpose. I wish you the best for your journey.
Johannes
In case anyone is following, we have made some progress. We purchased a 2002 Toyota Hilux Surf through Trust (japanesevehicles.com) We paid $7100.00 USD including the shipping and inspection and have received notice the car will be shipped on June 22nd, estimated to arrive Aug 1. Payment can be made by bank transfer or paypal. The agent fees to receive the car, pay import duty and register are about $7300.00. Perhaps we are overcharged for that part? Anyway, so far we are happy with the service. I will continue to update.
Edited by: klcinaz
Congratulation. We got our Surf and paid duty (invoice was USD 6,000 straight) 9,1 Mio TZS (I don't know, why you got a USD invoice from the TZ agent). Anyway enjoy your car and a thrilling journey.
Johannes
Johannes, we are in Dar now and the agent has sent my husband a "revised" invoice for the car. He said the import tax went from 20-25%. Are you familiar with this? We paid 7100 USD total to purchase the car and shipping. the original estimate including registration was $7300. The total he is asking for now is $8300 ( converted from shillings) which is more than we expected. Do you think we are getting taken advantage of? I can get the itemized details a bit later if you have time to look it over. We are fresh in country and it is hard to know if he is being honest.
Thanks for your help.
Kelly
Hi Kelly, yes it is true, that the iumport tax went in the last session of the parliament about one month ago from 20 to 25 %. I can look over it, I wrote you once that we paid for our Surf (bill 6,000 USD) 9,1 Million altogether. But this was before the new tax. It can be that the agent take a higher share, but what I think (but I didn't see the bill he gave you) it is about 500 USD overpriced (for my feeling). When you see the amount in USD for our car (roughly 5,700 USD tax for 6,000 USD car), which is about 95% of the Japaneses price, and for your car , which is about 103% of the Japanese invoice, it can be, that he charge a big payment for himself.
I wrote once that I was surprised that you got an invoice in USD. But I'm sorry, you will have now no big choice, you only can negociate with the forwarder, because the job is over already.
But for sure I look over it to see, why it is so high. The good thing is, that when you sell the car, you will get also more money.
Johannes
I am relieved to here about the tax increase although it means more money out of pocket initially. I have attached the estimate. Please tell me if anything looks too high. Many many thanks!!
Please find the estimated cost for the said consignment; Used HILUX SURF, CIF $7100; 2700cc; Year 2001; NOTE: Estimates based on the INVOICE price i.e. $7100.
Item
Base
Rate
Amount
A: Duties and taxes:
1
Import Duty
$7100
25%
$1775
2
EXA(Dumping fees)
($7100+$1775)
25%
$2,218.75
3
Excise Duty
($710017752218.75)
10%
$1109.375
4
VAT
($7100$1775+2218.75$1109.375)
18%
$2196.5625
Total taxes and duties in US Dollar
$7,299.6875
Total taxes and duties in Tanzanian Shilling (exchange rate 1630 per 1US $)
11,898,490
B: Other charges:
1
REGISTRATION,PLATES&FIRE
480,000
2
Port charges (Estimates) THIS IS ONLY DUE IF WE DO NOT PICK UP THE CAR IN TIME.
850,000
3
Shipping Line delivery order fee(Estimates)
130,000
4
Agency fees
200,000
Grand Total
13,558,490
Hi Kelly, I see the invoice now. My problem is, to give it to our forwarder in Dar. But what is the problem, I see, that if you do not pay immidiately they let the car in the harbour. And then you have not only to pay the storing (which is expensive as you can see), als the possibility, that things are stolen is great. What is wondering is, that almost everything is in USD, but the invoices from TRA are all in TZS. And the exchange rate is written there on the invoices. But also I see, that all the import taxes are 7,300 USD, which is okay. So with all other fees including agency fees I come to an amount of 7,800 USD. A shipping line delivery fee I never heard of. And the harbour charges you have not to pay, because now that the fees can be paid in advance a car never is longer then one week (this is free) in the harbour. So this 850,000 have to be reduced from the roughly 13,500,000 TZS.
You have at present little chance to avoid to pay the invoice, but I send you a copy of our latest invoice from June. Please give me a mail address, mine is oh I don't know, whether it is allowed or not. But to give me yours is allowed. And tell the company, that the port charge is only, when they don't pay in time. At least the agency fee is not sooo high.
Hope, I've been able to help you.
Johannes
According to the agent the car cannot be released until the appraisal is done. The appraisal could not be submitted until we got our TIN which just happened Friday. the agent believes it will take 5 days and with the holidays coming up there may be issues. I would appreciate seeing your invoice. You can send to: klcinaz@yahoo.com
Thank you once again.
Kelly
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