The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has officially rolled out a revised Current Retail Selling Price (CRSP) list for new motor vehicles—the first update since 2019—in a move set to reshape taxation on used vehicle imports and reflect current market dynamics.
The CRSP, a benchmark used to calculate the customs value of used vehicles through depreciation, is a critical determinant of taxes including import duty, excise duty, and VAT.
The newly updated list incorporates over 5,200 unique vehicle models, a significant jump from the approximately 3,000 models in the 2019 version.
This revision comes after a failed attempt in 2020 to update the CRSP, which was challenged in court by motor vehicle importers.
Since then, the industry has relied on outdated valuation metrics, even as the automotive market experienced significant changes, including the entry of new vehicle models and volatile macroeconomic conditions.“In 2019, the exchange rate was about Ksh 100 to the dollar. Today, it stands at around Ksh 130.
Import duty has risen from 25 percent to 35 percent while excise duty on some vehicles has increased from 30 percent to 35 percent. These shifts made a review not only necessary but urgent,” noted KRA in a public statement.The CRSP valuation method is anchored in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Customs Valuation and domesticated under the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), 2004.
While the preferred international standard is using Free on Board (FOB) values from vehicle invoices, the Kenyan automotive industry—particularly second-hand vehicle importers—has strongly favored the CRSP model for its predictability and transparency.
In compliance with court orders, KRA conducted a comprehensive consultative process between January and May 2025. The review team included representatives from the Kenya Auto Bazaar Association (KABA), Car Importers Association of Kenya (CIAK), Kenya International Freight Forwarders & Warehousing Association (KIFWA), and the Customs & Border Control Department.
The working team defined new data sources, primarily the Japanese Yearbooks, and supplemented gaps using Goo-net, a widely trusted Japanese vehicle database. Some models remain unlisted due to data unavailability, but KRA has pledged to update the CRSP list continuously as more data sources are agreed upon.
Unlike the 2019 CRSP which focused largely on engine size and drivetrain, the 2025 list provides greater granularity by considering trim levels, specific model variants, and vehicle performance—making valuation more precise.“The revised CRSP is not only a reflection of current economic realities but also a result of unprecedented stakeholder engagement. We believe this brings much-needed clarity and fairness to the vehicle import industry,”
The full CRSP list will be published on the KRA website, and the authority has affirmed its readiness to update it regularly in line with market developments.
As Kenya continues to modernize its revenue collection mechanisms, the revised CRSP list signals a more data-driven, transparent, and inclusive approach to customs valuation—aimed at striking a balance between fiscal policy, industry needs, and economic conditions.
