Duty Rates On Vehicles In The Bahamas

A vehicle is probably the most complicated item to determine the duty rate for in The Bahamas. The government classifies vehicles into various groups and determines their duty rate by their price, type (hybrid, electric, gas), age, weight, condition and use.

In this article I’ll share as much information as possible to help you determine the duty rate for the vehicle you want to import into The Bahamas. In a few cases you wouldn’t have to worry about the duty rate because there may be an exemption in place that covers your scenario. See section below on vehicle exemptions.

In The Bahamas, duty rates for vehicles range from 10% to 85%. In addition to the duty rate, you should also consider other customs related taxes and fees such as VAT which is currently 10% and environmental levy which may be a fixed amount or percentage. I go into a little more detail about enivronmental levies below.

The following table will give you a general idea of what the duty rates are by vehicle type.

Environmental Levies On Vehicles

In addition to the duty rate which is based on the value of the vehicle there is usually an environmental levy. In The Bahamas, the environmental levy for vehicles can be a fixed amount or a percentage.

In most cases the environmental levy will be $250 or more if it’s a fixed amount and when it is percentage based, it usually 20% of the landed cost.

Vehicle Exemptions

There are a couple instances where vehicles are exempt from customs duty. One is for religious organizations purchasing church buses. According to Bahamas Customs buses not more than eight years old that are used by religious organizations exclusively are exempt once every five years with prior approval of the Minister.

In another situation, residents returning to The Bahamas to stay who have been absent for two consecutive years or more are exempt from customs duty for vehicles up to a limit of $30,000 in the follow cases:

• Now retired
• Were working full-time for some of the time that they were absent
• Had been in post-secondary school full-time during some point of their absence

Also note that this vehicle customs exemption is only available once every 5 years and you must have been a permanent resident or citizen before leaving the country to qualify.

Duty Rate On Vehicle Parts

Closely related to duty rates on vehicles are the rates on their parts. In general, you can expect car parts to be 60%. Other part types may have a more specific classification and corresponding duty rate. In those cases the duty rate is often 45%.