Florida Moorings?

[rustybarge]

Sorry I haven't posted this earlier ,lost the link:

from the the horses mouth.....I made a mistake you only pay sales tax in another state if their sales tax is more than your home state.

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Originally Posted by skipmac
image: http://www.ybw.com/forums/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png




Been through this a few times and used to be a yacht broker in Florida so think I can offer some reasonably accurate answers.


In the USA there are two different ways to "register" a boat.


1. Documentation. This is the proper term applied to a vessel that is "registered" with the US Coast Guard. This is available only to US citizens. Even permanent residents are not allowed to the best of my knowledge. There is a way around this. One could start a US corporation and be the primary stockholder and register the boat under the US corporation.


2. Registration. This is done in the individual states and the rules can vary a lot state to state. Generally state registration is quite easy as it generates revenue for the state and at least in Florida I doubt they care if you are citizen of Mars if you pay the fees, which by the way are not much, maybe a hundred quid or so. Side note. If a vessel is registered OR documented in the US then almost all states in fact require that you register the boat in that state if you keep the boat there longer than 90 days. Foreign flagged boats are exempt from this requirement.


Taxes. No national VAT or anything like but most states do have a sales tax which seems like VAT to me, just not as much. Most states are +/- 6%. Whether or not one must pay this tax is not quite as clear, at least in regard to a non citizen. I have not seen that specific issue addressed in the Florida statutes. It is clear that a foreign flagged vessel will be exempt from sales tax in Florida, as long as the vessel and owner have a valid cruising permit. If the vessel is owned by a non citizen but registered in Florida I think it will be treated the same as a vessel owned by a citizen. So if purchased in Florida and registered Florida, you pay the tax. If purchased in Florida and registered in another state, you have to leave Florida within 90 days or you pay the tax. If you leave but return to Florida and stay within some time frame (6 months or a year if I recall) then you lose the exemption and you pay the tax.


What to do and what will keep you out of trouble???? Buy the boat, register in a state, pay the sales tax and you are good. You can open an account with a mail drop to use as the mailing address for the documents if you have no permanent residence in the US. As far as I know all states will recognize and credit the sales tax paid in another state. Worst case, if you pay the tax in a state that charges 5% and then soon thereafter move the boat long term to a state that charges 6% they might try to bill you for the difference.


Bottom line, I think the cruising permit and visa will be the big deal. If you do run into a question about the taxes or registration and find you did not totally comply with some state's red tape then 99.99% of the time the worst thing that would happen is they ask you to pay their registration fee or local tax.


CAUTION: A state registration will be accepted with no question in the US and the Bahamas and I think Canada. However, if you plan to cruise further afield you might encounter some resistance in the local officials who are used to the USCG documentation.


Here's a link to the state of Florida Department of Revenue if you want to read their guidelines. http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/forms/current/gt800005.pdf


Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...ivaboard-in-Florida/page5#Oqd3KYSkE1wbVhGr.99

 

[rustybarge]

To clarify this complicated issue further:

different states will ask you to top up the sales tax you have already paid 'to their level', BUT after your boat is in a different state for 90 days or more 'you must re-register your boat with that state.'

from memory the registration fee is only a nominal amount,something like $150- $ 250.

Easy peasy.

 

[AdeOlly]

I think you'll find that all displacement boats are prone to rolling due to the shape of their hulls. Many people manage without stabilisers but almost all would have them if they could.

Mate of mine has a 38' Fairways which is built like a tank. Went out with him a couple of years back and the wind blew up a bit whilst we anchored. Coming back we had no more than a low end F5, but on the beam but bloomin heck it was awful; rolled relentlessly. I didn't get to the chucking up stage, but it was the only time I've felt sea sick in the last decade, and at 8 knots the return leg seemed to go on forever. His SWMBO however did spend the entire time chucking up... NOT pleasant!!

 

[Corky]

That's a relief, a more acceptable scenario.

Thanks

 

[longjohnsilver]

Mate of mine has a 38' Fairways which is built like a tank. Went out with him a couple of years back and the wind blew up a bit whilst we anchored. Coming back we had no more than a low end F5, but on the beam but bloomin heck it was awful; rolled relentlessly. I didn't get to the chucking up stage, but it was the only time I've felt sea sick in the last decade, and at 8 knots the return leg seemed to go on forever. His SWMBO however did spend the entire time chucking up... NOT pleasant!!

Not pleasant. However on Eos in the same conditions we'd happily put a full cup of tea on our table and know that it will not spill. I enjoy being at sea, so going along at 8kts is a pleasure. It would be quite different without stabs!