What Is Included in a Singapore Car’s On-Road Price?
Read a final car quote, separate import taxes from retail pricing, and identify COE, financing and incentive conditions before comparing offers.
A final on-road quote is a commercial offer for a complete purchase. An import-cost calculation explains some components, but it does not establish the dealer’s final selling price or every applicable condition.
Ask for the final payable amount
Confirm whether the price includes GST, registration, the promised COE arrangement, accessories and any fees. Record discounts conditional on a loan, insurance policy, trade-in or delivery period. Compare the amount you would actually pay under the same conditions.
Understand the import and registration components
OMV is the assessed import-value basis. Import duty and GST use their prescribed rules. ARF is a separate marginal registration tax, and applicable emissions adjustments can change actual ARF paid. A COE premium is another distinct item.
| OMV band | Taxable portion | Marginal rate | ARF |
|---|---|---|---|
| S$0–20,000 | S$20,000 | 100% | S$20,000 |
| S$20,000–40,000 | S$20,000 | 140% | S$28,000 |
| S$40,000–60,000 | S$20,000 | 190% | S$38,000 |
| S$60,000–80,000 | S$10,000 | 250% | S$25,000 |
| Above S$80,000 | S$0 | 320% | S$0 |
| Total | S$70,000 | S$111,000 |
Gross ARF before any applicable emissions adjustment. Actual ARF paid determines the PARF calculation.
The gross ARF on $70,000 OMV is $111,000 under the current bands. Do not use an obsolete $106,000 calculation, or apply the highest marginal rate to the entire OMV.
Why a “base cost plus margin” table can mislead
Assessed import value is not necessarily the invoice cost a retail buyer can obtain. Import GST and GST treatment of a retail sale are also different stages. A difference between a simplified tax table and a selling price should not automatically be labelled pure dealer profit.
Use the tax breakdown to ask informed questions. Use comparable final quotations to judge the offered price.
COE terms can change what you receive
Check the number of bidding attempts, the promised delivery date, any top-up obligation and a rebate level if the premium falls. A package may not pass a $5,000 auction reduction through to the buyer dollar for dollar.
For a used car, the remaining COE is already attached to the vehicle. Check the term and expiry rather than adding a new ten-year premium to the asking price.
Move from quote to ownership budget
Add finance interest and operating expenses, then subtract a defensible disposal assumption over the chosen period. Do not add both loan principal and purchase price, or both complete resale value and embedded rebates.
For the worked arithmetic, read the ten-year budget guide. The calculator can compare your actual offers. There is no verified universal Cat A or Cat B ownership total established by an unsourced model-price table.
Sources and review date
Reviewed on 13 September 2026. Historical results retain their exercise dates; worked budgets are assumptions, not quotations.