Landed-cost calculator

Do the sums

Enter a winning auction bid and the car’s year. We’ll add shipping, duty, VAT, approval or MOT, registration and plates — the same sum we use for the price guide — and show every line.

Your car

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The figures shown are a worked example for a car bought for ¥1,000,000 and first registered in 2016. The method is explained below the calculator.

Price entered in

Japanese yen (¥)

Pounds (£)

Winning auction bid in yen

The hammer price at auction, before fees. Numbers only, e.g. 1,000,000.

Year of first registration

Cars under 10 years old need a vehicle approval test; older cars need an MOT.

Import duty

0% — with proof of Japanese origin Usual for cars built in Japan, with the right paperwork.

10% — without proof of origin The standard rate if origin can’t be shown.

Use historic vehicle rates if the car is 30 or more years old

0% duty and 5% VAT. Only for unmodified vehicles; HMRC conditions apply.

Service fee in pounds (optional)

If we’ve quoted you a fee, add it here. It’s added after the contingency.

Change the exchange rate

Yen to the pound

We use £1 = ¥208.33, the rate on 2 October 2026. Banks and transfer services usually give a little less.

Worked example

Estimated landed cost

about £10,350 Estimate

A car bought for ¥1,000,000, first registered in 2016, with 0% duty. Rounded to the nearest £50.

Line-by-line estimate
Item	Amount
Car — winning bid ¥1,000,000 at £1 = ¥208.33	£4,800
Japan-side costs Auction fees, transport to the port, export paperwork — ¥128,000	£614
Sea shipping and insurance Japan to a UK port	£1,800
Customs value Car, Japan-side costs and shipping	£7,214
Import duty 0% — with proof of Japanese origin	£0
Import VAT 20% of customs value plus duty	£1,443
UK port handling and customs clearance	£450
MOT and modifications Car is about 10 years old	£450
First registration fee	£55
Number plates and preparation	£250
Contingency 5% of everything above	£493
Estimated landed cost	£10,355
Service fee	£0
Total including service fee	£10,355

Without proof of origin (10% duty) this would be about £11,250.

Not included: insurance, vehicle tax, fuel, and repairs or upgrades beyond basic preparation — or our service fee, unless you add it above.

The method

How the sum works

Car and Japan-side costs. The winning bid plus auction fees, transport to the port and export paperwork (¥128,000), converted to pounds at £1 ≈ ¥208 (2 October 2026).
Shipping. Add sea shipping and insurance to the UK (£1,800). Car, Japan-side costs and shipping together make the customs value.
Import duty. 0% of the customs value with proof of Japanese origin, or 10% without.
Import VAT. 20% of the customs value plus duty.
UK costs. Port handling and clearance (£450); a vehicle approval test and modifications for cars under 10 years old (£900) or an MOT and modifications for older cars (£450); first registration (£55); number plates and preparation (£250).
Contingency. 5% on top of everything, for the unexpected.

Historic vehicles. Unmodified cars 30 or more years old may qualify for 0% duty and 5% VAT. HMRC conditions apply, so we check each car before relying on it.

Not sure what a car sells for at auction? Browse the price guide for typical landed costs by model, generation and mileage.

Want a proper figure?

Tell us the car you have in mind and we’ll come back with a written price check — real auction results, our fee and a quote.

Ask us to price a car