wwalsh
Active member
Same with the now defunct light Dutch registration, some people are using Polish registration an EU flag, for non vat paid boat.
The Polish maritime authorities have tightened requirements
- Thread starter Lorrendraaier
- Start date
westernman
Well-known member
But you still pay the same amount of tax as if it was French registered. (DAFN or whatever the new name is).
No real advantage of not registering it in France.
Roberto
Well-known member
Absolutely. There is still a small incentive for self built boats, some countries have less stringent requirements than France, but numbers are very marginal.
Plus, suppose one activates an epirb: the first relevant MRCC will be the one of the boat flag, imagine the shore contact being the average French person with basic to no command of English talking to and discussing details of the distressed boat/crew with a Polish SAR official...
Re the French tax, it depends upon various factors, for my old 40' I pay less than 100euro/year, if that goes to finance buoys, beacons, maintenance, protect specific shore locations, plus the excellent safety coverage by the mrcc (one can do everything direct through the internet, from announcing a passage to describing his boat/habits), I am happy to pay it
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Bouba
Well-known member
Also remember (if the law wasn’t changed) that even small motorboats in France are taxed on their engines...but the state decides that it’s not worth the effort to collect. It’s their prerogative to change their mind
Tranona
Well-known member
If it is a privately owned non VAT paid boat then it can only be in the EU under TA, one of the conditions being that it must be registered outside the EU (and owned by a non EU registered. So a non VAT paid boat unless owned as an asset by a business on the EU is illegal. I expect that people are doing what you say believing that the EU flag signifies an "EU" boast when there is no such thing. VAT is nothing to do with flag of registration unless it is a third country owned boat applying for TA as described. Freedom of circulation of a boat within the EU is a function of VAT payment irrespective of flag - there are many British flagged boats in the EU because they are EU VAT paid.
Roberto
Well-known member
Indeed, it was a scam. Buy say a US-registered boat, get the Dutch ICP (they did not check if VAT paid or not), ask for a radiation certificate from the ICP, use that to get on another EU register: not knowing exactly what the ICP was but just reading "Netherlands" on the paper, the eventual register often thought oh coming from a EU country, so VAT paid, here are your documents Sir.
After all the mess with migrants and NGO ship registered under the ICP, it eventually became clear (and loudly made so by the Dutch officials) that the ICP gave no title whatsoever to fly the Netherlands flag and was plain worthless as tax document.
Koeketiene
Well-known member
Yes and no.
I have a certificate stating that I'm exempt.
The formula used to calculate the tax takes into account the length and age of the boat as well as the 'fiscal hp' of the engine.
Taxes below 75 EUR p/a are not collected - for us the tax would have 'amounted' to 46 EUR.
Bouba
Well-known member
My French annual tax for a SINGLE engine boat of ONLY 34 ft.....is.....wait for it.....€1500
westernman
Well-known member
It is because you have a big engine. (1226 for 6.7litre 39CV engine and 274 for the hull).My French annual tax for a SINGLE engine boat of ONLY 34 ft.....is.....wait for it.....€1500
If you had a pair of Man V12X (29.6 litres, 170CV) then you would get really stung (21,708 euros for the engines).
But you could then outrun the douanes when they come after you.
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Bouba
Well-known member
That’s very good advice
...it will also save me money because I won’t need a place in the port while I’m on the run