Do parallel imported vehicles still require tax payment?
1 Answers
Parallel imported vehicles are subject to taxes. Whether it's a parallel imported vehicle or an agent-imported vehicle, tariffs, value-added tax, and consumption tax must be paid. Overall, even the better parallel imported vehicles tend to be more expensive than their domestically produced counterparts of the same grade. Below are the advantages of parallel imported vehicles: 1. Significant price advantage. Parallel imported vehicles bypass sales channels such as general distributors, regional dealers, and 4S stores, eliminating many intermediate steps. Additionally, parallel import dealers have more freedom in pricing as they are not restricted by manufacturers, leading to substantial price discounts. Typically, parallel imported vehicles are 10%~20% cheaper than their China-spec counterparts. 2. Model and delivery time advantage. Sometimes, when new vehicles are launched overseas, they may not be immediately available in China due to manufacturers' strategic planning or domestic certification issues. However, parallel imported vehicles have a natural advantage in this regard—they can be freely sourced overseas and then shipped to China for sale, significantly reducing waiting times for new models. 3. More diverse model configurations. Another advantage of parallel imported vehicles is the ability to purchase overseas models not available in China. Generally, to align with the Chinese market positioning strategy, manufacturers make certain adjustments or modifications when importing overseas models to China. In contrast, parallel imported vehicles are directly sourced from regions like North America and the Middle East, and their configurations may differ from China-spec models. For example, the Mercedes-Benz GL350 diesel version is not sold in domestic Mercedes-Benz 4S stores, but it can be purchased through parallel imports. 4. Special models/luxury sports cars. Additionally, some luxury sports cars, pickup trucks, or RV models not yet available in China can also be purchased through parallel import dealers. 5. Factory-modified models. There are also factory-modified models that are unlikely to be available domestically. When purchasing such vehicles, it's important to verify that the modifications are factory-original and not done by the dealer. 6. Optimized delivery process. Except for overseas models not yet introduced to China, most vehicles can be delivered immediately after completing the necessary procedures. If the procedures are not fully completed, the longest waiting time is typically around one month.
