No "ask us for a quote". Here are the four blocks that make up the final price, how each tax is calculated, and a complete example with figures.
Almost every miscalculation comes from mixing them up. They are these:
| Block | Who it is paid to | Does it carry IVA? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The car | To the German seller, directly | Already included in his price |
| 2. Transport + insurance | To the transport company | Included (≈€1,300) |
| 3. Taxes and fees | To the Spanish state | No — these are suplidos, sums advanced on your behalf |
| 4. Cost of the service | To whoever handles the process | +21 % IVA |
This is the one that varies most and the one that is worst estimated. It depends on the vehicle's CO₂ emissions, not on its purchase price:
| CO₂ (g/km, WLTP) | IEDMT rate |
|---|---|
| Under 120 | 0 % |
| 120 to 159 | 4,75 % |
| 160 to 199 | 9,75 % |
| 200 or more | 14,75 % |
A detail almost nobody mentions. Before the rate is applied, indirect taxes are deducted from the taxable base (art. 69 of Ley 38/1992). That is why the effective percentage on the value of the car comes out lower than the nominal one: around 3,8 % in the 4,75 % band, 7,5 % in the 9,75 % band and 10,9 % in the 14,75 % band. Our calculator already applies this; a calculation done with the bare nominal rate comes out between 25 and 30 % above the real figure.
An electric car or a plug-in hybrid with CO₂ ≤ 50 g/km is taxed at 0 %. A large diesel at 210 g/km, at 14,75 %. Between two cars of similar price the difference can be several thousand euros on this line alone.
On top of that, the Comunidad Valenciana may apply reference values above the general table. That is why any figure you see before having the ficha técnica — the vehicle's technical data sheet — of the specific car is an estimate, ours included.
It is municipal and annual. It does not depend on the price or on CO₂ but on the caballos fiscales (CVF), the fiscal horsepower rating. In the Dénia area and around it, it runs at roughly €90–200 per year for an ordinary passenger car. It is the only item on the list that comes back every year.
Fixed and known: €99.77. It does not depend on the car.
A lot of money is lost here through misinformation:
A 2023 petrol passenger car, 130 g/km of CO₂, 12 CVF, bought from a German dealer and brought to the Costa Blanca:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Car (paid to the seller directly) | €35,000 |
| Transport + insurance | €1,300 |
| State taxes (IEDMT + IVTM + tasa DGT) | ≈ €1,850 |
| Turnkey service | €1,750 |
| IVA 21 % (on the service only) | €367.50 |
| Total turnkey, registered | ≈ €40,270 |
That same car, at that age and that mileage, normally sits between €44,000 and €47,000 at a Spanish dealer. That is the margin that justifies the whole process — and that is why importing an €8,000 runabout rarely pays off: the fixed costs do not fall in proportion.
From booking to Spanish plates, the usual span is 3 to 5 weeks: sourcing and verification, transport (7–10 days from Germany), the ITV de importación — the technical inspection for imported vehicles — homologación (Spanish type approval) if needed, and registration with the DGT.
The final price is four blocks: the car (paid to the German seller directly), transport with insurance (≈€1,300), the Spanish taxes (IEDMT according to CO₂, municipal IVTM and the tasa DGT of €99.77) and the cost of the service with its 21 % IVA. On a €35,000 car the turnkey total is around €40,000.
A rate is applied according to CO₂ emissions — 0 % below 120 g/km, 4,75 % from 120 to 159, 9,75 % from 160 to 199 and 14,75 % from 200 upwards — but not on what you pay for the car: on its valor venal, the price of the model when it was new, depreciated according to the tax office's official table by age.
No, if it is a used vehicle bought from a German professional seller with the VAT already charged there. Yes, 21 %, if for tax purposes it counts as new: less than six months old or under 6,000 km driven.
No. Germany belongs to the European Union, so there is no customs clearance and no duty. There is for vehicles arriving from outside the EU, such as the United States or Japan.
Between three and five weeks from booking to Spanish plates: verification, transport of seven to ten days, ITV de importación, homologación where applicable and registration with the DGT.
Normally no. Transport, taxes and handling do not fall in proportion to the price of the car, so on vehicles below around €12,000 the saving is almost entirely eaten up. The model works well from the mid range upwards.
Already found a listing? Send us the link and we will send back the turnkey breakdown for that specific car, with the IEDMT calculated on its ficha técnica. You can also try the calculator on the home page.
Guidance information for general purposes, updated in 2026. It does not constitute tax advice; the final amounts depend on each vehicle and on the competent authority.
→ Step-by-step paperwork and documents
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