French VAT

[sia20]

I am just trying to finalise the purchase of my new boat in France , It is a 2nd hand boat and am buying it through a broker , What VAT invoice do I need ?
The broker is telling me I will get a certificate of de flagging and the TVA acquittee is on the same certificate
is this all I need or do I need the original sales invoice to prove the vat has been paid ,
The boat was bought from a Cranchi dealer in Cannes and is 1 owner who also lives in Cannes SOF , I am struggling to get the original sales invoice from the broker and am worried about paying for the boat without seeing this

Can anybody help/advise me
Many thanks

 

[Whitelighter]

I have just done the same thing.

You will get a certificate stamped by the registry which will state TVA Aquitte - VAT paid.

This is all you need though I would make a copy of the french Orange book and get it motorised as a true copy.
All sales stuff goes to the registry when it goes on and they won't give it back. Best you can hope for is copies, u less the owner kept a duplicate.

Send me a PM with your co tact number if you want and I can talk you through what I know in more detail

 

[benjenbav]

I have just done the same thing.

You will get a certificate stamped by the registry which will state TVA Aquitte - VAT paid.

This is all you need though I would make a copy of the french Orange book and get it motorised as a true copy.
All sales stuff goes to the registry when it goes on and they won't give it back. Best you can hope for is copies, u less the owner kept a duplicate.

Send me a PM with your co tact number if you want and I can talk you through what I know in more detail

I know it's bad form to comment on obvious autocorrect errors but I do so want a motorised book myself that I just couldn't resist. Available in France from all good notaires, I guess?

 

[Whitelighter]

Damn iphone

Notorised I meant

 

[Whitelighter]

This is what you should be looking for

 

[sia20]

Thanks whitelighter I have sent you a pm

 

[rlw]

I would keep the pressure on for a copy of the original invoice. It will be better when you try to sell. When I purchased my Portofino 31 in France many years ago the dealer provided me a copy of the original invoice. That said the registry document does prove the VAT status. However for future sale it might prove a handicap.

 

[Tranona]

I would keep the pressure on for a copy of the original invoice. It will be better when you try to sell. When I purchased my Portofino 31 in France many years ago the dealer provided me a copy of the original invoice. That said the registry document does prove the VAT status. However for future sale it might prove a handicap.

Why should it prove a handicap? It is arguably better than the original invoice which only shows that VAT was paid at that time and does not necessarily mean that there is no liability now (for example if the boat has been outside the EU and reimported). Surely an official registry confirmation is just as good evidence.

We have this fixation with the original invoice in the UK because it is the only evidence of VAT payment, whereas in many other states the payment is registered against the boat as in the example Whitelighter gives.

 

[Portofino]

Why should it prove a handicap? It is arguably better than the original invoice which only shows that VAT was paid at that time and does not necessarily mean that there is no liability now (for example if the boat has been outside the EU and reimported). Surely an official registry confirmation is just as good evidence.

We have this fixation with the original invoice in the UK because it is the only evidence of VAT payment, whereas in many other states the payment is registered against the boat as in the example Whitelighter gives.

Very well put --
Foreign brokers get exasperated with "Brit " insincetance on original invoice .
This is because there system of Reg (with displayed hull No) in Italy and France ,and guessing Spain ? - means the reg office knows who,s payed the tax when it first hit the water in the name of the first owner .
Also if it's Co owned (tax not payed )
The fact they then use the Reg system to collect forward annual "boat /wealth tax seems lost in potential Brit owners -who are fixated with original invoice .
When really the reg doc -says it all.

Buying a boat from a state with compulsory Reg for citizens ,is a doddle re vat status .
Compared to the Uk un regulated / none compulsory -, Reg boat system .

Think UK car V5,Swansea -when you sell /buy a used car ( Pvt or dealer )
That's all want to see ------
do you ask for the original sales invoice for a 2nd hand car !
Cos it's Reg ( with a gov scheme @ Swansea ) - you just pass on the V5
.? How do you know the car tax and Vat was ever paid .?
You don,t you assume the folks @ Swansea with the V5 have taken care of that .
Try asking the used car sales person for " can I see the original sales invoice " otherwise I do not want a test drive .

 

[jfm]

I agree; I think Jez's document in post #5 is as good as it gets. That said, you might still get some dumb brit buyer who winges about the original purchase invoice but I think you'd get enough sensible ones that you need not worry about that scenario, and all non Brit buyers would love the document in post #5

 

[ufans]

Very well put --
Foreign brokers get exasperated with "Brit " insincetance on original invoice .
This is because there system of Reg (with displayed hull No) in Italy and France ,and guessing Spain ? - means the reg office knows who,s payed the tax when it first hit the water in the name of the first owner .
Also if it's Co owned (tax not payed )
The fact they then use the Reg system to collect forward annual "boat /wealth tax seems lost in potential Brit owners -who are fixated with original invoice .
When really the reg doc -says it all.

Buying a boat from a state with compulsory Reg for citizens ,is a doddle re vat status .
Compared to the Uk un regulated / none compulsory -, Reg boat system .

Think UK car V5,Swansea -when you sell /buy a used car ( Pvt or dealer )
That's all want to see ------
do you ask for the original sales invoice for a 2nd hand car !
Cos it's Reg ( with a gov scheme @ Swansea ) - you just pass on the V5
.? How do you know the car tax and Vat was ever paid .?
You don,t you assume the folks @ Swansea with the V5 have taken care of that .
Try asking the used car sales person for " can I see the original sales invoice " otherwise I do not want a test drive .

 

[rlw]

Not sure it is just a Brit thing. I had issues when I sold a boat with an incomplete invoice copy in Holland. This made me more alert to this the next time round. The thing is that you are depending on some burocrat or buyer in the country you are registering the boat to understand the value of the french registration document. The original invoice or copy can save a lot of hassle.

 

[westernman]

Not sure it is just a Brit thing. I had issues when I sold a boat with an incomplete invoice copy in Holland. This made me more alert to this the next time round. The thing is that you are depending on some burocrat or buyer in the country you are registering the boat to understand the value of the french registration document. The original invoice or copy can save a lot of hassle.

The document in #5 is really far better than anything else imaginable. It is an official document from the customs authorities saying that VAT has been paid on the boat in question (and incidentally is far more impressive than my official VAT receipt from UK customs when my boat was imported into the UK which is the a carbon copy of a handwritten receipt).

The original invoice from the constructor does not prove anything whatsoever.