New tax for foreign yachts based in Greece from 1st January 2014????

[vyv_cox]

It certainly has. I believe they won't hook up the utilities until the tax bill is paid off.

Good news! Things are moving forward slowly then, can only benefit the overall situation.

 

[Norman_E]

It might be a good idea to stop posting on here until someone actually gets asked to pay, or tries to pay and discovers that no systems exist to do so.

 

[1bobt]

Would that work with my boat? It's not finished yet but I could find the time to fit some rebar on the canopy.

Hey!!!! it only just been painted white!!!!!!

 

[NornaBiron]

It might be a good idea to stop posting on here until someone actually gets asked to pay, or tries to pay and discovers that no systems exist to do so.

We tried yesterday and today but no PPs in the office, will try again tomorrow and report back

 

[Bertramdriver]

TaxisNet, the electronic portal for tax transactions, was back in operation Thursday afternoon after a technical glitch prevented users, mainly motorists wishing to pay road tax for 2014, from accessing the site during the morning hours.

Speaking to Skai, the Finance Ministry's general secretary for revenues Haris Theocharis said the system had been down due to maintenance and that the necessary adjustments were now in place.

Is this what they're cooking up for us? Payment through Taxisnet?

 

[NornaBiron]

TaxisNet, the electronic portal for tax transactions, was back in operation Thursday afternoon after a technical glitch prevented users, mainly motorists wishing to pay road tax for 2014, from accessing the site during the morning hours.

Speaking to Skai, the Finance Ministry's general secretary for revenues Haris Theocharis said the system had been down due to maintenance and that the necessary adjustments were now in place.

Is this what they're cooking up for us? Payment through Taxisnet?

You'll probably need a tax number to use the site!

 

[Bertramdriver]

You'll probably need a tax number to use the site!

Or a SSR or Part one registration number?

It would be typical of the apparatchiks to put the responsibility back on us to find an access point , register and pay.

 

[Nostrodamus]

About time for someone to do a poll.. who will leave, who will go etc

 

[Glyka]

FWIW I haven't paid, neither any of the guys in Delta Marina that I have spoken to has. Actually they never heard of it (neither would I if I wasn't following this thread, actually).

 

[NornaBiron]

Or a SSR or Part one registration number?

It would be typical of the apparatchiks to put the responsibility back on us to find an access point , register and pay.

I don't think an SSR or Part 1 registration number will help much with accessing the Greek tax system!

 

[Tony Cross]

From Kathimerini yesterday:

The Greek Marinas Association (GMA) has reported a number of departures of foreign-owned yachts due to the new charges imposed since the start of the year on recreational vessels.

International organizations, associations and unions active in the maritime tourism domain have informed their members about the new increased taxation Greece has imposed on yachts. The GMA has also been informed about certain strong foreign associations, which have many members on their registers, that may resort to the competent authorities of the European Union to protest the tax hike.

International reports also cite the possibility that Greek tax and customs authorities could bar yachts from leaving local marinas if their owners are unable to pay the additional charges. In that context they note that unless the charges are paid this year, the obligation for their payment will be carried over to next year.

According to GMA data, yacht owners mostly from the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany and Austria have taken their boats from Greece to marinas at rival maritime tourism destinations such as Croatia, Montenegro and Turkey.

In comments about the new taxation, owners say that it constitutes a counterincentive for sailing into Greek waters, that Turkey will benefit and that there will be some revenue loss for local economies and marinas as well as for the country in general. As an example, GMA says that the cost according to the new charges for a 12-meter vessel docking at a regional marina in Greece would be 20 percent higher on average compared with last year.

The association further noted that when Italy applied a similar tax policy of high charges in 2012, it witnessed the departure of 30,000 yachts. That development, it added, led the Italian government to exempt foreign owners of private boats from the payment of the additional charges.

Earlier the local authorities in Sardinia had also applied high charges on boats, but that decision was withdrawn when owners resorted to the European authorities asking for compensation, GMA reminded.

Source: http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_1_02/01/2014_534439

 

[Bertramdriver]

Hi Tony somehow your strap line" Let's make better mistakes tomorrow " seems ironically prophetic. Are you advising the Greek government by any chance?

 

[Tony Cross]

Hi Tony somehow your strap line" Let's make better mistakes tomorrow " seems ironically prophetic. Are you advising the Greek government by any chance?

I wish. Actually I first saw that on the wall in the marina office here. Hardly inspires confidence does it?

 

[Tony Cross]

This might be more disinformation but I thought it worth passing on.

I spent some time this morning talking about this tax with a local who operates a number of large (over 15m) charter yachts, mostly big motor yachts chartered from the luxury hotels at Elounda, and he generally knows what's going on. He told me that his friends in the port police have received no notification about this tax at all, he is also quite certain that it's not done and dusted yet. He also is sure that by the time it's implemented there will again be a distinction between motor yachts and sailing yachts, he told me that it has always been understood that there is a difference between the way motor yachts and sailing yachts are taxed.

He thinks that when it is implemented it will be collected by the port police and the only notification we (as non-Greeks) will probably get is the first time we check in or out of a port after the tax is implemented. The port police there will tell us that we also have this tax to pay. He thinks the chances of anyone being fined are zero, certainly in the first year.

He has promised to let me know as soon as he hears anything official about this tax, he told me he gets to hear pretty early on about tax changes, he is a fairly influential guy and very well known in the yachting community here.

 

[NornaBiron]

This might be more disinformation but I thought it worth passing on.

I spent some time this morning talking about this tax with a local who operates a number of large (over 15m) charter yachts, mostly big motor yachts chartered from the luxury hotels at Elounda, and he generally knows what's going on. He told me that his friends in the port police have received no notification about this tax at all, he is also quite certain that it's not done and dusted yet. He also is sure that by the time it's implemented there will again be a distinction between motor yachts and sailing yachts, he told me that it has always been understood that there is a difference between the way motor yachts and sailing yachts are taxed.

He thinks that when it is implemented it will be collected by the port police and the only notification we (as non-Greeks) will probably get is the first time we check in or out of a port after the tax is implemented. The port police there will tell us that we also have this tax to pay. He thinks the chances of anyone being fined are zero, certainly in the first year.

He has promised to let me know as soon as he hears anything official about this tax, he told me he gets to hear pretty early on about tax changes, he is a fairly influential guy and very well known in the yachting community here.

We had a conversation with a local here in Elounda yesterday. He said pretty much the same thing.

My daily visits to find Elounda's PP are now on hold!

 

[Chris_Robb]

This might be more disinformation but I thought it worth passing on.

I spent some time this morning talking about this tax with a local who operates a number of large (over 15m) charter yachts, mostly big motor yachts chartered from the luxury hotels at Elounda, and he generally knows what's going on. He told me that his friends in the port police have received no notification about this tax at all, he is also quite certain that it's not done and dusted yet. He also is sure that by the time it's implemented there will again be a distinction between motor yachts and sailing yachts, he told me that it has always been understood that there is a difference between the way motor yachts and sailing yachts are taxed.

He thinks that when it is implemented it will be collected by the port police and the only notification we (as non-Greeks) will probably get is the first time we check in or out of a port after the tax is implemented. The port police there will tell us that we also have this tax to pay. He thinks the chances of anyone being fined are zero, certainly in the first year.

He has promised to let me know as soon as he hears anything official about this tax, he told me he gets to hear pretty early on about tax changes, he is a fairly influential guy and very well known in the yachting community here.

Tony - Happy new year!
As a matter of interest or practicality, when paying port police, can you pay by credit or debit card? Otherwise the thought of paying the full wack in cash on your first visit to Port Police - for those to whom this will be a surprise - they may have problems getting hold of the cash. They will need to address this, and or enable transfers from a UK bank account. I would really not want to open a Greek Bank accounts for this sole purpose.

Perhaps JimB could pick up on this in their negotiations.

 

[pcatterall]

I keep seeing this thread and dipping in but as I am not in or going to Greece this year I have not read it all.
If I do decide to go over to the eastern Med and just want to call in Greece 'en passage' what will I be charged ( 10m sailing yacht)

 

[Chris_Robb]

I keep seeing this thread and dipping in but as I am not in or going to Greece this year I have not read it all.
If I do decide to go over to the eastern Med and just want to call in Greece 'en passage' what will I be charged ( 10m sailing yacht)

At the moment it would be better not to waste your time checking as its all up in the air. Wait a month and it may all become clear - though I would imagine that there will still be multiple interpretations of it!

 

[duncan99210]

At the moment it would be better not to waste your time checking as its all up in the air. Wait a month and it may all become clear - though I would imagine that there will still be multiple interpretations of it!

Or three or four.....

 

[BurnitBlue]

What about the guide book authors like Rod Heikel. I believe he posts on this forum. It would be interesting to hear his opinion and if he can exert some influence. Perhaps via the CA as a "big name" that I am sure will carry some weight and respect with the ministry.