Want To Buy: Australian registered vessel in the Caribean

[Topspin]

Hi all,
is there any chance to find an Australian registered sailboat for sale in the Caribbean or USA? I am looking for a seagoing vessel around 44 feet for crossing the pacific back to Australia without the need (pain in the A....) to import. As I am new to this forum, I would be very grateful for some advice.

Regards,

-Richard

[GILow]

If you'll cover my missed wages I am happy to sail something over there for you. :^)

Sorry, crap week at the office. @&#*%! computer virus writers!

[Oceanride007]

Think you will find there is no advantage in buying a Aus Registered vessel OS. But yes, it does happen.

[Topspin]

@GILow: thanks mate, but I want to have the fun for myself :-)

Buying a vessel with a non Australian registration would require to pay 15 % Tax and additional cost on import. So it definitively makes sense from my perspective.

Regards,

-Topspin

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Topspin

@GILow: thanks mate, but I want to have the fun for myself :-)

That's ok, you still get to sail it back to Oz and I will have checked that the boat fits through all the tight/shallow bits for you.

[hoppy]

Even if you find an Australian registered vessel in the Caribbean, it may not have been imported and therefore you will still have to pay the gst and import duty

As someone who has imported a vessel, I will say that paying the GST & duty was a minor expense, for me the killer was the shipping. If you are going have fun sailing the boat home, I would skip stressing about finding a tax paid yacht and find a good yacht that you like for a great price and deal with the tax when you land.... You can always delay the pain and end your journey on NZ, Fiji, Noumea etc... and import the boat another year.

[garrytas]

You will find that even if the boat is Australian registered that fact that it has changed hands overseas you will still be liable for GST and import duty based on the purchase price plus the expenses fuel food ect in getting it back to Aus

[lordgeoff]

I think you need to do more research on importing boats

[Topspin]

Originally Posted by hoppy

As someone who has imported a vessel, I will say that paying the GST & duty was a minor expense, for me the killer was the shipping.

Hi hoppy,
you are right mate! The taxable shipping expense is not really predictable. And keeping the boat in NZ (or Noumea or elsewhere) for some time is not really practicable. Selling a boat in places like Fiji is also not really predictable.

Regards,

-Topspin

@garrytas: True, there seem to be other obstacles. As I am completely new to that business, my research was really not complete. So I understand, that even if I buy an already imported vessel outside of AU, I would have to import again ??

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Topspin

@GILow: thanks mate, but I want to have the fun for myself :-)

Buying a vessel with a non Australian registration would require to pay 15 % Tax and additional cost on import. So it definitively makes sense from my perspective.

Regards,

-Topspin

Sorry, you are under a misapprehension.

Australian Registration is not the same as Australian Duty paid.

Many Australians register overseas purchased boats on the Australian register, but they don't pay any duty etc until the finally arrive in Australia with the boat. (It's a "import duty", not "registration tax"

What you are apparently looking for is an "Australian Duty Paid" vessel. Which means that the boat has been imported into Australia in the past. Such a boat can have any country of registration - it will make no difference to the "duty paid" status. If you find one, you need to look a bit further into the re-import requirements. If there have been "substantial changes/improvements" made to the vessel since it last left Australia, there may well be duty payable again.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by garrytas

You will find that even if the boat is Australian registered that fact that it has changed hands overseas you will still be liable for GST and import duty based on the purchase price plus the expenses fuel food ect in getting it back to Aus

Change of ownership doesn't negate duty paid status.

I've seen quite a few Australian duty paid (not all Australian Registered) boats change hands in PNG and subsequently go to Australia without any additional Duty/GST requirement. (I've also done several delivery trips between the two countries and I am quite familiar with the import processes)

[leftbrainstuff]

You can't avoid import duty. You will pay 10% on the the real value. 5% on a US built vessel as part of a previous trade agreement.

If you dont provide evidence then the value will be assessed by customs.

Import is triggered by duration of stay. If you d9nt plan to leave within 90? days then you'll be deemed to be importing.

If you do manage to avoid import duty as one other poster suggests he can facilitate then it will likely be identified at sale.

[Topspin]

Originally Posted by StuM

Australian Registration is not the same as Australian Duty paid.

Many Australians register overseas purchased boats on the Australian register, but they don't pay any duty etc until the finally arrive in Australia with the boat. (It's a "import duty", not "registration tax"

What you are apparently looking for is an "Australian Duty Paid" vessel.

OK, so I have to find out, whether a boat has the status "duty paid". How can this be verified ?

-Topspin

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by leftbrainstuff

You can't avoid import duty. You will pay 10% on the the real value. 5% on a US built vessel as part of a previous trade agreement.

I think you pay the 10% GST but you will avoid the 5% duty