floatything
New member
Recent announcements from Brussels suggest that sailors are to be once again
penalised if they continue to try and avoid paying duty on fuel by using the
wind.
The main issue is wind direction, or rather, the *source* of the wind. It
seems that South Easterlies, because they blow from areas *within* the EU
will remain exempt from the new tax, whilst North Westerlies, having come
from areas outside of the EU will be taxed on an incremental scale, directly
in proportion to the Beaufort scale (with a multiplying factor of four). By
this means, lighter non-EU sourced winds of say force 2 Bft will only be
charged at 8% WAT whilst a NW force 7 will incur 28% WAT. This is seen as
providing the fairest means of levying WAT, as smaller yachts are unlikely
to sail in the stronger winds, whilst 'super yachts' owned by the wealthy,
will be taxed at the higher WAT rate during those times that they are out
in stronger winds. Compulsory metering will not be introduced until 2010.
Discussions are continuing as to the tax status of Easterlies and South
Easterlies that are imported from the United States. Brussels is concerned
as to the possible reaction of French sailors to any wind agreement with the
US, and already rumours of a French blockade of all Easterly winds are
circulating. It is well known that the United States has an excess of
high-Beaufort Wind and the French are concerned that unless some form of
trade wind restrictions are put in place then Europe may find itself the
dumping ground for cheap American hurricanes.
Discussions are continuing as to the exact form that the tide tax will take,
and whether it will be based on the 'tidal flow' system supported by the
Germans, or the 'height of tide' tax favoured by the Swiss, who are arguing
for a high water exemption on the basis that they have no taxable tide.
Your Brussels correspondent,
Floatything
penalised if they continue to try and avoid paying duty on fuel by using the
wind.
The main issue is wind direction, or rather, the *source* of the wind. It
seems that South Easterlies, because they blow from areas *within* the EU
will remain exempt from the new tax, whilst North Westerlies, having come
from areas outside of the EU will be taxed on an incremental scale, directly
in proportion to the Beaufort scale (with a multiplying factor of four). By
this means, lighter non-EU sourced winds of say force 2 Bft will only be
charged at 8% WAT whilst a NW force 7 will incur 28% WAT. This is seen as
providing the fairest means of levying WAT, as smaller yachts are unlikely
to sail in the stronger winds, whilst 'super yachts' owned by the wealthy,
will be taxed at the higher WAT rate during those times that they are out
in stronger winds. Compulsory metering will not be introduced until 2010.
Discussions are continuing as to the tax status of Easterlies and South
Easterlies that are imported from the United States. Brussels is concerned
as to the possible reaction of French sailors to any wind agreement with the
US, and already rumours of a French blockade of all Easterly winds are
circulating. It is well known that the United States has an excess of
high-Beaufort Wind and the French are concerned that unless some form of
trade wind restrictions are put in place then Europe may find itself the
dumping ground for cheap American hurricanes.
Discussions are continuing as to the exact form that the tide tax will take,
and whether it will be based on the 'tidal flow' system supported by the
Germans, or the 'height of tide' tax favoured by the Swiss, who are arguing
for a high water exemption on the basis that they have no taxable tide.
Your Brussels correspondent,
Floatything
