Unsold-Car Stock Tax Is Forcing Dealers to Dump Prices — Good Time to Buy?

The Finance Ministry slapped a tax on vehicles importers keep unsold and unregistered for too long, and it looks like it's backfiring in buyers' favour. To avoid the tax piling up on stock sitting in yards, importers are reportedly discounting unregistered cars — one unregistered 2025 Honda Vezel Z Play was quoted at Rs 23.5m, down from Rs 25.5m just months back. Falling Japanese auction prices are adding pressure from the other side too. One camp says this is finally real relief after two years of inflated post-reopening prices, and anyone waiting should grab a deal now before the next tax change pushes costs back up. The other camp says these are forced/distress sales, not a genuine correction — once the backlog clears, prices snap right back, so buying now risks catching a car before an even bigger drop. Have you actually seen prices fall on the ground, or is this just dealer talk to move stock? Drop the model and the price you were quoted. ඔයාට පේන විදිහට ගාණ අඩු වෙලාද, නැත්නම් මේකත් විකුණගන්න කරන එකක්ද?