Like its EAC neighbours, Tanzania taxes imports through the East African Community’s Common External Tariff — but the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) layers several of its own charges on top: an 18% VAT, a 2% Railway Development Levy, and a 0.6% customs processing fee. A smaller, easy-to-miss one catches a lot of importers off guard: the Industrial Development Levy (IDL), an extra 5–15% charge that applies only to a specific list of goods — furniture, cement, ceramic tiles, glass, steel bars, plastics, beer, wine, energy drinks, pasta, and soap among them.
This calculator covers the standard duty and tax stack, plus a toggle for the IDL if your goods are on that list — so you’re not caught off guard by a charge that doesn’t show up in most generic import calculators.
🇹🇿 Tanzania Import Duty & Landed Cost Calculator
EAC customs duty, VAT, Railway Development Levy & processing fee — TRA 2025/26 rates
Sources: Tanzania Revenue Authority, Taxes and Duties at a Glance, last checked July 2026. This is TRA’s own official fact sheet, used to confirm the Railway Development Levy at 2% (some third-party sites still show the outdated 1.5% rate), the 0.6% customs processing fee, and the Industrial Development Levy product list and bands.
A note on accuracy: this tool models the standard EAC duty and tax stack plus the optional Industrial Development Levy. It does not include excise duty, which applies separately to vehicles, alcohol, tobacco, used spare parts and appliances (25%), used tableware (20%), and imported furniture (25% — on top of any IDL that also applies to furniture) — these can stack significantly on top of the numbers shown here. Zanzibar has its own VAT rate of 15% rather than the 18% Mainland rate used in this calculator. For a final clearance figure, confirm with a licensed clearing agent or TRA directly.
Sourcing from outside East Africa? Compare against our Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda calculators, or check our AfCFTA Tariff Lookup Tool if you’re trading within Africa instead.
How is import duty calculated in Tanzania?
TRA applies duty as a percentage of your CIF value (cost + insurance + freight), based on your product’s classification under the EAC Common External Tariff — 0% for raw materials and capital goods, 10% for semi-finished goods, 25% for finished consumer goods, or 35% for fully finished/special-tax items.
What is Tanzania’s Railway Development Levy?
A 2% charge on the CIF value of most imported goods, used to fund railway infrastructure. A small list of goods, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, and certain jet fuel are exempt.
What is the Industrial Development Levy (IDL) and does it apply to me?
The IDL is an additional 5–15% charge on CIF value that applies only to a specific list of products including furniture, cement, ceramic tiles, glass, steel bars, plastics, beer, wine, energy drinks, pasta, and soap. If your goods aren’t on that list, it doesn’t apply.
What is Tanzania’s VAT rate on imports?
18% on Mainland Tanzania, charged on CIF value plus import duty (and IDL, where applicable). Zanzibar’s import VAT rate is 15%, not 18%.
Does this calculator include excise duty?
Excise duty applies separately to vehicles, alcohol, tobacco, used spare parts and appliances, used tableware, and imported furniture, and can add significantly to your total cost. Check with TRA or a clearing agent if your goods fall into one of these categories.