Italy: monster tax on national and foreign boats ?

[Roberto]

Yesterday, the Italian Government announced the (another) new economic mesures; during the press conference they announced taxes on planes, sports cars and boats.


There is no official detail yet (not even in the Govt web site), but rumours abound of a tax which will be levied starting May 2012 to all boats, national and foreign, sailing, anchoring or mooring inside the territorial waters.

The brackets would be as follows

No tax for LOA under 10m
10.01 - 12m --> 7 euro a day
12-14m --> 12 euro a day
14-17 --> 40 euro a day
17-24 --> 75 euro a day
>24m --> 150 euro a day

50% reduction for boats kept on the hard.



Someone may remember a few years ago Sardinia introduced a similar tax.



**Just a (persistent) rumour for the moment** , it looks so suicidal to defy reason, I will add more as official news come out.



Should it prove true, if anyone wants to secure a berth in Croatia, Ionian Greece or Corsica.. better hurry up

 

[BrianH]

Yesterday, the Italian Government announced the (another) new economic mesures; during the press conference they announced taxes on planes, sports cars and boats.
There is no official detail yet (not even in the Govt web site), but rumours abound of a tax which will be levied starting May 2012 to all boats, national and foreign, sailing, anchoring or mooring inside the territorial waters.
The brackets would be as follows
No tax for LOA under 10m
10.01 - 12m --> 7 euro a day
12-14m --> 12 euro a day
14-17 --> 40 euro a day
17-24 --> 75 euro a day
>24m --> 150 euro a day
50% reduction for boats kept on the hard.
Someone may remember a few years ago Sardinia introduced a similar tax.
**Just a (persistent) rumour for the moment** , it looks so suicidal to defy reason, I will add more as official news come out.
Should it prove true, if anyone wants to secure a berth in Croatia, Ionian Greece or Corsica.. better hurry up

When I bought my 9.4m (31') boat one of the reasons I was intent on remaining below 10m was that I wanted to remain in my Italian marina where the cost of a mooring for a 10m berth was what I felt was sustainable on my retirement pension - anything larger was unnecessary for my single-handed living aboard and sailing plans.

Then an Italian friend recently gave me another reason. He said that if/when I wanted to sell in Italy, Italians are very interested in buying sub 10m boats with good accommodation as they do not have to be compulsorily registered - many would rather not do that in case the Guardia di Finanza ask where the money came from.

Now Roberto, you have given me a third reason. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[Sy-Revolution]

.......How long before the Greeks follow suit? Back to Tunisia then!

 

[Roberto]

Update

This is the Govt proposal to the Parliement

daily rates are lower

a) euro 5 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 10,01 metri a 12 metri;
b) euro 8 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 12,01 metri a 14 metri;
c) euro 10 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 14,01 a 17 metri;
d) euro 30 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 17,01 a 24 metri;
e) euro 90 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 24,01 a 34 metri;
f) euro 207 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 34,01 a 44 metri;
g) euro 372 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 44,01 a 54 metri;
h) euro 521 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 54,01 a 64 metri;
i) euro 703 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza superiore a 64 metri.


There is a 15% - 30% - 40% reduction for boats aged respectively 5 - 10 - 15 or more years.
Sailboats appear to be given a 50% reduction.


*monster* tax probably not the right word, seems just another tax..

 

[chrisgee]

This is the Govt proposal to the Parliement

daily rates are lower

a) euro 5 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 10,01 metri a 12 metri;
b) euro 8 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 12,01 metri a 14 metri;
c) euro 10 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 14,01 a 17 metri;
d) euro 30 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 17,01 a 24 metri;
e) euro 90 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 24,01 a 34 metri;
f) euro 207 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 34,01 a 44 metri;
g) euro 372 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 44,01 a 54 metri;
h) euro 521 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza da 54,01 a 64 metri;
i) euro 703 per le unità con scafo di lunghezza superiore a 64 metri.


There is a 15% - 30% - 40% reduction for boats aged respectively 5 - 10 - 15 or more years.
Sailboats appear to be given a 50% reduction.


*monster* tax probably not the right word, seems just another tax..

So for me 5 euros a day , less 30% for 10 year old boat =3.5 a day ,less 50 % for a sailboat= 1.75 a day less perhaps 30% an poor old pensioner=.88 a day which could just manage. I dream on !!

 

[CharlesSwallow]

What if...

...we buy a caravan, lined with Connolly Hide, Mother of Pearl and Bird's Eye Maple and drive it through Italy? Will we be charged this tax? I think not! "Yacht" is a word which attracts a certain reaction in the "great unwashed" and gives their politicians and all those others in the euro5h1t region an excuse to perform STATE ROBBERY and do so to the cheers of people who will, of their own efforts ammount to zilch.

Have I got it wrong? Don't you impose a tax to DISCOURAGE something, like smoking, boozing or excessive energy usage? Do the Italians want to discourage visitors in boats?

Impose it on your own "taxpayers" but don't charge it to your visitors - your CUSTOMERS, you dumphuks. Which part of "economic suicide" don't you understand? They daren't impose higher rates of income tax for fear of riots in their streets so take the soft option and penalise foreigners: but sadly, also their tourist industry, to what will be a devastating extent.

Chas

 

[CharlesSwallow]

.......How long before the Greeks follow suit? Back to Tunisia then!

Oh! DON'T encourage them!

Chas

 

[Andy and Lyn]

**New Italian Boat Tax **

Not good news I'm afraid! We will of course keep you posted if/when we
get further information.

Our HLR, George Rizzo, who is based in Siciliy has just sent the
following information:-

"The newly appointed Italian government has presented parliament with
a set of austerity measures to save the Italian economy. As it stands,
boat owners / users (including foreign visiting yachts) will be
subjected to a daily tax for the duration of their stay within italian
waters. This will come into effect on the 1st May 2012 and the
proposed tax per day is as follows:

a) euro 5 - from 10,01m to 12m;

b) euro 8 - 12,01m to 14m;

c) euro 10 - 14,01m to 17m;

d) euro 30 - 17,01m to 24m;

e) euro 90 - 24,01 to 34m;

f) euro 207 - 34,01m to 44m;

g) euro 372 - 44,01m to 54m;

h) euro 521 - 54,01m to 64m;

I) euro 703 - above 64m.

The above measurements are intended as overall length in accordance
with EN/ISO/DIS 8666 Small Craft Principal Data.

The above daily tax rates will be reduced by 50% for all sailing
yachts with an auxiliary engine. It is however still unclear whether
this reduction will be restricted to sailing yachts between 10 and 12m
or whether the 50% reduction will apply to any sailing yacht of any
length..

Further reductions of the above rates will be applied to all yachts in
accordance with the age of the yacht calculated with effect from the
1st january subsequent to the year of manufacture. The reductions are
as follows:

- 5 years and over - 15%;
- 10 years and over - 30%;
- 15 years and over - 40%.

All yachts undergoing yard maintenance will not be liable to pay tax
for the duration of works.

The penalty for late, partial or non payment of the tax will be a
charge between 200 and 300 % over and above the amount of tax evaded.

This is certainly not good news for the yachting industry in Italy and
I fear that many CA members wintering in Italy will choose to winter
elsewhere at the end of the 2012 cruising season.

 

[Andy and Lyn]

was going to go bigger/better/longer - this has finally convinced me that refitting my old Westerly (9.4m) is the way forward!!

 

[James Marinero]

I'll be gone...

...by May 2012, but I suspect that this sort of stuff is all hot air. They have to be seen to be doing something now that S&P have put the Eurozone on suicide watch.

They'll fudge their way out of it. It's their black economy that need sorting. Punitive taxation is denial of reality, and doesn't address the fundamental problem of unrestrained government spending in cradle to grave democracies. Except Germany, that is.

IMHO

 

[jimbaerselman]

.......How long before the Greeks follow suit? Back to Tunisia then!

The Greeks have had such a charge in law since at least 1984. It's around €4 a day for 12m, irrespective of whether it's motor or sail boat. However, although the law allows it, they very rarely collect the charge from boats at anchor, and don't collect in many busy leisure harbours. They were re-writing the rules to improve collection, but that seems to be on a back burner while their budget crises are being handled.

The Spanish collect their small T5 tax more diligently, so do the Portuguese.

The Croatians are very thorough, and much more expensive if you include the per head sejour tax as well entry fees and anchorage concessions. Montenegro picks up a biggish entry fee . . . though it lasts a long time. More time than you need to explore the place, but good for wintering.

For a 10 year old 12m sail yacht, by comparison, this tiddly little Italian €2.125 per day tax is nothing. And the mechanism for collecting is not clear - is it really worth trying to collect such a small amount from a yacht in transit spending a week in the country? Cost of collection will be higher than the fees generated.

Mind you, those fees for boats over 24m well worth collecting! And if owners can afford that large a yacht . . . ? Now that is a monster contribution!

But it's not law yet, and there's detail to be sorted.

You'll see up to date details about boat charges in most of these countries on my web site, in the "Going Foreign" tab, "Country Specific Regs". . Select your country of interest from the right hand menu . . .

 

[BigJoe]

.

**New Italian Boat Tax **

I hope the Spansh dont follow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ariadne]

Well the Sardinians never enforced that tax did they, only the fees for the Madelana's to keep it nice for Prince Charles and his super rich pals!!!

 

[Roberto]

update

Update

The reduction due to the age of the boat has been scrapped; the 50% reduction for sailboats remains.

 

[Blueboatman]

It will cost as much to collect and administer, esp the 'at anchor' bits. Now there's a surprise.
Wot they going to use to shoot their other bureaucratic wellieboot with?

 

[multihullsailor6]

I think this is an outrageous and stupid tax with which the Italians are going to shoot themselves in their feet! Another attempt to ruin their boating industry!

For me, well I guess any stay in Italian waters has thus been scrapped, I'll happily boycott them and sail directly to / from Malta and Tunisia.

 

[CptBlood]

I am already tracing the route out of this stupid country...heading west, out of EU for sure

 

[blueglass]

The Italians have already priced themselves out of my company with their punitive marina charges. If they needed another nail for their coffin this is it.

 

[multihullsailor6]

Just thinking with my fingers on the keyboard about the stiff late payment charge:

So there I am, 5 days at anchor somewhere in Italian waters and the tax collector turns up on day 5 - does that mean I am 4 days late? If so I'd be sending off my daily payment via Bottle Post!

Or I'm just out of cash and there is no ATM in the nearest village, what now? Will he be able to debit one of my banking / credit cards at the anchorage?

Interesting times ahead!

 

[ccscott49]

Maybe time to return to UK, Had enough of this rubbish, never knowing who is going to have his hand in your pocket next. Plus my wooden boat is suffering with drying out, only problem is I love it in the meddy!! I of course am a really rich barsteward with a 17m boat!! Oh! Joy!