Duty and VAT on imports from Korea

What the charge is calculated on

The base is not the price the car was bought at. The base is the customs value: the price of the car plus freight and insurance to the EU border.

Duty of 10% for passenger cars is applied to that value. VAT of 20% is then applied to the value including the duty — tax on a sum that already contains tax.

A worked example

Round numbers, so the mechanics are visible:

Car in Korea

€15,000

Freight and insurance to the EU

€2,000

Customs value

€17,000

Duty at 10%

€1,700

VAT base

€18,700

VAT at 20%

€3,740

Total to the state

€5,440

What comes after customs

Duty and VAT are not the last expense. After clearance there is transport to Bulgaria if the car landed at another port, the roadworthiness test, registration and fees.

That is why the catalogue price is a turnkey figure: it contains all of the above. Quoting the car alone sounds better and answers a different question than the one you asked.

Electric and hybrid cars

The customs rate for passenger cars is the same whatever drives them. The difference arrives later, at registration and in local taxation, where electric and hybrid cars often sit in a more favourable band.

That moves with legislation, so do not treat it as guaranteed — it is checked at the time of import.

Company or private buyer

A VAT-registered company can usually reclaim the import VAT where the car is used for the business. For a private buyer, VAT is a final cost.

On the €15,000 example that is a difference of close to €3,700. If you have a company, say so before we calculate.

FAQ

Is duty 10% on every car?

For passenger cars the rate is 10%. Other vehicle categories can differ — it is checked against the specific tariff code.

Can I pay the VAT later?

No. Import VAT is due at clearance. Deferral exists only under special schemes for companies.

Does the age of the car change the duty?

Not the rate. It changes the customs value, which is the base the rate is applied to.