New Day, New Tax: Sri Lanka’s
Never Ending Tax Lust
From May 1, 2026, the Government has decided that vehicle imports will be subject to a 2.5% Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL) at the point of importation.
“At the point of importation” means that anyone importing a vehicle, including personal importers, will now be subject to this tax.
Previously, SSCL was mainly paid by vehicle importers after the sale. Personal importers were not directly subject to this tax at the point of importation.
Even vehicle importers may not have properly paid SSCL under the previous turnover-based system, as it left room for anything from creative accounting practices to outright tax fraud.
Effectively, this change means that if you buy a vehicle, your cost will increase by around Rs. 2%-3% or more, depending on the CIF value and the relevant taxes for that vehicle.
Rs. 7 million -> ~ Rs. 150,000
Rs. 10 million -> ~ Rs. 200,000
Rs. 15 million -> ~ Rs. 300, 000
SSCL works like VAT, it is charged on the basis of CIF value and other applicable taxes.
2.5% SSCL = (CIF value + CIF x 10% + CID + Excise Duty + any other taxes) x 2.5%
CID = CIF x 30%
Excise Duty = Changes based on the vehicle type
Other taxes = such as surcharge, PAL, etc. Currently 0 for vehicles
SSCL was introduced in 2022 as a temporary tax to support Sri Lanka’s economic recovery by charging 2.5% on turnover.
The Government has no real justification to keep increasing taxes on people, especially when revenue generating agencies have exceeded their targets during the last two to three years, and any expected revenue increase from this measure could have already been achieved through improved collection.
The only other group that benefits from this change is large scale vehicle importers, as it removes one of the key cost advantages of personally importing a vehicle over buying from an established importer.
Adding more taxes on already heavily taxed vehicles does not create any meaningful value for the country in the long run, especially when it locks away capital in depreciating assets like vehicles.
Higher taxes do not help grow the economy. They discourage economic activity and reduce people’s ability to spend, invest, and build businesses. In simple terms, it is another case of handing more money to the Government, often the worst manager of money in any country.
If Sri Lanka
truly wants a fair and low tax system, the focus should be on widening the tax base, improving the collection system, reducing leakages, and ensuring that everyone contributes fairly.
2.5% SSCL = (CIF value + CIF x 10% + CID + Excise Duty + any other taxes) x 2.5%
CID = CIF x 30%
Excise Duty = Changes based on the vehicle type
Other taxes = such as surcharge, PAL, etc. Currently 0 for vehicles
