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Hi guys... it's been a while since my last post. Can i find out how exactly is the OMV of a car determined. So if i'm looking to import a 1 year old used car from overseas, how could LTA determine the OMV of that car? For example, I've got an Mercedes E class that I've bought of $80,000 in the UK and i have used it for 1 year. If I were to import that, will the OMV be $80K or $50K (based on what's sold on the 2nd hand market here) or some other value which LTA will determine? I think that OMV is important because all the taxes are determined from it. Thanks in advance.

https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/parliament-higher-traffic-fines-for-drivers-of-luxury-cars-among-mps-suggestions-to-improve Finally arrived in SG liao

Hi all, I need advice on new cars with OMV not exceeding $20,000, equipped with handbrake and has the signal lever on the right side, Any new car models that fit the criteria except Lancer EX? I am not looking at SUVs due to physical limitations. Thanks

Hi, Anyone here know the OMV value of subaru Forester and impeza WRX. thanks..

Judging from public reaction to the drastic twin measures announced in February to cool the car market, people arent happy. It is ironic, though, since at least one move which limits the motor loan quantum to 50 per cent (or 60 per cent if the cars OMV is $20,000 or less) and halves the maximum loan tenure from 10 years to five had been suggested by many consumers in the past several months. Their reasoning: it would cool overheated COE prices. This is history repeating itself. When the Government first introduced measures to curb car loans back in 1995, it was on the back of persistent calls by the public (COE prices had breached $100,000 just weeks earlier). But when the curbs were implemented, people were unhappy. History has also shown that loan restrictions can be overcome. Before the first set of loan curbs were lifted in 2003, financial institutions and car firms were already bypassing the restrictions, and attempts by the authorities to put a stop to schemes such as balloon payment and overtrade were largely unsuccessful. In any case, the government decided to deregulate the car loans market in 2003, only to reintroduce it two months ago (February) in a more severe form. This loan restriction accompanies a tiered ARF (Additional Registration Fee) scheme that places higher taxes on higher-end cars. While this measure will put some downward pressure on COE prices, it has a Robin Hood element it makes the rich pay more, and few folks will argue against that principle. But heres the thing. The tiered ARF scheme which levies a 100 per cent tax on the fi rst $20,000 of a cars OMV (open market value), 140 per cent on the next $30,000 band and 180 per cent on values above $50,000 works best when OMVs are correct. Many OMVs do not seem correct. In the 1990s and 2000s, the authorities moved swiftly to tackle tax cheats who underdeclared their OMVs. A string of motor traders were fi ned or jailed. Of late, however, those taken to task over OMVs have been relatively small players, mainly parallel importers. Does this mean the playing fi eld is largely even? It is doubtful. The OMVs of some new cars are inordinately low when compared to similar (or even inferior) rivals, while others have fallen inexplicably when a manufacturer assumes an importers role. A car with a lower OMV offers its seller a distinct advantage, simply because car taxes are based on OMVs. A model with a lower OMV allows the seller to price it more competitively than its rivals. It also offers the seller a fatter profit margin, allowing him more muscle to outbid others for the all-important COE (certificate of entitlement). Now, with the tiered ARF scheme, the advantage of a lower OMV is amplified. For instance, the OMV of a certain popular German luxury saloon is around $49,800, while that of its close competitor is $52,200. Under the tiered scheme, the former will incur $8,500 more in ARF, while the latter will incur $13,750 more. The difference between the pair is thus $5,250 under the new tiered scheme more than double the gap in the previous flat ARF regime. In absolute terms, this gap can get frighteningly wide as you rise up the automotive totem pole in Singapore. If the authorities do not act with speed and fervour, the wide gaps in ARF between cars might erode the social equity which the tiered ARF scheme aims to re-establish. As is, the tiered ARF scheme is already expected to be fairer when it comes to bidding for a COE. The additional cost that a premium model incurs in the way of ARF should help level the playing field for such a car and a budget model in the same COE category. In recent years, theres been hardly any contest between cars like the 1.6-litre Mercedes-Benz C180 and the 1.6-litre Toyota Corolla Altis, which explains why the German make, along with its arch-rival BMW, have been dominating the top spots on the local sales charts. What will level the playing field further would be a revamp of the COE categories to align them with the tiered ARF bands This article was written by Christopher Tan, consulting editor for Torque.

Here's a guide that helps you understand how to calculate the de-registration value of your vehicle and the relationship between OMV & ARF. De-registration value / Paper Value You must have heard of the term 'de-registration value' or also known as 'paper value' being thrown around when the casual chat of cars arises between friends or colleagues. More often than not, you would be surprised at the innocence of many local motorists who do not know what it actually means. What is De-registration value? [COE rebate + PARF rebate] = De-registration value The de-registration value simply refers to the returns you are entitled to from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) when you de-register your vehicle. The de-registration value is calculated based on the COE rebates and the PARF rebate value of your car. *Do note that COE cars (cars more than 10 years old) do not have any PARF Rebate, therefore the de-registration value for COE cars are based on the Prevailing Quota Premium paid. COE Rebate If a vehicle is de-registered before the end of the 10-year COE cycle, the registered owner can be granted a rebate based on the number of months and days remaining on his vehicle's COE. COE Rebate = (Quota Premium Paid x Number of months left) / 120 months For example if your COE costs $16,897 and expires on the 5th June 2015 but was de-registered on the 2nd January 2013. Unused period of the COE: From 3/1/2013 to 5/6/2015 = 2 years, 5 months and 3 days = 29.1 months Thus COE Rebate = ($16,897 x 29.1) / 120 = $4,097 PARF Rebate Calculating the PARF rebate value of your car is relatively simple as there are only two factors contributing to the PARF rebate value - age of vehicle and ARF value. As you can refer from the table above, the PARF rebate is a certain percentage of your ARF value

In recent years, the downsizing of engines by premium brands has led to luxury cars competing for a slice of the Cat A COE, which is of 1600CC capacity and below. For instance, a 1.6-litre Volvo S80 is something unthinkable 10 years ago but it is available today. Before that, Cat A COE used to be dominated by work horses such as the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. With the tightening of COE supply, prices are sure to head north. As premium brands would normally command higher profit margin, it is expected of them to out-bid a Korean or Japanese brand in securing a COE. But is there a fairer way to allocate the limited resources? Perhaps, COE could be categorized by the car's Open Market Value (OMV) instead of capacity. OMV is assessed by the Singapore Customs, based on the price actually paid or payable for the goods when sold for export to the country of importation. This price includes purchase price, freight, insurance and all other charges incidental to the sale and delivery of the car to Singapore. To ensure that a middle income Singaporean is not out-priced in the COE hunt, Cat A COE could be classified as cars of OMV below S$20,000. Cars with OMV of between S$20,001 to S$35,000 could be classified under Cat B. In this scenario, a Corolla buyer would not be going after the same piece of COE as a wealthy Volvo S60 T4 buyer. Rather, this would put the 1.6-litre S60 and the 2.0-litre Camry in the same category, which I believe should make more sense. Cat E COE could be classified as cars with OMV of S$35,001 and above. Car sales dominated by luxury brands are unheard of in other countries. It is time to put things back to normal.