Import Duty Calculator (India)
BCD + Social Welfare Surcharge + IGST on your CIF value — the exact cascade Indian customs applies, step by step.
Cascade: BCD on assessable (CIF) value → SWS at 10% of BCD → IGST on (AV + BCD + SWS) → cess where notified. IGST paid on imports is creditable for GST-registered importers.
Sources & references
- Customs Tariff Act, 1975 + CBIC notifications (BCD)
- IGST Act §3(7)/(8) — IGST on imports; SWS Finance Act 2018
Duty rates, fee amounts and tax structures change with budgets and notifications — figures computed here use the structure described and YOUR entered rates, as a planning estimate. Confirm the live rate for your HS code and any exemptions with your customs broker before relying on the total.
Disclaimer: This tool is for general informational and estimation purposes only and is not professional financial, tax, accounting or legal advice. All figures are estimates — verify with a qualified professional before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.
Indian import duty is a cascade, not a single rate — and the cascade is why a '10% duty' item actually costs ~29.8% at the 18% IGST slab. The sequence: Basic Customs Duty applies to the assessable value (CIF — goods plus freight plus insurance); the Social Welfare Surcharge adds 10% OF THE BCD (not of the value); and IGST then applies to the whole pile — value plus BCD plus SWS — at the item's GST slab. This calculator runs that exact arithmetic and shows the effective rate of CIF.
About Import Duty Calculator (India)
Each line maps to a legal head: BCD rates come from the Customs Tariff Act schedules as amended by budget notifications (0% to 150%, with 7.5–10% common for industrial goods); SWS replaced the old education cesses in 2018 (some items are exempted by notification — set BCD-only items accordingly); IGST mirrors the domestic GST slab for the goods; compensation cess hits notified categories (autos, tobacco, aerated drinks). Anti-dumping or safeguard duties, where they apply, stack further — add them into the BCD rate field for a combined estimate. The working-capital nuance that surprises new importers: IGST on imports is creditable — a GST-registered importer offsets it against output GST, making the CASH cost of the cascade mostly BCD + SWS. The full amount is still payable at clearance, though, which is why duty planning is cash-flow planning. Look up your item's current BCD and IGST on CBIC's tariff portal or ICEGATE; rates move every budget.
How to use Import Duty Calculator (India)
- 1Set each input — assessable value (cif), basic customs duty rate, igst rate, compensation cess — using your own figures.
- 2The estimate recomputes instantly as you type; no submit button, no waiting.
- 3Review the line-item breakdown to see how each component contributes to the total.
- 4Click “Copy quote” to paste the itemised result into an email, quote or audit note.
Why use Import Duty Calculator (India)?
- ✓Itemised line-by-line breakdown, not just a single opaque total
- ✓Copy-ready output for emails, quotes and audit notes
- ✓Recomputes live as you type — compare scenarios in seconds
- ✓Free and private — nothing you enter leaves your browser
Frequently asked questions
How is import duty calculated in India, step by step?+
On ₹10,00,000 CIF at 10% BCD and 18% IGST: BCD = ₹1,00,000; SWS = 10% × BCD = ₹10,000; IGST base = 10,00,000 + 1,00,000 + 10,000 = ₹11,10,000; IGST = ₹1,99,800. Total ₹3,09,800 — an effective 30.98% on CIF. The calculator reproduces this with your numbers and shows each line as customs assesses it.
Is IGST on imports refundable or creditable?+
Creditable, not refundable: a GST-registered importer claims the import IGST as input tax credit against output GST liability, exactly like domestic purchases (the bill of entry is the credit document). BCD and SWS are true costs — never creditable. Unregistered importers and exempt-output businesses absorb the IGST as cost, which changes the landed-cost math materially.
What is the assessable value — invoice value or CIF?+
CIF basis: the transaction value adjusted to include freight and insurance to the Indian port (with rules for when actuals aren't known — e.g., freight capped at 20% of FOB where unascertainable, insurance at 1.125% of FOB). An FOB invoice therefore needs freight and insurance added before applying this calculator; a CIF invoice is already there. Customs scrutinises undervaluation aggressively via its valuation database.
Where do I find my product's BCD and IGST rate?+
By HS code: the CBIC tariff (Customs Tariff Act schedule with current notifications) for BCD, and the GST rate schedules for IGST — both navigable on CBIC's website and ICEGATE's duty calculator. Budget notifications amend BCD every February (and mid-year), so verify the rate's effective date. Your CHA quotes these daily; for planning, this calculator with the looked-up rates gives you the cascade instantly.
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