VAT Petition - UK Boats in the EU

So here we go .
UK vat boat do have 18 months TA in the EU
EU flag boats which are EU VAT paid have TA in the UK
But if you have a boat which is ssr register that would mean the ower has to be resident in the UK and as a UK resident you can't have a boat in the UK without being UK vat paid .
Only way around it is if your boat was registered under an EU flag
 
Alicatt said:
I have no boat at the moment, I'm looking for a 10m or so cabin cruiser, it has been about 15 years since my last one.
I I have had to apply for residency in Belgium to be with my family, it has not been granted yet so I am still domiciled at my house in the UK.
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Once you get your boat where are you plain to use it?
As that whats going to depend if best to buy in the UK or the EU.
Edit plus it also going to depend where you can register the boat to.
 
sailaboutvic said:
You really should read what the petition about before commenting,
As always I'm OK Jack.
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I know exactly what the petition is about because I own and run a company which has been adversely affected by the new VAT rules that came into force on Jan 1st but I won't be signing this petition. And the reason for that is that a good proportion of the people whining about the new VAT rules will have voted for this Brexit clusterf**k in the first place, despite being warned about its consequences. I even see one or two on here. Not only that but if people were concerned about paying VAT on their boats on re-importation into the UK, why didnt they import their boats prior to Jan 1st? Again there were plenty of warnings

And apart from anything else, I'm not sure that rich gin palace owners whining about VAT liability is exactly going to capture the public's imagination or indeed the govt's

I agree with ningaloo. It might be more productive and it would benefit far more people if the UK tried to negotiate relaxations to the EU 90/180 day rule in light of the 180 day rule that applies to EU citizens visiting the UK

But generally I have to say that as a country we voted for this and we elected two successive Tory govts who campaigned explicitly on leaving the single market and customs union so even if some of us failed to grasp the consequences of this, maybe it's time we just all sucked it up
 
sailaboutvic said:
Once you get your boat where are you plain to use it?
As that whats going to depend if best to buy in the UK or the EU.
Edit plus it also going to depend where you can register the boat to.
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Yes it got complicated!
We are looking at either in Holland on the Maas, or slightly closer at Leopoldsburg in Belgium but looking at the canal there it does not get dredged that often.
As my wife is Belgian and if she takes a 50% holding and/or we set up a company to own the boat in it's name then it can be flagged for Belgium, setting up a company for that purpose is quite common here as also it is for home ownership, and my eldest son makes and dissolves companies for a living
 
Alicatt said:
Yes it got complicated!
We are looking at either in Holland on the Maas, or slightly closer at Leopoldsburg in Belgium but looking at the canal there it does not get dredged that often.
As my wife is Belgian and if she takes a 50% holding and/or we set up a company to own the boat in it's name then it can be flagged for Belgium, setting up a company for that purpose is quite common here as also it is for home ownership, and my eldest son makes and dissolves companies for a living
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You wife being Belgium make life easier and being resident in Belgium better because as you probably know getting Belgium registering isn't as simple as it once was.
If it was me I be looking at buying the boat in the EU where its EU vat paid .
This is one of the problem british boat owners in the UK are going to find , many of us who going to get tax again if we bring the boat back to the UK won't, I won't be , so anyone who looking for a cruising boat to sail off in will be looking at buying in Europe, there not many who want to cruise the EU over a long period going to buy a UK vat boat where there going to have to keep leaving the EU ever 18 months .
 
Deleted User said:
I know exactly what the petition is about because I own and run a company which has been adversely affected by the new VAT rules that came into force on Jan 1st but I won't be signing this petition. And the reason for that is that a good proportion of the people whining about the new VAT rules will have voted for this Brexit clusterf**k in the first place, despite being warned about its consequences. I even see one or two on here. Not only that but if people were concerned about paying VAT on their boats on re-importation into the UK, why didnt they import their boats prior to Jan 1st? Again there were plenty of warnings

And apart from anything else, I'm not sure that rich gin palace owners whining about VAT liability is exactly going to capture the public's imagination or indeed the govt's

I agree with ningaloo. It might be more productive and it would benefit far more people if the UK tried to negotiate relaxations to the EU 90/180 day rule in light of the 180 day rule that applies to EU citizens visiting the UK

But generally I have to say that as a country we voted for this and we elected two successive Tory govts who campaigned explicitly on leaving the single market and customs union so even if some of us failed to grasp the consequences of this, maybe it's time we just all sucked it up
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Mike although I understand what your saying , we not all rich gin Palace owners .
As for bringing the boat back before Jan the 1st I sure your aware it wasn't possible for many with covid , of cause that as been extended now , but it dont help the likes of me who has a boat where the VAT was paided in the UK and I brought it on the understanding that at the time if I wanted to bring it back to the UK it was vat paid , now HMRC have moved the goal post and for me to return I would have to pay again .
2 things here , 1 I personlly won't be bring it back because as a bluewater cruising boat its value is more as a EU vat boat and 2 I didnt vote to leave the EU .
You may ask then if I'm not plain to bring the boat back why I'm for signing this , its really simple , its going to effect every boat british owner in the UK and the EU one way or another
 
sailaboutvic said:
So here we go .
UK vat boat do have 18 months TA in the EU
EU flag boats which are EU VAT paid have TA in the UK
But if you have a boat which is ssr register that would mean the ower has to be resident in the UK and as a UK resident you can't have a boat in the UK without being UK vat paid .
Only way around it is if your boat was registered under an EU flag
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As far as I know, I agree with this except that I believe it has nothing to do with the flag of the vessel.
The vessel is a "good" and as such, any VAT that was paid would be the same as if it were a TV.
Your statement about the SSR is correct by implication because to be on the SSR register, the boat has to be a UK "Good".
This is only how I see it though.
 
With regard to the effort being spent on the 90/180 day rule rather than this UK VAT issue, there isn't much we, as individuals, can do about the 90/180 day rule. It is an EU rule.
The VAT on returned boats is UK VAT legislation so a petition can address the issue within the UK Government.
I believe that the 90/180 day ruling is being lobbied by the Cruising Association which is where any effort should be concentrated.
I think the RYA are also trying but I wouldn't hold your breath where they are involved.
Another area (which I believe is more likely) where the 90/180 day rules could affect us, is an individual EU country visa.
Apparently, individual countries can set their own specific rules to cover longer stays than the 90 days in any rolling 180.
I believe that if an extension is done within a visa, it wouldn't affect the 90 days limit on visiting other Schengen countries.
The Covid pandemic has delayed all this because at the moment, nobody wants people moving around anyway.
 
Hurricane said:
As far as I know, I agree with this except that I believe it has nothing to do with the flag of the vessel.
The vessel is a "good" and as such, any VAT that was paid would be the same as if it were a TV.
Your statement about the SSR is correct by implication because to be on the SSR register, the boat has to be a UK "Good".
This is only how I see it though.
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You correct vat and flag as nothing to go with each .
You not correct in saying to be SSR register the boat as to be UK goods,
The boat as to be own by A UK resident
But a boat can be EU vat paid boat and not a UK paid boat ie EU goodz for the purposes of vat. and still have the right to be registered under the SSR banner.
What the owner can't do is use the boat in the UK until UK vat is paid.
 
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sailaboutvic said:
You correct vat and flag as nothing to go with each .
You not correct in saying to be SSR register the boat as to be UK goods,
The boat as to be own by A UK resident
But a boat can be EU vat paid boat and not a UK paid boatband still have the right to be registered under the SSR banner.
What the owner can't so is use the boat in the UK until UK vat is paid.
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Yes - of course - we need to get the semantics correct.
My case is, in fact, such a case.
I have a UK registered boat that is EU VAT paid and in EU waters.
My point was that the country of registration doesn't affect the VAT status.
 
sailaboutvic said:
I'm in the same boat ,
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I run a discussion forum in our marina in Spain.
And a group of us "took it on ourselves" to arrange proof of the location of the British boats on the 31st December 2020.
We took photographs and published them on our forum which is in the public domain.
Before taking photos, we asked berth holders if they wanted photos to be taken.
Over 70 boats in Sant Carles Marina asked for this to be done.
We also arranged certificates to be issued from the marina stating specifically each boat by name was in the marina overnight on the 31st December 2020.
The marina staff were very helpful in this matter.
 
I don't think the petition will go anywhere . To the general public it will read like some rich bloke with a boat moaning about his own circumstances .

A petition suggesting the UK holds a referendum to rejoin the EU did't get enough votes so this one has no chance.
 
sailaboutvic said:
OK we known them from way back , just a guess on my part .
Yes we did the same we have a letter from the marina not just stating we have a contract but actually saying our boat was in the marina on Dec 2020 .
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This link is an example of one of the photos that we took on the 31st Dec 2020.
It is part of an album of photos that we took of all the boats concerned.
I also arranged for a declaration stating that these photos were taken on that date.

Perhaps you might recognise the boat?
Photographs

And this is a link to one of the declarations.
Photographs
 
sailaboutvic said:
Now there a boat we can't forget .
When our dog die age 17 Jill took us out in the rib to Bury him at sea .
God must be 10 years now .
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They still do the work on the boat themselves and they are not spring chickens.
I believe Jill has even been seen painting the antifloul in her high heels!!
I took this photo just as the Spanish first lock down was taking place.
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The night before a yachtie friend and I had been invited onto Souris Rose for dinner even though the boat was in the yard.
As usual, out came the silver service and dinner was served in their huge cockpit - just as if the boat was on its berth.
The next day, I had invited them over to a return dinner but they couldn't come as the boatyard had been locked.
Poor Jill and David were locked in for about 6 weeks.
I remember her sending me a whats app - food supplies were OK but more importantly so was the wine!!!
 
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