Understanding OMV: From Import Value to ARF
Learn what the customs value represents, why it differs from a showroom price, and how gross ARF and actual ARF affect later rebate calculations.
Open Market Value is a vehicle import-value measure used in Singapore’s tax system. It is not the final retail price, and it is not a quality score for deciding which car is best value.
What goes into the assessment?
Singapore Customs’ valuation guidance covers the transaction value and applicable freight, insurance and other valuation adjustments. Where the transaction-value method cannot be used, other prescribed valuation methods apply. Use the actual assessment rather than an assumed overseas showroom price.
Different shipments or specifications can have different values. Do not infer a fixed freight allowance, manufacturing cost or dealer profit from a model’s published average OMV.
How OMV feeds into ARF
| OMV band | Marginal rate |
|---|---|
| S$0–20,000 | 100% |
| S$20,000–40,000 | 140% |
| S$40,000–60,000 | 190% |
| S$60,000–80,000 | 250% |
| Above S$80,000 | 320% |
Gross ARF on $25,000 OMV is $27,000. At $80,000 OMV it is $136,000 under the current bands. The marginal rate applies only to the portion within each band, rather than to the whole OMV.
Applicable registration adjustments can change the actual ARF paid. Future PARF uses that actual amount and the original COE cohort, not simply a percentage of OMV.
Import GST and retail price are different stages
Import duty and GST use their prescribed bases. A table of OMV, duty and import GST explains those import components, but it is not by itself a complete reconstruction of a dealer’s GST-inclusive retail sale. Obtain the final invoice and clarify what each component includes.
What a low OMV does not tell you
A lower assessed value may reduce some tax, but the offer could also differ in equipment, warranty, COE terms or support. Compare the complete package. An OMV threshold used in motor-finance assessment should not be confused with A/B category eligibility.
Check the actual vehicle
For a used purchase, inspect the recorded original OMV and actual ARF separately. For a new purchase, confirm the exact variant and tax assumptions. If the dealer’s price changes, that does not mean the customs assessment itself is a negotiable showroom discount.
Use the ARF calculator for the marginal-band calculation and the rebate calculator with the correct cohort. Keep the official assessment and final quote together for a transparent ownership-cost comparison.
Sources and review date
Reviewed on 13 September 2026. Historical results retain their exercise dates; worked budgets are assumptions, not quotations.