Understanding Florida 180 day tax waiver

[Fiftybucks]

Skipgund - very good info.. the work has not yet started, and unknown completion date... so perhaps if I'm late to Virginia, or at least to the GA border, I could argue that the time in the repair facility could be pro-rated against the total time. that would definitely help in extending by a few weeks. Again.. the purpose is to comply and pay what taxes are due where they are due.

[Fiftybucks]

This is from Virginia Dept F&G
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
11. I purchased a boat that is documented by the US Coast Guard and want to register and title it in Virginia. How do I do this?

Complete a “Boat Title and Registration” form
include the Certificate of Documentation and Abstract of title,
provide proof of lien release in the documented owner’s name
include a bill of sale signed by the documented owner/owners and
pay the appropriate fees. Send to this department, attention Boat Section.

[letsgetsailing3]

Well, check back in after a few months and let us know how it's going for you!

[Fiftybucks]

Wow two Loons nailed my Question!!!!!

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Fiftybucks

This is from Virginia Dept F&G
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
11. I purchased a boat that is documented by the US Coast Guard and want to register and title it in Virginia. How do I do this?

Complete a “Boat Title and Registration” form
include the Certificate of Documentation and Abstract of title,
provide proof of lien release in the documented owner’s name
include a bill of sale signed by the documented owner/owners and
pay the appropriate fees. Send to this department, attention Boat Section.

I was going to ask if for documented vessels VA was "must register" or "may register" state but found the answer on their site.

Documented Vessels
Vessels documented by the U.S. Coast Guard cannot be titled in Virginia. Though there is no requirement that documented vessels be registered, owners may register them if desired. The registration decals may be useful if traveling to another state that requires display of registration decals. Contact the Department for an application or use the application provided at this site and prominently write “Documented Vessel” at the top.

Watercraft Registered Out-of-State
Watercraft currently registered by the owner in another state and not kept in Virginia for more than 90 consecutive days are not required to be registered in Virginia.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Fiftybucks

This is from Virginia Dept F&G
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
11. I purchased a boat that is documented by the US Coast Guard and want to register and title it in Virginia. How do I do this?

Complete a “Boat Title and Registration” form
include the Certificate of Documentation and Abstract of title,
provide proof of lien release in the documented owner’s name
include a bill of sale signed by the documented owner/owners and
pay the appropriate fees. Send to this department, attention Boat Section.

A boat can NOT be "titled" twice by 1) documentation via the USCG and 2) at a State level. Titling is allowed either by the Federal Government via the USCG Documentation Center or by one of the States, either but not both. If you wish to title your vessel with a State, e.g., Virginia, then you need to discontinue the USCG documentation thereofl

A State may require "registration" but not titling of a USCG documented boat.

Do not confuse, registration [a State level process], documentation, and titling [which is accomplished by the Federal or the State government]

[Sand crab]

And just to confuse the clarifications the feds call documentation federal registration on their site. Or did I clarify the confusion?


Edit: national registration.
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organiz...r-FAQ/#anchor1

[john61ct]

best to just call it documentation in a domestic context

internationally yes that's your "US flag" registration

[NYSail]

Why not just register the boat and pay the tax in the state you want (ie virginia/Maryland) immediately after purchase with boat still in Florida. Then tax is paid and you would have proof...... would you still be subject to the 180 days? When I bought my boats I just went down to the local DMV, showed the sales receipt, document data and paid the tax. Nobody wanted to see the boat

Greg

[skipgundlach]

GA has a 60 day period before you have to pay registration. FL has 90. VA has something else.

If you're lucky enough to time it right, you could accumulate a great number of registrations. None of the states give a rip whether you're a USCG, other state, or foreign registered vessel. They just want you to either play like a resident, or move on.

So, whatever bits there might be about cruising permits, the bottom line is that you have to be out of the state on a timely basis for the tax man, and stay out for (in FL) at least 6 months, after which time, if you spend more than 90 consecutive days in FL, they expect you to register your boat.

As to taxation, if you are gone, and stay gone, for an extended period of time (I don't recall how long, but we met the criterion), you're not liable in FL any more. Some states have their own rules about taxation, but I've not stayed in any of them long enough to be liable so don't remember all the specifics...

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by NYSail

Why not just register the boat and pay the tax in the state you want (ie virginia/Maryland) immediately after purchase with boat still in Florida. Then tax is paid and you would have proof...... would you still be subject to the 180 days?

Yes. If the tax rate is higher in FL than in VA (which I believe it is) then after the 180 days you would have to pay the additional amount to FL. The only way to avoid that is to move the boat out of FL, and then own and use it elsewhere for at least 6 months.

Originally Posted by skipgundlach

As to taxation, if you are gone, and stay gone, for an extended period of time (I don't recall how long, but we met the criterion), you're not liable in FL any more.

For FL it is six months. If you own and use your boat outside of FL (but in some other state or territory of the U.S.) for more than six months then you can bring it to FL without any use tax liability.

[Sand crab]

Florida is quite generous because in California it's 30 days unless at a repair facility.

[mabowers]

Originally Posted by Fiftybucks

Snead Island. Yes work is being done. Propeller service and balance. Check or replace cutlass bearing. Dripless shaft seal replace. Maybe bottom paint if the other items not too costly. So yes. Repairs. Now I do see a relationship of having those receipts.

Late to the conversation... I am in a similar situation with the State of Florida. Currently having a back & forth with the head of "Boat Enforcement" for the FL Dept of Revenue. It's looking like the time to make the "determination" of the time the boat spent in a boatyard being repaired is going to tick the clock down to the expiration of the exemption

I'll probably end up paying FL the taxes on a boat that will only ever pass through FL on the way to someplace else.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by mabowers

Late to the conversation... I am in a similar situation with the State of Florida. Currently having a back & forth with the head of "Boat Enforcement" for the FL Dept of Revenue. It's looking like the time to make the "determination" of the time the boat spent in a boatyard being repaired is going to tick the clock down to the expiration of the exemption

I'll probably end up paying FL the taxes on a boat that will only ever pass through FL on the way to someplace else.

Is the yard where you work on the repair a registered repair facility? Has the boat been in their (effective) care, custody and control in that time (you didn't take it out for daysails or something)?

If so, see if you can register (with the yard, as an RRF) the boat as brought in for refit, and plead ignorance with whomever it is that you're talking with; the reality (and at least in my experience, that's what's regarded, rather than absolutes) is that you have not been using the boat, and it's been in their CCC.

Further up the thread, you'll see that doing so is a different kettle of fish, requiring you to 'export' it within 20 days of leaving the CCC of the RRF, but avoids the sales tax.

Hope that helps. My contacts there are either dead or retired, or I'd refer you.

[Adiona]

FYI from Florida residents with a documented boat lying in Virginia. In certain counties in VA there is no tax, a new thing last year. Call a marina in the county you are interested in and they will have current info.