VAT on self built boats

[Skents]

Planning an Atlantic circuit via Spain/Portugal (outbound) and Azores, Uk (inbound). Built our own boat...no VAT paperwork apart from a bin bag full of receipts. From our conversations with RYA and HM Customs understand there is no single certificate available to show VAT paid status. Has anyone had similar experiences....if so, was it a bureacratic nightmare? Any suggestions? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[snowleopard]

i have the same problem. at one time the dover customs vat unit would issue a letter saying they were satisfied you had paid vat. they will no longer do so.

the advice is that you carry a selection of a dozen or so receipts of the main components- hull materials, engine, mast etc. this should be accepted by most EU authorities.

i presume you are also up to speed on the CE mark exemption issue? if you ever sell the boat you will need to prove that it is more than 5 years from completion. for that purpose i keep the receipt for my first launch. remember that if you peg out and leave your half of the boat to a spouse within 5 years that counts as a change of ownership and the survivor must immediately have the boat coded. the way to avoid the risk is to jointly own all 64 shares rather than 32 each.

 

[snowleopard]

p.s. during our cruise by the same route, no one ever asked about VAT. the nearest thing was customs in martinique who noticed that the SSR certificate says 'this does not constitute proof of ownership' and asked for proof. when i said i had all the papers on board and i'd row out to fetch them he backed off. probably only showing off his english. we were rummaged by the douanes in boulogne but they didn't ask about vat either.

chill.

 

[boatmike]

Absolutely correct.
Your point regarding original launch date is interesting. Especially as my reciepts for all bits predate the launch date considerably......
In the absence of proof of first launching I wonder what the assumption would be.....

 

[Joe_Cole]

[ QUOTE ]
i have the same problem. at one time the dover customs vat unit would issue a letter saying they were satisfied you had paid vat. they will no longer do so.

the advice is that you carry a selection of a dozen or so receipts of the main components- hull materials, engine, mast etc. this should be accepted by most EU authorities.



[/ QUOTE ]

Just a thought. I have had similar problems with these bureaucrats (Inland Revenue; on another matter altogether). I needed confirmation from them about documentation which they were reluctant to give. I pestered them relentlessly, but always politely, always quoting their own regulations, always referring to their own correspondence. When ever they tried to make a point I questioned their basis for saying ("which regulation are you referring to?", which bit of legislation etc etc) In the end they gave up and gave me what I needed.

At the end of it they are public servants and they are obliged to serve us. Unfortunaely they also like to find ways to say "No"!

It may be worth trying to wear them down!