Car alarm duty in The Bahamas 2026-2027: 45%
The charge on car alarm in The Bahamas for 2026-2027 is 45% excise duty (tariff code 8512.3020); the Tariff Act's customs duty on the line is free, so the excise duty is the charge that matters. There is no environmental levy on this item. On top of that, every import pays a processing fee of 1% of the value (at least $10.00, at most $1,000.00) and 10% VAT on the landed cost, which includes the freight.
What car alarm bought for $150 pays at Customs
Bought online and shipped by courier with $15.00 freight paid to the courier. The courier files the C18A parcel list and collects this from you, with its own handling fee on top. Type your own price into the card and the figures follow.
- Dutiable value
- $150.00
- Duty at 45%
- $67.50
- $10.00
- Environmental levy
- None
- Freight
- $15.00
- Landed cost
- $242.50
- VAT, 10% of landed cost
- $24.25
- Paid to Customs68% of the price
- $101.75
Freight paid to your courier is not dutiable, but it joins the landed cost that VAT is charged on.
The same car alarm at three prices
Duty and VAT scale with the price, but the processing fee has a $10 floor and a $1,000 ceiling, so the share of the price that goes to Customs settles once the fee is past its floor. Freight is taken as 10% of the price, with a $15 minimum.
| Price paid | Duty | Fee | Levy | VAT | To Customs | Of the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $80 (low) | $36.00 | $10.00 | None | $14.10 | $60.10 | 75% |
| $150 (typical) | $67.50 | $10.00 | None | $24.25 | $101.75 | 68% |
| $450 (high) | $202.50 | $10.00 | None | $70.75 | $283.25 | 63% |
Tariff code 8512.3020: the Act’s line for car alarm
Sound signalling equipment for vehicles of headings 87.01 to 87.05. The Tariff Act marks line 8512.3020 as subject to excise duty: the customs duty on it is free and the 45% excise rate shown here is the one the Customs Department publishes in its booklet of frequently imported items. The code and description are from the schedule to the Tariff Act 2023, as amended by the Tariff (Amendment) Acts of 2024, 2025 and 2026 and in force from 1 July 2026.
Alarms for motor vehicles are free of customs duty under the Act, with excise charged instead; the booklet gives 45%.
How car alarm compares with the other items
This guide covers 27 vehicles and parts: none duty free, and rates run from 5% to 85% on bus, over 10 passengers. At 45%, car alarm sits in the middle of the category: 13 vehicles and parts pay less and 9 pay more. Across all 244 items with a percentage rate, 198 carry a lower rate and 15 a higher one. The most common rate is 0%, charged on 95 items.
Questions about car alarm and Bahamas Customs
Is car alarm duty free in The Bahamas?
No. The duty rate on car alarm is 45%, charged on the price you paid.
How much will Customs charge if I buy car alarm for $150?
About $101.75, which is 68% of the price: $67.50 duty, $10.00 processing fee, $0.00 levy and $24.25 VAT, with $15.00 freight paid to the courier.
How is VAT worked out on car alarm?
VAT is 10% of the landed cost: the value plus freight plus duty plus the processing fee plus any levy. In the example that is 10% of $242.50, or $24.25. VAT is charged even when the item is duty free.
Can I bring car alarm in my luggage without paying?
Residents may bring in $500 of dutiable goods twice a calendar year and visitors $100 per trip, declared on the C17 in the Exempt app. Anything above the allowance pays 45% duty on the excess, with no processing fee on accompanied baggage.
Is 45% a high duty rate for The Bahamas?
Yes, it is near the top: of the 244 items in this guide with a percentage rate, 198 are charged less than car alarm and 15 more. The most common rate is 0%, and 95 items are duty free.