Canadian buying a boat in California

[Nemo55]

I am buying a sail boat in SanFransico and i need to know what i will be faced with,,,Taxes,,how the transfer of ownership is done, how long will i have before i have to bring it back to Vancouver?
Wade in Shipmates.....

[rigormortis]

I bought my boat in 2009 in Portland, Oregon. You should get title insurance from a broker; you will need to de-document the boat with the USCoast Guard. Canadian citizen needs to do that, and then register it in Vancouver. If you live in Vancouver go down and see the boys at Transport Canada and they will give you all the details on renamin/registering. I believe you will have 89 days in California before the state tax will apply to you but I am on shakey ground here.
You will need a US cruising permit if you intend to stop anywhere along the line in the US enroute to Vancouver. I got cruising permit #1 issued in Astoria, thank you Homeland Paranoia. No one knew what to do or why.
Make sure the US name and documentation number is visible still on the boat if you stop in any US port (and have changed the name of the boat). The customs guys want to see it for some reason.
Good luck on purchase.
Pete

[Yachtmops]

Originally Posted by rigormortis

I bought my boat in 2009 in Portland, Oregon. You should get title insurance from a broker; you will need to de-document the boat with the USCoast Guard. Canadian citizen needs to do that, and then register it in Vancouver. If you live in Vancouver go down and see the boys at Transport Canada and they will give you all the details on renamin/registering. I believe you will have 89 days in California before the state tax will apply to you but I am on shakey ground here.
You will need a US cruising permit if you intend to stop anywhere along the line in the US enroute to Vancouver. I got cruising permit #1 issued in Astoria, thank you Homeland Paranoia. No one knew what to do or why.
Make sure the US name and documentation number is visible still on the boat if you stop in any US port (and have changed the name of the boat). The customs guys want to see it for some reason.
Good luck on purchase.
Pete

Pete,

I have a question or two. How long do you have to keep a canadian registered boat out of canada before you can bring her in without having to
pay tax ?

Second. My boat registration is up for renewal. It is registered in Quebec but I want to register it in Nova Scotia, can this be done even if I don't live there?

[AiniA]

My understanding is that there is no time limit and that whenever you bring your boat back to Canada you will have to pay tax on arrival.

Not certain about registering in NS if you do not live there. I considered registering in Edmonton (no provincial sales tax - just GST to be paid) and was told that you have to have an Alberta address.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Nemo55

I am buying a sail boat in SanFransico and i need to know what i will be faced with,,,Taxes,,how the transfer of ownership is done, how long will i have before i have to bring it back to Vancouver?
Wade in Shipmates.....

Nemo, are you asking about California taxes due or Canadian taxes once you bring it back? I recently purchased our Rafiki in Wisconsin and sailed it back home here in Ontario. We had to have the boat un-documented in the US, which the seller's broker took care of, and when we hit the border we had to pay HST (13% in Ontario). If the boat was built outside North America, then you may also be on the hook for 9.5% import duties. You need a proper bill of sale, and an official un-document document. Pretty straight forward.

[rigormortis]

Yachtmops:
You've got me there. No idea. I think there is no time limit. When you return to homeland the pound of flesh is required.
One of the reasons I'm never going back. Ok, shoveling snow is part of the deal.
Interprovincial quagmire is well beyond me.

[Nemo55]

Hi Mike
I have to keep the boat down there temporarily while i outfit it for sailing back,,so i am wondering what i'll have to go through while i am there.
I have read something about taking possession of the boat at the three mile point to avoid taxes,,but i am wandering if that effort is worth it.
Its an older boat, circa 1975

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Nemo, are you asking about California taxes due or Canadian taxes once you bring it back? I recently purchased our Rafiki in Wisconsin and sailed it back home here in Ontario. We had to have the boat un-documented in the US, which the seller's broker took care of, and when we hit the border we had to pay HST (13% in Ontario). If the boat was built outside North America, then you may also be on the hook for 9.5% import duties. You need a proper bill of sale, and an official un-document document. Pretty straight forward.

[Nemo55]

Pete, the boat will need repairs and outfitting while its down there after i take ownership,,so i am probably going to stay aboard while thats getting done,,,any idea who i call down there to get the correct skinny???

[Yachtmops]

Originally Posted by AiniA

My understanding is that there is no time limit and that whenever you bring your boat back to Canada you will have to pay tax on arrival.

Not certain about registering in NS if you do not live there. I considered registering in Edmonton (no provincial sales tax - just GST to be paid) and was told that you have to have an Alberta address.

I have vague recall that when I first registered the boat I could have registered it in N.S., but it was going to take longer & I needed it quickly at the time. (I have land down there, maybe I can just give transport canada directions! )

The tax issue. When you see boats for sale in canada & the ad openly states tax paid/tax not paid. Is this to suggest the gov. is not overly concerned?

True, I have a funny story when I brought my boat into canada, so now I am a bit curious about the tax issue.

[webejammin]

We bought our boat in San Diago a couple of years ago and it took a couple of weeks to get the paperwork done before moving it to WA state. I was not suspost to be living aboard but they let it slide sence I sailed to Catalina island part of the time. At the mrarina we were in we had to have proof of insurance to keep it there for 2 weeks and then after re-documenting our boat we paid WA state sales tax almost $10,000.00 OUCH Good luck.
The only Canadian folks I've heard of not paying Canadian taxes was a catamaran named SlapDash which spent 2 years or so cyrcumnavicating and then back to the US to sell her so no Canadian taxes because they didn't go to Canada or had perminate moorage in any other country.

[terminalcitygrl]

Why don't you contact the Canada Customs & ask directly?

[Mike OReilly]

When we purchased in Wisconsin there were no issues of us having to pay US or State taxes. Also, we too had to do some work before being about to sail home. We did live aboard while it was happening, but that was a total of about 10 days, so probably less that what you are talking about.

As far as Canadian taxes, I'm not sure if there is a time limit that will allow you to avoid paying the HST. Perhaps ..., although I would tread cautiously on this one. Canada border service has lost all sense of humour about this sort of thing.

Good luck with the new (old) boat.

[Nemo55]

Just to be clear, i realize that Somewhere i am going to have to pay Taxes,,i just dont want to be double dinged.
My questions where of taxes,,transfer fees,,when purchasing in California.
I thank you all for your answers, @ Terminalcitygirl,,Canada customs are not going to have information on buying and selling procedures in California.
I was wondering if there was a number to call in California for the correct skinny on all of this.

[s/v Thea]

We bought out boat in San Francisco, had I'd removed from US registration, trucked it to Blaine WA. We paid tax when importing into Canada, never any mention of having to pay Ca state tax.

Doug

[Nemo55]

Hey Doug
If you dont mind saying,,how much was the trucking charge to Blaine.

Originally Posted by s/v Thea

We bought out boat in San Francisco, had I'd removed from US registration, trucked it to Blaine WA. We paid tax when importing into Canada, never any mention of having to pay Ca state tax.

Doug