Greek Cruising Tax update from the CA

[Resolution]

Vic, We were prompted to go for an agent because for weeks I had been reading Chris's tales of the procedures to register on line and the struggles some peeps were having to complete eg payments etc. Our time was short as we had a schedule to meet up with others and I did not want to risk wasting a day or more getting my registration in a mess. It is probably also true that I am poor at paperwork hassles, lose my cool too easily, and thought that 80 euros was a fair trade-off. My respect to those of you who breeze through these things!
Regarding country cost comparisons, in recent years we have also sailed in Mallorca, Sardinia and Corsica, all of which seemed much more pricey than our experiences in Greece and Turkey. Some great sailing experiences, but the cost of living in Northern Sardinia was quite memorable :eek-new:

 

[Chris_Robb]

Vic
Chris had his fingers on view last night, not a view for the squeamish like me:disgust:
On the subject of Greek costs, we have just spent a few weeks in the Cyclades, over from Turkey. Total costs of official paperwork and taxes were approx Euro 500 (for a 13 metre boat and using a most effective agent in Patmos**). Compared with our annual costs for berthing, servicing and airfares, this is noticeable but not prohibitive. And there are enough really nice bits of the Cyclades to make it worthwhile. Better value IMHO than in the Western Med.

** They met us on arrival took our ships papers and did all the form filling, filing and payments etc for us. Cost Euro 80 and took them most of a day, during which we climbed to the monastery and back and then had a pretty decent lunch. Sorry Chris for passing over your detailed and exhaustive instructions!

Peter

Peter had had a few to many Rum and Cokes and got confused with the cocktail sausages I was holding...

Vic - you have so much more experience than I have in the Med that I bow to your experience. Peter and I are there for significantly less time each year, so we can never be travelling to new cruising grounds every year. I get around as much as possible with in an area - Marinas are not important in my itinerary - Safe wonderful anchorages are. Its a major commitment to me to move to say Croatia from the Aegean given that we would have 2 x 1 month periods to do it and be sorted for the summer layup and winter. Also given my recent penchant for early termination of sailing that does not give encouragement!

The one thing I particularly hate is mass crowds and having to stand guard at evening docking time effectively keeping you on board until the daily chaos has died down. I rather play golf (Peter says that I dont have the patience for that)

Hope to bump into you one day Vic

 

[sailaboutvic]

Chris and Peter ,
I fully understand that people like your self who as base in Greece or Turkey , its more convenient to stay local and the cost of moving to say a marina in Italy would be much more then just staying and paying the tax , I also understand that some might want to go home in the hottest months so again more convenient to stay in one country close to their base .
For us it's not the case , even when we in Greece we may spend the whole year like last year or just use it as a stepping stone only spend part of the time , crossing to Turkey or Croatia in between then returning for the autumn when it quiet ,before heading off .

so we have to weigh up is it worth our while to pay , and no matter what way we look at it it isn't .
We don't keep account , really if I think what we spend each year cruising I think I be heading back to the uk tomorrow , so the only way I can tell if one place is more expensive then any is by what we put away each week to live on , that included wines which Christine loves , I don't drink that much but I love my sundowner , mostly women drinks haha Martina and Malibu , don't say a word guys ,
we have a wallet to one side which we put in €150 each week to see us through
shopping and drink , the odd week we go over because we run out lots of stuff , but we are normally within that figure, this how it was in Greece last year and it's just the same as we spend time this year in Malta ,Sicily,Italy and now in France which we only just been a few days. I let you know peter how Sardinia is , we not cruise there since 2013 .

I admin if we use marinas it be very different but we don't , like you chris I have a really problem and each year I get worst dealing with people who shouldn't be on boats , the crowds get me down and I cant tell you how much damage we had on boats over the years everyone in Greece .
I promise you we had one of the best season for a while are far as having anchorage for our self , not a charter boat in sight , ok it's not Aug yet and it may well change .

We met one forum member the other day who heading for Greece , a nice 35 boat , some how people Seen. to come up to us and ask me if I am Vic , I offer asked them first if I own them any money then follow by asking if he offended them on the forum, if the answer is no to both I put my hands up , haha
One or two people who I disagree on here turn out to be really nice people and we had a great laugh .
We was with Vyv the other year , really nice guy bend over backward to help others out , ok maybe I should rephrase that .

Any way guys I too hope one day we catch up , but Chris I think you got your work cut out for you first , you need to get the tax reduced for over 12 mts .

 

[alexsailor]

I love Greece ?

 

[Caladh]

I love Greece ��

+1. Am I the only one getting a little fed up with Sailaboutvics continual ranting on about the cost of cruising Greece? ... Maybe another thread...

 

[sailaboutvic]

+1. Am I the only one getting a little fed up with Sailaboutvics continual ranting on about the cost of cruising Greece? ... Maybe another thread...

Oh dear oh dear , I remember your comment next time I see you in Corfu marina , if I wish to answer a a posting refer to me by people I have had contact with I will , if it happen to get to you then just don't read it .
People really need to be careful especially when they do things that shouldn't be doing .

 

[GTom]

Before we start complaining about the Greek tax, take a look on the Croatian one.

Everybody has to compare his/her specific cost of cruising, which goes beyond taxes and mooring costs.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Before we start complaining about the Greek tax, take a look on the Croatian one.

Everybody has to compare his/her specific cost of cruising, which goes beyond taxes and mooring costs.

I would like too relpy to your posting Tom ,
but if I do some will say I am having another fit.

 

[Cariadco]

Anyways, back to the Tax.......
Tried twice to send the payment from my bank. Failed both times. First one was my error, second I've no idea.
(The money was re-credited into my account, automatically after a couple of days)
Gave up and went to a local Post Office.
Bish Bash Bosh, all done..!!

 

[Caladh]

Oh dear oh dear , I remember your comment next time I see you in Corfu marina , if I wish to answer a a posting refer to me by people I have had contact with I will , if it happen to get to you then just don't read it .
People really need to be careful especially when they do things that shouldn't be doing .

I rest my case M'lud...

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I rest my case M'lud...

I find Vic's posting very entertaining and helpful,as you know he has difficulty expressing himself with the written word .
However he has loads of knowledge that he gives freely and a great help to this forum that I have been a member from its conception.1998
Please refrain from the personal abuse.

 

[Davy_S]

I find Vic's posting very entertaining and helpful,as you know he has difficulty expressing himself with the written word .
However he has loads of knowledge that he gives freely and a great help to this forum that I have been a member from its conception.1998
Please refrain from the personal abuse.

:encouragement:

 

[Mistroma]

I find Vic's posting very entertaining and helpful,as you know he has difficulty expressing himself with the written word .
However he has loads of knowledge that he gives freely and a great help to this forum that I have been a member from its conception.1998
Please refrain from the personal abuse.

Agree.

 

[jordanbasset]

Have renewed my Tepai for a further 2 months online, checked 2 days later and it was all sorted with the Tepai showing paid.

 

[Resolution]

I'm curious why anyone would need the pay an agent to do their paperwork in Greece. It's so straightforward and takes little time. I've just returned to Turkey after 3 weeks cruising in the Aegean and I have to say the check in/out procedure is so easy. I'd say check in took me 45 minutes visiting passport control, customs and port police and check out around half an hour. My boat is 10.3m so my tax for 2 months was €66, the transit log €30, check in charge €15 and check out fee on departure €5. As far as I know the charges are the same regardless of boat size apart from the tax so it's difficult to see how it could be €500 unless you paid more than 2 months tax.

Irish
Found the invoice yesterday.
Transit Log Euro 50
Arrival formalities 15
Port dues /mooring 30
Agency fee 80
_________

175
VAT 24% 42
_______
217
2 months TEPAI 207.20
________
Total 424.20

You win for spending less, but my crew of four felt the agency cost pretty bearable, so no complaints.
Peter

 

[Irish Rover]

Irish
Found the invoice yesterday.
Transit Log Euro 50
Arrival formalities 15
Port dues /mooring 30
Agency fee 80
_________

175
VAT 24% 42
_______
217
2 months TEPAI 207.20
________
Total 424.20

You win for spending less, but my crew of four felt the agency cost pretty bearable, so no complaints.
Peter

I sometimes pay others to do things I could easily do myself so no criticism from me. I was genuinely just curious as the procedure is so straightforward especially on a transit log as you just pay the TEPAI to customs along with the transit log fee. By the way as far as I know the transit log fee should only be €30 and I don't think your agent should be charging VAT except on his own fee.

 

[vasant]

hi
as you probably know there s a new government in greece which is normally no news, but these guys claim to want to dismantle buerocracy and they claim to have it high on their agenda.
So maybe it would make some sense to adress again the topics like the tax, DEKPA, getting subscribed into the e-register (this is a major PITA) etc.
who knows...

 

[Irish Rover]

Privatisation is also high on their agenda and the privatisation of the ports could well be among the revenue generating measures which will be looked at. Berthing on town walls could soon be a thing of the past.

 

[GTom]

hi
as you probably know there s a new government in greece which is normally no news, but these guys claim to want to dismantle buerocracy and they claim to have it high on their agenda.
So maybe it would make some sense to adress again the topics like the tax, DEKPA, getting subscribed into the e-register (this is a major PITA) etc.
who knows...

I doubt that interest of foreign yachtees are high on their agenda. If they reduce bureaucracy, they will do it where it's most visible to the masses of their voting folk.

 

[Chris_Robb]

hi
as you probably know there s a new government in greece which is normally no news, but these guys claim to want to dismantle buerocracy and they claim to have it high on their agenda.
So maybe it would make some sense to adress again the topics like the tax, DEKPA, getting subscribed into the e-register (this is a major PITA) etc.
who knows...

Vasant - We have been already talking to them about removing the DEKPA bureaucracy which is soo out of line with the E-Tepai as to be untrue.
The previous government in 2014 slashed PP involvement - but then they lost, and it all ca,e back.

Problem now is I need to make new contacts - not tried yet as it headless chicken time.....

But yes - and with the money and programming needed to sort the E-TEPAI out and DEKPA we hope they might ditch the lot! If they made an entirely E based system they might actually make it simple and unobstructive and make it profitable...... If they then invested the money in yachting infrastructure (that I dont want -its why I like Greece!) they could get public support instead of kicking the shit out of their visitors if they make an honest mistake!