Save your receipts!

[kmaz]

NY State just sent me a rather nasty letter DEMANDING past due taxes plus penalties for my Florida registered vessel. Gave them a brief jingle and they're horrifyingly unaware of state registration/tax implications and that I have not been a NY resident for two years. The best part is they have my Florida address correct on the envelope... #frighteningbureaucracy

[Kettlewell]

New York State routinely goes through lists of Coast Guard documented vessels and assumes that any with a New York hailing port and/or a mailing address within New York State are tax scofflaws. I went through the same thing due to having a NY address and hailing port, even though my boat has never been in New York state. By the way, if you are a resident sales or use tax is due as soon as your boat enters New York waters, no matter for how short a period. So, keep it out of the state unless you are willing to pay.

[kmaz]

Glad to know I'm not alone, Kettlewell. Yep, she has has New York, NY as the hailing port. Very disturbing that the burden is on me to prove it since FL tax and registration have been paid. She won't see NY this summer and we're outta here in November.

[Kettlewell]

Kmaz, I hope your case proceeds better than mine did. It took me more than a year and probably an inch-thick pile of paperwork proving when and where my boat had been before they finally dropped it. Guilty until proven innocent I guess. The next time I buy a boat I will not use a New York hailing port unless I plan on keeping it within the state.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

New York State routinely goes through lists of Coast Guard documented vessels and assumes that any with a New York hailing port and/or a mailing address within New York State are tax scofflaws.

Have heard that California does the same.

[delmarrey]

In Washington State it's just the opposite. You have to make the effort to reregister your boat, they do not send out notices. Here it's a use tax. If the boat is not afloat then it need not be paid. Then it's considered in storage. But the water cops have a keen eye, if your is out on the water, and your sticker is out of date, which is due each July.

[kmaz]

Just spoke to another wonk and he fully admitted they pulled 'residency' from my CG documentation.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Have heard that California does the same.

I'm glad to say that we're from California--far from California. We relocated to Florida from SoCal in 1993 and continued to get tax notices, warnings and threatening letters from the Cal Tax Board for 3 years. One fellow there advised me that if I ventured into California I would be subject to arrest unless I paid up. I thanked him for the warning and advised him that given that, we'd spend our vacation (dollars) in the Bahamas rather than SoCal as we had planned. Worked for us!

FWIW...