Help! Departmento de Hacienda

OK, so obviously I am a pretty patient guy...

I guess by the plethora of replies (snarky, snark, snark) that anybody that imports Anything into PR is in for one huge surprize, both in red tape and $$$.

So, I ask, just to make it easy, should I expect 25%, 50% or ?? I really am trying to get an handle on this without much luck.

I've tried 3 different shipping cos. and they can't even give me a straight answer on what I can or cannot bring in the first place, much less what the tariff might be.

Estoy por la luna.

Sorry Rob, can't help you with this one. I never shipped a vehicle to the island.
Are you going to be on the island before you plan to ship your bike and trailer? In that case a visit to Hacienda in OSJ may be the way to go..

Hi, Rob. I shipped a vehicle and I posted on the procedure ad nauseum on several other threads. I do not think I ever discussed the actual tax rate, but that rate is basically irrelevant for your estimation-of-costs purposes because Hacienda will more than likely over-value whatever vehicle you import. With the unknown over-valuation, knowing the actual tax rate is mostly meaningless. (The rate may have changed since I imported the vehicle as well.)

I did provide an example of value vs. tax, if that is at all helpful. 

It's the procedure that is absolutely crucial to understand and I lay it out step-by-step. Don't miss any steps! Good luck.

This is my second post on this today since my puter decided to hang up. Anyway, thanks NL for the input, did not find the threads of which you spoke.
I did catch a blog from a guy back in '95 that was affiliated with the Observatory and wrote at length about what to expect.

I guess what I am trying to do is determine if it makes economical sense for me to try to bring over a $15,000 camper if it's going to be taxed at $5,000 or More!
I just don't know and even accessing the DDH site again and trying different combos of input, blanko on results.

So, Gary, I may have to do what you suggest. I'll need to get my belongings to FL and make a base there. That way by making several cheap trips over and back I may be able to lock down what the best thing for me to do is.

It's silly, though, cause FL is gonna get more money from this than PR, even with the trips and tax factored in. It may delay my moving 6 months or more.
Who wins with this?
Muy algarete.

Hi, DocRob:

I wrote this about two years ago and I'm not sure if anything has changed in the meantime:

"I shipped a car from Atlanta a few months ago, or rather, I drove the car to the port at Jacksonville and shipped it from there, then caught a flight from JAX.  I shipped it with Crowley for approximately $1,200 and it arrived in four days.  I have no complaints about Crowley. 

Make sure you have at least a photocopy of clear title with you when you drop off the car for shipping. If the title is not clear, then you'll need an affidavit from the holder of the title granting you permission to ship the vehicle.

Also, make sure you keep all of the paperwork that Crowley gives you and make sure that the Bill of Lading is filled out properly. It is best to put yourself down as being the consignee of the shipment in addition to being the consignor. Otherwise, when you go to pay your import duty (which must be paid before you can drive your car out of the port), they will screw up your paperwork so that when you eventually get a Puerto Rico title for your car, it will include whoever else you listed as a consignee (like a local contact or whomever) as being a co-owner.

Be prepared to pay import duty here in Puerto Rico. Like most bureaucratic exercises in Puerto Rico, it is a much more complicated process then need be. (1) You have to go to the port with your paperwork. There, (2) you must clear some paperwork with your shipper. Then (3) you have to take this paperwork to the tax authority counter there in the port, where they will determine the import duty you will owe. Inconceivably, you cannot pay your import duty with these tax authorities in the port, so (4) you must take the paperwork that you just received from the tax personnel at the port with you to another tax office in San Juan (there are at least two that I know of) and pay it there.  (5) You must return with your receipt to the tax authorities in the port and present it to them. Then they will authorize you to (6) go back to the shipper and actually retrieve your car. (7) You will then have a limited time to register your vehicle in Puerto Rico and receive a Puerto Rico title. These steps must be followed in precise sequential order.

Inexplicably, you must have your car registered in Puerto Rico before you can have it insured, so the moment you drive it out of the port your vehicle will be uninsured until you have it registered and subsequently insured. Registration cost me about $130+. The only exception to this is if your US-based insurance policy will cover the vehicle in PR. I would call to verify because few US-based insurance companies (if any) do so.

Keep in mind that the tax authorities will over-value your car so your tax basis will be much higher than you would otherwise anticipate. I paid $1,400 in import duties on a ten year old car."

You must register your car at the designated registration center depending on where you live. The pertinent list is available on the website you reference. You need to bring all of the documents the tax authorities gave to you when you paid your import taxes to the registration center. There is a separate line for those who are registering a car and getting plates for the first time. There is a mandatory $100 charge for the statewide insurance pool that is in addition to the registration fees. I believe the registration office required two forms of ID for me to register the car as well the car's title. I used my driver's license and passport."

I moved here in September and brought over my 2003 Subaru Outback. The blue book value on the car was about $7000, and it is not in excellent condition. I also had problems finding out before hand what my import tax would be for the car but figured around $1200. However, to my dismay,the PR tax authorities put the value of my car at >$10,000 so my import tax was actually just under $2000. I tried to find out what they based that value on, where they got that number, etc, but it was an exercise in futility. For me it was just another thing that I had to give into and just pay so I could get my car. Frustrating experience but only one of many that you will encounter when dealing with PR gov or PR companies...

Unfortunately, the "system" here is about 40 years behind the times and you can't get a lot of this info on line or anywhere for that matter...as each party takes over the government, they promise supporters jobs so you have 3-4 people passing papers which COULD be done on line in the blink of an eye!!  Unfortunately, not much anyone can do about it expect run for office... and I DON"T suggest that!! And buy the way, YOU NEED A LAWYER for almost anything you do.. if you try to do it alone even if you speak Spanish fluently, consider yourself a native or what ever... you have NO clout unless you have a GOOD  lawyer and I mean good.  not the local store front kind.  you can contact the Lawyers association ( COLEGIO de ABOGADOS) or the CONDO association or what ever group you need help with... they will give you some suggestions.
As far as the car is concerned, I also imported several cars from the mainland and paid  tax on much more than the Kelly blue book value  HOWEVER I knew what car I had, knew it worked well, knew it's history of repair and service and knew I would have a good car for the next x number of years.
When you buy a used car here, even from a dealer you are potentially inheriting many problems: ROADS here are full of potholes - BIG pot holes, mountains are hard on transmission, and drivers tend to be VERY hard, aggressive drivers so if you buy a used are KNOW who you are buying it from ( I just bought a used ISUZU trooper from an old fellow and it's in perfect condition- no kids, no pets works great for what I need it for but  that's not always the case with used cars.)
Often a 4-5 year old car will have 80-90 THOUSAND miles on it... THE ISLAND IS ONLY 30 X 100!!  WHERE DO THEY GO?????!!!  it's beyond me.
SO, be happy you have YOUR car...it's a small price to pay.

ALso, since your vehicle is VINTAGE you might want to check to find the vintage motor society here on the island... not sure what it's called but they have many shows around the island each year with vintage vehicles here on the island.. they might be able to give you some info. if I find the name i'll send it along.

Thanks to all. I have tried to discern the difference between a marbete (registration?) and titulo (title) and a license (plate?).
I'm guessing all three are dependant upon one another.
To legally drive you have to have a marbete and license which means showing a title to procure same.
And, the only way to get the marbete is to pay the tax.
Sound correct so far?

I have hit upon an idea to discern what the cost of importing the camper might be. I have written a couple of people that advertised a "solar" for RVs and hope to hear back from them as to how this is figured since they typically do not have VINs.

As far as the bike and other transportation requirements, I think I'm still (as of now) just going to crate up the bike into component parts and stack them all into a container with my HH goods. If I can get the camper in there too with out a big $$$ tax bill at the port, I will. Otherwise, it may be more prudent to buy something locally. Plus, it helps the area economy and not just the commonwealth.
So, that brings up another question. What's the tax/fee situation in that instance or when buying a used vehicle for that matter?
Is it just the 7% sales tax or are there extras?

DocRob wrote:

I have tried to discern the difference between a marbete (registration?) and titulo (title) and a license (plate?).

The titulo is the title - it proves that you own the vehicle. When you have a car loan the bank that is financing your vehicle keeps the title until the last payment is done.
The license is a paper that shows the vehicle data and the owner. You get a new one every year and it becomes valid after you have the vehicle inspected, paid the yearly fee, which includes a very basic liability insurance (up to $3,000 or so). That's the paper you need to have in the car all the time and that's what you show to a police officer when asked for your papers (together with your driver's license).
The marbete is a sticker that has to be on the windshield and that shows that you paid for the license. It indicates until when the license is valid.

After you buy a vehicle you get title and license. When you buy from a dealer they take care of putting the car in your name; when you buy from a private person you have to go to the DTOP with the seller to get the vehicle transferred to your name. You walk out of the office with the titele and a license in your name.

The new yearly license is sent to the address of the owner (go to the DTOP and get a license on your new address when you move!).
With this license you have to go to an inspection center where you pay 11 dollars for the inspection (which in theory is a real inspection but in reality is nothing - every car passes). You also pay for the yearly fee ($ 170 or so), which includes the basic liability and then you'll receive the stamped license and the new marbete which you need to glue on the windshield.

DocRob wrote:

So, that brings up another question. What's the tax/fee situation in that instance or when buying a used vehicle for that matter?
Is it just the 7% sales tax or are there extras?

I don't even know if used cars are subject to sales tax. Could be..
No other taxes are due. If the marbete is still valid you can drive the car until it expires.

That's good information, Gary. I know it will help others that see this regulatory miasma and just throw up their hands.

If that's all the fees then I am going to be saving over $400 a year for autos; does the same
~$170 apply for motoras?

Also, I've run across a few www postings that describe having to pay for any tickets issued on any vehicle you purchase from the previous owner.
Is that truly the case?
How do you check the record prior?

When you go with the owner/seller of the vehicle to change the title and plates, there is a revenue desk where you will be told what outstanding tickets must be paid. These tickets must be paid before the transfer can be finalized. It's really the owner's/seller's responsibility to pay them - not the buyer's - although depending on how you've negotiated the deal that distinction may be effectively meaningless.