www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Does anyone know the costs involved in shipping down a used car to CR. I am almost sure that it would have to be shipped by Sea? Dont know wher to even start checking? Anyone with the knowledge or has had the experience with this give us some info please?

five-0

The cost to have it shipped here is nothing compared to the taxes you will have to pay to drive it legally in Costa Rica...or even to pick it up at the port. Depending on the age of the car, you will pay 52 to 79% of the value of the car (Costa Rica value) in addition to several other taxes/fees. In the end, you will most likely end up paying more than the value of the car. Here is a decent link that discusses it.
http://wheelscr.com/2011/import-duties-costa-rica-cars/

_________________
The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

Check the average taxes due for the car you want to bring down.
http://www.hacienda.go.cr/autohacienda/autovalor.aspx
I checked for older Jeeps and my reatta and citations, RVs etc...many older vehicles are 5-1100... which wouldn't be bad on a good condition older vehicle....and perfect if you can fix it yourself....

70's rust free 4x4 jeep Wagoneer with a 6 cyl would be perfect.

Here are the taxes for a 1986 wagoneer 4x2
1979 Valor Hacienda 600,000 Valor Importación 276,000
Valor Importación s/Decreto Nº 33096-H-MINAE-MOPT 276,000


Looks to me to be about $550 (but I don't read Spanish)

Determinar el Valor
Clase: 30676 Marca:JEEP Estilo:WAGONEER
Año:1986 Combustible:GASOLINA Cabina:CABINA SENCILLA
Cilindrada:2500 Tracción:4X2 Extras:ESTANDAR
Carroceria:TODO TERRENO 4 PUERTAS Techo: DURO Transmisión:MANUAL
Año Valor Hacienda Valor Importación Valor Importación s/Decreto Nº 33096-H-MINAE-MOPT
1986 1,660,000 763,600 763,600
1985 1,440,000 662,400 662,400
1984 1,240,000 570,400 570,400
1983 1,070,000 492,200 492,200
1982 930,000 427,800 427,800
1981 800,000 368,000 368,000
1980 690,000 317,400 317,400
1979 600,000 276,000 276,000
1
Atrás

On an unrelated topic, does anyone know how to convey to Fitty, in a courteous and genteel manner...

DO NOT BUY A HO A CAR!!!

I have to? She said she needs a car to take the bebes to school around the corner!

First she wanted a BMW M3!

Now she wants a 2000 Toyota for $6,000.00 or she will just die!
I have never seen her drive in 4 years! I dont think she has a CR license?

LOL!

Im looking around in the Walmart toy department for a remote controlled BMW to take down there on my next trip!

Im paying up my life insurance in the US and looking for some coverage in CR!

she gonna kill me!

LOL!

fifthy

Im cool. Fitty aint lost his mind! no need to preoccupes por me! Are you kidding?

No really I am interested in why the used cars are so expsensive down there. I have seen the soap painted prices in the windows of the cras they try to sell.

Are they smoking crack or what?

They are selling our old US used cars (prolly flood cars) and marking up the price like 100 % after pouring transmission fluid in the moter and a simple detailing!

The used cars appear to be shit. I would like to have a car there one day but I would like to buy it in the US and ship it or deliver it there someway.

Maybe on a 18 wheeler. Convoy!

"Smokey and el Bandido"

anybody want to ride wit me?

51 - 1 = fitty

I have commented on my experience with this in previous threads... but too lazy to find them now.

I have a 2007 Ford Expedition King Ranch Edition that I drove for less than 4 months before taking a full time job in Costa Rica in June 2006. My car is free and clear and has less than 3,000 miles.

To ship the car to Costa Rica was about $700.

Taxes were about $48,000! They charge about 80% tax on the value they tell you the car is worth.

A couple of weeks ago a friend in Playas del Coco brought in a 2009 Tahoe but took the wheels off and took out the passenger seat... wrapped those in plastic and put inside the car. He was charged about 25% tax compared to the 80% previously quoted. I cannot confirm if this is correct, it would be best to consult a Costa Rican lawyer if this is correct and how to truly go about it.

My experience living here has lead me to believe the best option is to keep and open eye on Craig's List for gringo leaving the country and looking to fire sale their vehicles prior to leaving the country.

I have to run out the door for a lunch meeting, PM or respnod if oyu need more info

Thank you my friend. That clears up a lot of questions. More tico screwing consumers in the kester looks like to me. That's CRAZY. 48,000.00 on a clear title vehicle!

From what I have seen watching posts for the last 3 yrs , the suggestion to watch for a Gringo returning to the States is your best option. No transport fees or sales tax. I don't know what would be involved when you transfer the title. If you end up doing this, let everyone know how it goes. Might be something I would consider down the road. Would still take the bus or Taxi most of the time, just use the vehicle when I traveled to the beaches or remote parts of Costa Rica.

Transferring a car to a new owner is a very simple procedure. You go to an attorney (buyer pays the fee so he gets to choose the attorney but the fee is pretty standard) who draws up the paperwork, you pay for the car, the owner hands over the keys, you drive away and about 10 days later the attorney will have the title in your name. Just sold a car last week.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Why not just drive it? I have known people who took their rv's to Argentina from the states. The worlds longest road goes from Alaska to the tip of south America and goes right through San Jose. It's us1, I'm not sure what it is in CR but there is no reason why u couldn't drive. It's got to be cheaper than shipping it on a boat and im sure much cheaper than a truck at $2+ a mile.

What kind of cars & prices, Fifty? Were these cars on lots or being sold privately? A couple of years ago, a buddy of mine was considering buying a 1995 Land Rover with a $10,000 asking price. It was a gringo in San Jose trying to sell it.

Just sayin' - CR collects almost nothing in either real estate taxes or income taxes - its a fact - most of their income comes from the 13% "sales tax" and import duties (Interesting, the USA recorded surpluses up until WW1 based mostly on tariffs - no income tax until 1914 (?)

So they need a way to fund their government and one way is through high import taxes - yes, its a ridiculous amount to pay and I'd look at buying a car locally vs shipping one down.

DDream.....sounds good, but driving from the USA is a really bad idea for many reasons - safety being among the main ones. And what are you "saving"? The $700 - 1000 shipping costs - once its landed in CR, you still have to pay the import duties.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

The Import Taxes! Thanks scuba! Knowing is half the game.
Shipping one! Out! Driving one down! Out!
Buying one across the border en Panama, Colombia, or Nicaraugua! Out!

I know what I'm gonna do.
I'm gonna buy a slightly used, 223,000.4 mile, 1990 3 door red hyundai accel for $13,350.00 I am.

Then I'm going to park my hyandi accel in one those fancy parking lots between crumbling buildings they have downtown because you cant hardly park on any freakin screet en el centro de San Jose! Puta Madre! Shit!

fifthy

I know a dude that took a Ferry from Tampa to Mexico, then drove to CR and then back up to Hondo for awhile in his truck.

I have a junky, but great mechanically, Nissan pickup and Central Americans keep knocking on my door wanting to buy it. No kidding! They all tell me they want to drive it home e.g. Mexico, El Sal, Hondo, Guatemala, Nicaragua etc. Oh one Panamanian. They even leave notes on the window!

Now they are all natives so maybe they don't have to pay those fees.