Yet another VAT question, sorry

[ari]

It's not personal tax info. It's proof of whether the boat is VAT paid.

In the EEC you must be able to prove that your boat is VAT paid. If you can't, and you're asked to (most likely when entering a foreign port, ie UK based boat docking in France for example) then you have a problem.

There is no time limit on this, you have to be able to prove that your boat is VAT paid and that's that.

Since the only record of this is a VAT invoice, if that bit of paper goes missing or gets destroyed (And the original dealer in no longer in business meaning you can't get an officially certified copy) then you have a problem.

It is a completely farcical situation, but that's how it stands at the moment.

 

[ari]

Oh, and just to confuse the issue even further, UK customs announced in writing on their web site some time ago that a UK boat with a bill of sale between two UK residents would be deemed VAT paid. (Advice echoed in the UK marine press).

After a couple of years of offering this advice to all and sundry, they changed their minds. Therefore a lot of people bought second-hand boats safe in the knowledge that, despite having no proof of VAT payment, officialdom confirmed they were quite safe to buy the boat as a VAT paid vessel as they were buying from a private UK individual and therefore had a Bill of Sale between two UK citizens which customs confirmed was proof of VAT paid status.

Therefore they're left with a boat which they bought in all good faith and customs approved as VAT paid status and are now left high and dry as the "rules" have been changed.

Not a good state of affairs really. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif