All imported goods to Ethiopia are subjected to customs duties and taxes, unless exempted by law. Taxes applicable on imported goods are; Excise Tax, Value Added Tax, Sur Tax and withholding tax. The rates differ according to the type of the good.
Duty is tariff collected on the value of the good calculated on the basis of its actual total costs. It is levied in accordance with the rules of the international convention on the harmonized customs description and coding system. Sur-tax applies on all imported goods, except those exempted by the Council of Ministers Regulation No. 133/2007 at 10 percent rate. Excise tax is paid on imported goods with a percentage rate ranging from 0 to as high as 100. VAT on imported goods is a flat rate of 15 %. A 3 percent withholding tax applies also on imported goods. These taxes are calculated based on the cost and freight rate. But the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority provides its own CD with details on prices on various goods. The rate is usually calculated as per the price on the CD.This CD is to be updated every three months.
Some imported goods are restricted and require the importer to secure permission from the competent authority.
Here is Duty and taxes applicable on some of major import goods in Ethiopia:
