VAT dilemma?

Seagreen

Seagreen

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Before you all groan "not f@cking VAT again", just read it and see.

Its just occurred to me I may have a problem. I have a very old wooden boat, so old in fact that when it was built, 70% of the world was run from London, and the American Civil War was just getting started. No, really.

As such, there is absolutely no construction receipts or anything with a VAT number on it. All I have is a list of owners and an entry into Lloyds register of Yachts for 1922. She's also now on the NRHV database, so that's a help, perhaps.

How do I "prove" her VAT status? Apart from a re-engining a few years ago, there's nothing VAT about her. I understand that HMRC no longer "give an opinion" though as far as I know, she has never in all her 150 years left the EU as it now is.

What does the panel advise?
 
Don't get your gribble packing it's bags yet, you have no problem at all! In the unlikely event they think she was built in the 1980s you have the copy of Lloyds register to prove she is well and truly exempt, in fact could probably claim historical status and apply for a lottery grant!
 
Robin said:
Don't get your gribble packing it's bags yet, you have no problem at all! In the unlikely event they think she was built in the 1980s you have the copy of Lloyds register to prove she is well and truly exempt, in fact could probably claim historical status and apply for a lottery grant!
Click to expand...

Well, she is on the NRHV as a historic vessel, and the grant thing may come in handy in future. I suppose the LLoyds register thing trumps the VAT question? That's the trouble with the VAT status as far as construction goes, but I can't prove that she hasn't been sold out of europe. Or can I? Her list of previous owners as far as I can tell were all UK nationals UK based as far back as the 1950's at least, so I don't think it likely that she was ever owned outside the EU.
 
Joking apart there is a date before which VAT did not exist and even my then boat from 1970s was safe. Most likely anyway is that she is on the full Part1 Registry (what used to be called the Blue Book) in which case even though it isn't on the new laminated flimsy Registration Document itself, the full ownership history will still exist in the Register itself, now in Cardiff.
 
I wouldn't sweat it.

In addition to what you've got already, my goal would be to evidence that a) you are a UK resident and b) that the vessel is based in the UK (for both of that mooring fees and some maintanence bills should do the trick)...........together that should mean any VAT issues are a matter for HMRC not Johnny Foreigner Customs Officer.

The longer you can show ownership (in the UK) - both you and others - the better to support the contention that the Vessel has not thiis week "magically" appeared within the EU - which would mean Johnny Foreigner can give you a VAT bill.

On the historic side of things, IMO wouldn't do any harm to have available a breif summary of her history (online / on paper) and mentioning now registered as a British historic vessel - therefore known to the UK authorities.........spoonfeeding officialdom never does any harm.

I think the "key" date was 1992 when if your vessel was in EU waters she was deemed VAT paid, ideally you would have mooring bills from that date - and every year onwards. But I doubt that is the case, nor needed in practice.
 
Nobody can say to you that no over zealous official in some foreign land will ever ask for such documents, but even with modern boats where VAT dodging has been known to occurr, this is a very rare event. The chances of you ever being asked are minimal, and if you are then you have the obvious age of the boat and your purchase bill of sale to help.

Forget it. With an old banger like that :D you have far more likely problems to worry about and to drain your finances.
 
Seagreen said:
Before you all groan "not f@cking VAT again", just read it and see.

Its just occurred to me I may have a problem. I have a very old wooden boat, so old in fact that when it was built, 70% of the world was run from London, and the American Civil War was just getting started. No, really.

As such, there is absolutely no construction receipts or anything with a VAT number on it. All I have is a list of owners and an entry into Lloyds register of Yachts for 1922. She's also now on the NRHV database, so that's a help, perhaps.

How do I "prove" her VAT status? Apart from a re-engining a few years ago, there's nothing VAT about her. I understand that HMRC no longer "give an opinion" though as far as I know, she has never in all her 150 years left the EU as it now is.

What does the panel advise?
Click to expand...

You don't need any adviuce from anybody here other than to go onto the RYA site, go to the section on VAT and it will tell you in simple language what your position is.

However, to save you the effort, any boat built before 1985 and in the EU in 1992 is "deemed VAT paid"

The Revenue has enough to do catching criminals to worry about people like you and your old boat - same applies to Revenue men in other EU states!
 
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