johng39
Well-Known Member
I am purchasing a boat with a french flag, is there any advantage / disadvantage to remaining on one or is there a requirement / advantage to re-flagging?
French or British flag
- Thread starter johng39
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Portofino
Well-Known Member
There’s safety requirements and loads of other stuff like compulsory qualification s are a lot stringent .
Like getting caught with out of date flares = big fine etc
Not sure about there Hp tax and boat reg wether it would apply to a Brit flying a tricolour in Fr .Best not find out if confronted by armed guys disturbing your peaceful Anchorage ? And you have no signal to phone the Brit Consulate!
I think Fr is for Fr citizens anyhow - I know IT is for Italians .
De reg it and fly a red saves a load of potential grief .
Like getting caught with out of date flares = big fine etc
Not sure about there Hp tax and boat reg wether it would apply to a Brit flying a tricolour in Fr .Best not find out if confronted by armed guys disturbing your peaceful Anchorage ? And you have no signal to phone the Brit Consulate!
I think Fr is for Fr citizens anyhow - I know IT is for Italians .
De reg it and fly a red saves a load of potential grief .
jrudge
Well-Known Member
+1 to that
johng39
Well-Known Member
doug748
Well-Known Member
You might think about the Red Ensign States, maybe Guernsey.
First the disadvantages -
The traditional disadvantage was that as non EU there was potential aggravation in Europe but, as the UK is steaming in the opposite direction anyway, this may be less of a point to ponder.
There may be greater attention paid to flagged out boats in France but the authorities seem to be more interested in their own nationals, so I have found this to be largely notional.
Certainly there would be less recognition of CI registration in the Med or further abroad, although lots of far flung administrations may just assume it is a regular part of the UK - as do many on a UK street.
The advantages -
You get a nice Blue Book to keep with your boat, which is a pretty document and impresses harbourmasters, future buyers and potential new mistresses.
Jersey (I think) lets you fly the natty defaced Red Ensign which looks neat and also impresses all of the above. You have to live in Guernsey to be allowed to fly theirs though.
Part 1 lasts 10 years not the miserly 5 in the UK, this does not save much money but is less of a fuss.
Best of all, if you insure in the UK, you avoid Insurance tax, which can fund the whole thing free of charge if you keep the boat long enough.
First the disadvantages -
The traditional disadvantage was that as non EU there was potential aggravation in Europe but, as the UK is steaming in the opposite direction anyway, this may be less of a point to ponder.
There may be greater attention paid to flagged out boats in France but the authorities seem to be more interested in their own nationals, so I have found this to be largely notional.
Certainly there would be less recognition of CI registration in the Med or further abroad, although lots of far flung administrations may just assume it is a regular part of the UK - as do many on a UK street.
The advantages -
You get a nice Blue Book to keep with your boat, which is a pretty document and impresses harbourmasters, future buyers and potential new mistresses.
Jersey (I think) lets you fly the natty defaced Red Ensign which looks neat and also impresses all of the above. You have to live in Guernsey to be allowed to fly theirs though.
Part 1 lasts 10 years not the miserly 5 in the UK, this does not save much money but is less of a fuss.
Best of all, if you insure in the UK, you avoid Insurance tax, which can fund the whole thing free of charge if you keep the boat long enough.
mcanderson
Well-Known Member
We bought a French flag led boat and it’s now registered in Guernsey.
The logic:
1. You don’t pay French boat taxes.
2. You are not required to maintain the French maritime standards, although we mirror them.
3. It was easier for insurance.
However, if you want to charter your boat then it is much easier if it is French registered.
Flip a coin until you get the answer you want.
The logic:
1. You don’t pay French boat taxes.
2. You are not required to maintain the French maritime standards, although we mirror them.
3. It was easier for insurance.
However, if you want to charter your boat then it is much easier if it is French registered.
Flip a coin until you get the answer you want.
CLB
Well-Known Member
The one small problem with registering a boat in Jersey/Guernsey is that is raises the likelihood of having to explain the boat's VAT status.
jfm
Well-Known Member
Definitely de flag France. Hassle and tax costs. Then I would uk flag for simple life, hopefully sir. Costs +c12% insurance premium tax compared to jersey flag but worth it for a very easy life when douane inspectors drop by, which they will (=CLB's point above). As regards charter, I don't agree the comment above that French flagging makes charter easier. It doesn't. Vast majority of charter boats are not fr flagged.
doug748
Well-Known Member
MapisM
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure I would, in the boots of a Brit planning to keep the boat in EU waters (and even more so for non-Brits, obviously), go for the red duster nowadays.
Not suggesting to keep F flag, but B and NL registration are both easy and straightforward, for instance.
And neither Countries are thinking to make any silly referendum, afaik...
Not suggesting to keep F flag, but B and NL registration are both easy and straightforward, for instance.
And neither Countries are thinking to make any silly referendum, afaik...
Portofino
Well-Known Member
I thought Guernsey you had be a resident .
Jersey need a tonnage cert and it redoing every 10 y as well .
Re vat @ Doug - thus far 3 x the douanes have not enquired .Maybe because we fly simple U.K. red
They see the SSR cert and ins and ask where you are based and I drop the Fr permit d Mer on the table too .
Could if be they are in a kinda “ reg mode “ whereby incorrectly they are applying there own mental - it’s reg,d and thus VAT paid as they pick up the docs and tick a few boxes on there pro forma .?
Never been asked for the forum favourite Original bos —- yet .
With CI I think they will mentally be thinking VAT avoidance in the sense ,they know they are VAT free states nearer Fr than Eng ,and this boats now in Fr ,- waving literary a red rag at a bull
what’s its status ? Hmm I need to dig a little more and look behind your fancy blue book .
“ I feel a nick on here “ is what the Fr douanes will be thinking after returning from a shore based Compusary annual VAT fraud course .
Or the guys a bit low in his VAT recovered target if such a target exists , in a similiar way ,- bit like U.K. home office deportation targets
Line if least hassle is online £30 or so SSR part 3 .
Jersey need a tonnage cert and it redoing every 10 y as well .
Re vat @ Doug - thus far 3 x the douanes have not enquired .Maybe because we fly simple U.K. red
They see the SSR cert and ins and ask where you are based and I drop the Fr permit d Mer on the table too .
Could if be they are in a kinda “ reg mode “ whereby incorrectly they are applying there own mental - it’s reg,d and thus VAT paid as they pick up the docs and tick a few boxes on there pro forma .?
Never been asked for the forum favourite Original bos —- yet .
With CI I think they will mentally be thinking VAT avoidance in the sense ,they know they are VAT free states nearer Fr than Eng ,and this boats now in Fr ,- waving literary a red rag at a bull
what’s its status ? Hmm I need to dig a little more and look behind your fancy blue book .
“ I feel a nick on here “ is what the Fr douanes will be thinking after returning from a shore based Compusary annual VAT fraud course .
Or the guys a bit low in his VAT recovered target if such a target exists , in a similiar way ,- bit like U.K. home office deportation targets
Line if least hassle is online £30 or so SSR part 3 .
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Portofino
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure I would, in the boots of a Brit planning to keep the boat in EU waters (and even more so for non-Brits, obviously), go for the red duster nowadays.
Not suggesting to keep F flag, but B and NL registration are both easy and straightforward, for instance.
And neither Countries are thinking to make any silly referendum, afaik...
Your gov , well on Friday gone ( I know it’s nearly 48 ago
) so May be different by Monday close of business is a nearer a referendum that any others left in the EU .Welcome Italy to the far Right .
Back on topic , buy a previous EU VAT paid as requirement for a private individual to Reg a boat and keep the previous papers + deflag doc s and fly a red .
Italian
French
Spanish
May be others too .
westernman
Well-Known Member
Don't leave on the French registry (but I don't think you will be able to do so without being a french resident) because there is an annual tax plus an annual tax on the engine to pay. Over 15 metres and over 2 litres engine size the tax becomes rapidly expensive.
Do not under any circumstances put a French address on anything to do with the boat - in case they come after you for the passeport tax (which is the same amount as it would be if the boat was french registered) which french residents are supposed to pay if they own a boat anywhere on a foreign flag.
There is a good reason a lot of french boats are registered in Belgium, Holland or the UK. It is to avoid the tax.
The French safety requirements are not onerous and are perfectly reasonable.
Do not under any circumstances put a French address on anything to do with the boat - in case they come after you for the passeport tax (which is the same amount as it would be if the boat was french registered) which french residents are supposed to pay if they own a boat anywhere on a foreign flag.
There is a good reason a lot of french boats are registered in Belgium, Holland or the UK. It is to avoid the tax.
The French safety requirements are not onerous and are perfectly reasonable.
MapisM
Well-Known Member
I'd rather not start a huge thread drift on that PF, but I hope you don't mind me envisaging that your understanding of IT dynamics in politics could benefit from at least some of my 40+ years of experience on the whole matter...
PS: and I didn't suggest to got for IT flag, anyway!
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rubberduck
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure I would, in the boots of a Brit planning to keep the boat in EU waters (and even more so for non-Brits, obviously), go for the red duster nowadays.
Not suggesting to keep F flag, but B and NL registration are both easy and straightforward, for instance.
And neither Countries are thinking to make any silly referendum, afaik...
When it comes to silly, we lead the world, not sure that was the intention though
MapisM
Well-Known Member
I used to think the same of my own Country.
Then again, I look around, and Brexit aside, it's not like I see so many outstanding leaders, anywhere in the so called civilized world...
