How long can I cruise FL without tax?

[Jason Flare]

Hope this is the correct place/thread to put this:

A guy from RI with a 40 year old boat with original engine goes to Fl w/said boat for 91 days. He's never paid sales tax on his boat.

Is FL looking for proof of having paid sales tax somewhere?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Jason Flare

Hope this is the correct place/thread to put this:

A guy from RI with a 40 year old boat with original engine goes to Fl w/said boat for 91 days. He's never paid sales tax on his boat.

Is FL looking for proof of having paid sales tax somewhere?

No. If the boat was legitimately purchased and used in another state for at least six months then you are not liable for FL sales and use tax.

Legitimately as defined by FL means you were not a FL resident trying to duck the FL tax by exploiting a loophole.

If you were a legal resident of another state, bought and used the boat outside Florida for years then there is no question.

If you were a FL resident who moved or kept the boat out of the state for six months and one day, then immediately moved the boat to FL and had no ties or reasons for the boat to be out of FL except for avoiding the tax then you might have some serious explaining to do.

[Mystic38]

To the best of my knowledge, sales tax in FL would be due upon registration...which is required after n days in FL waters...

To that event, this is my understanding too..

Originally Posted by pitlaw

I would add that if you paid sales tax in another state that amount is a credit against FL sales tax, if you plan to stay > 90 days IMHO.

IMO avoiding sales tax upon purchase of a vessel may seem like a good idea at the time, but that is only what it ever is.. a good idea at the time.

[denverd0n]

Skipmac is correct. There are links further up in this thread to official Florida state websites that detail all of this.

Bottom line, once again, is that if you own and use a boat in another state for more than 6 months, and were not a legal resident of Florida during that time, then you do not owe any sales/use tax when you bring the boat to Florida.

Yes, it really is that simple!

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Skipmac is correct. There are links further up in this thread to official Florida state websites that detail all of this.

Bottom line, once again, is that if you own and use a boat in another state for more than 6 months, and were not a legal resident of Florida during that time, then you do not owe any sales/use tax when you bring the boat to Florida.

Yes, it really is that simple!

I went through this when I bought my boat, the above was correct a year ago, I was tempted to put the boat in Ga., for six months and then go to Fl.
Of course Ga. might have caught me, but many people do exactly this and do not get caught.

On edit, if it's like airplanes, they catch you when you register the boat, boat has to be registered somewhere I believe, even if CG Documented?

[CatboatWilly]

Yep, they do TITLE boat (Hulls) in Florida and they Register them too. For example of this discussion; A friend just bought a Boston Whaler boat a stink pot on a trailer.
The boat hull is taxed...........the engine is not and should not be included in the sales price or it can be listed as a separate item on the bill of sale. But you don't pay sales tax on the engine (except from as dealer). Then if it's 30 years old it becomes an antique and registration becomes very inexpensive.......

The boat was/is 20 years old so he was allowed to state the value of (only) boat which determined the sales tax. The registration fee was minimal. The trailer is registered but not titled and again you have to state its worth.
We're really not talking a whole lot of money here. Much of all of this comes from the fact that Florida has a lot of live aboards and some folks just buy a boat and leave it here as a weekend home.........
I'm done !

[doublewide]

In 2008 our experience was the same as SkipMac related. We just registered in FL at 90 days. It wasn't expensive.
Our ship is USCG documented, not registered in any state before we registered in FL, had been used outside of FL for several years, had visited FL briefly several times before we ever stayed in FL for 90 consecutive days, and has never paid sales tax in any state.