Importing Sailboat From Canada to USA

[billzona]

Hello All,

I am in the process of purchasing a 1989 42ft Cutter in Canada (Taiwan built, Canada Registered vessel) for import to USA via Wilson NY. I have searched the forum and do not fine any recent information.

There once was a thread on importing recreational boats from Canada that expired several years ago, and there have been some new developments, so I am reopening this topic.

1. I BELIEVE understand theEPA requirements, i believe she is EPA exempt due to the 21year rule. I have EPA form 3520-21. Please correct me if wrong!

2. The present owner will provide me Canadian bill of sell and a USGC bill of sail for later USCG documentation. Also I will have the Canadian De-Registration form.

3. Finally USA Customs CBP - what is the first step to take? Shall I reach out to CBP Customs before importing, or at the dock on the first landing in the USA?

What documents is Customs going to be needing to see?

I look forward to hearing from those who may have imported a boat from Canada, and any others with expertise or experience on this topic.

thanks!

[cpt_757]

I gave up,
Documents processing, you may hire a professional, was not bad, for me transportation was an issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[rvoigt40]

where are you coming into the us at ? i bought my boat in BC i called customs and set up a appointment to meet customs in Blaine WA 10 minutes later i was done. easy no problems at all no paper work they did it all.

[exMaggieDrum]

My experience was just like the above said several years ago. The US Customs guys were great. I'm sure that depends on the day of the week and the personalities involved. The paperwork was not a big deal at all. I had the docs you have.

You do have to check in with customs when you first arrive but you don't have to transfer the boat over then. You can wait for some period but I wouldn't push it.

The bigger hassle may be with the state you where you keep the boat and have to register in. That is very individual state different and that is where you take your checkbook out to pay sales or use tax (depending on state). I found it easier to get USCG registered first after you get the import papers done but you don't have to do that.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by billzona

Hello All,

I am in the process of purchasing a 1989 42ft Cutter in Canada (Taiwan built, Canada Registered vessel) for import to USA via Wilson NY. I have searched the forum and do not fine any recent information.

There once was a thread on importing recreational boats from Canada that expired several years ago, and there have been some new developments, so I am reopening this topic.

WADR, you seem to miss the obvious: go to the US website that discusses just this and read it.

Excuse my short fuse, but I am considering moving my boat to Canada from California, which may include a +60 day stop in Washington State, so I am having to review their laws and taxes as well as importation into Canada. I have found all the appropriate govt websites and some others that discuss them, too.

No blinkin' boating forum is going to answer all your questions in one neat topic.

YOU have to do your own homework and research.

Good luck. Google is your friend. Don't be lazy, it takes a lot of work and reading.

[sck5]

FYI New York State will want their sales tax if the boat stays in NY. They may even ask for it if the boat doesnt stay in NY. I live in NY but owned a boat that never went north of Chesapeake Bay. But the NY tax people looked at the Coast Guard registry and saw a NY hailing port and sent me a tax bill. I had to prove that the boat never was in NY waters in order to make them go away.

[derfy]

I, too, am interested in importing a similar vessel from Ontario, to, well, anywhere on the US East or Gulf Coast.

Is there a preferred "home port" or "destination State" in the US that minimizes State Tax exposure?

I am wondering about, for example, basing the boat in US Territory like Puerto Rico or USVI.

I know ... do my homework. Never fear, I shall.

Just interested if someone had gone down this path recently.

[derfy]

I am curious, BTW, if you had to pay (or will have to pay) any tax in Canada as part of the transaction?

[Lepke]

My current boat came from Canada, but was built in the US. Tax was about $12. Boat was in process of US Documentation and I only had the sale papers. The customs people like to know when and where you're coming to the US in advance. The people I dealt with even filled out the custom papers. I'm an Oregon Resident, so no sales tax.
Find a no sales tax state. The boat probably needs to be homeported there for some time before moving to a sales tax state. Know your state entry tax rules. Usually if you've owned a boat/car in another state for some time, usually a year, then when "moving" to a new sales tax state, the tax isn't required.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by Lepke

My current boat came from Canada, but was built in the US. Tax was about $12. Boat was in process of US Documentation and I only had the sale papers. The customs people like to know when and where you're coming to the US in advance. The people I dealt with even filled out the custom papers. I'm an Oregon Resident, so no sales tax.
Find a no sales tax state. The boat probably needs to be homeported there for some time before moving to a sales tax state. Know your state entry tax rules. Usually if you've owned a boat/car in another state for some time, usually a year, then when "moving" to a new sales tax state, the tax isn't required.

Well, that is very interesting.

States with no sales tax are few.

On the "Left Coast" we have Oregon and Alaska.
On the "Right Coast" I see Delaware and New Hampshire.
Montana is decidedly unhelpful for a 15 ton blue water boat in Ontario.

Maybe I move it to Delaware for Year 1? Could set up an Inc while I'm at it to own/operate the boat. Always wanted to be a CEO.

I'll have to do some homework on this.

[rvoigt40]

i bought a hunter built in the usa, i had no problems what so ever,
had a harder time trying to back the boat up,,
just call customs and keep them informed on what your trying to do, they did the paper work and didn't even come aboard i will do it again when its time for a bigger boat.
good luck
rob