Florida registration

[wdkester]

How about sales tax? If I bought the boat in a state that doesn't have sales taxes on used boats, will I have to pay sales tax when I register?

[BandB]

Originally Posted by wdkester

How about sales tax? If I bought the boat in a state that doesn't have sales taxes on used boats, will I have to pay sales tax when I register?

If you live in another state and buy it there and keep it there for more than six months, then you wouldn't be subject to Florida Sales or Use tax. Otherwise you would be subject to Use tax.

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by svfinlandia

I don't consider $200.00 reasonable. $5.75 I could live with, but if I am registered in another state I resent paying again just on principle!

I moved from California to Florida with my boat... It is documented with the USCG.

California did not require any additional registrations, but did have a 1% Unsecured Property Tax on the market value of your boat. They found you through USCG Documentation lists provided to the County Tax Assessors Office. They also added on things like 9-1-1 tax, library tax, etc... My last Unsecured Property Tax Bill in California was for just over $3,800 for 2010.

Now that I am in Florida, I pay my Florida Registration Bill, which is $134 annually and pay no additional state taxes on my vessel.

At the current value of the boat I am saving somewhere over $3,000 per year in taxes! I find that very reasonable....

[BandB]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

I moved from California to Florida with my boat... It is documented with the USCG.

California did not require any additional registrations, but did have a 1% Unsecured Property Tax on the market value of your boat. They found you through USCG Documentation lists provided to the County Tax Assessors Office. They also added on things like 9-1-1 tax, library tax, etc... My last Unsecured Property Tax Bill in California was for just over $3,800 for 2010.

Now that I am in Florida, I pay my Florida Registration Bill, which is $134 annually and pay no additional state taxes on my vessel.

At the current value of the boat I am saving somewhere over $3,000 per year in taxes! I find that very reasonable....

Florida remains one of the friendliest coastal states toward boat ownership. Even the sales tax on purchases is limited to a maximum of $18,000 and while that is a lot it's quite a break on any boat over $300,000.

[OnTour]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

I moved from California to Florida with my boat... It is documented with the USCG.

California did not require any additional registrations, but did have a 1% Unsecured Property Tax on the market value of your boat. They found you through USCG Documentation lists provided to the County Tax Assessors Office. They also added on things like 9-1-1 tax, library tax, etc... My last Unsecured Property Tax Bill in California was for just over $3,800 for 2010.

Now that I am in Florida, I pay my Florida Registration Bill, which is $134 annually and pay no additional state taxes on my vessel.

At the current value of the boat I am saving somewhere over $3,000 per year in taxes! I find that very reasonable....

I purchased a boat in Florida with a hailing port in California , although the boat had never been there I kept getting tax bills from California for over $3000 ! It took a lot of phone calls and I had to prove the boat had always been in Florida ...finally got them off my back .Glad I don't live there ! Costs me $6.50 a year to register in Florida .

[Boatguy30]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

I moved from California to Florida with my boat... It is documented with the USCG.

California did not require any additional registrations, but did have a 1% Unsecured Property Tax on the market value of your boat. They found you through USCG Documentation lists provided to the County Tax Assessors Office. They also added on things like 9-1-1 tax, library tax, etc... My last Unsecured Property Tax Bill in California was for just over $3,800 for 2010.

Now that I am in Florida, I pay my Florida Registration Bill, which is $134 annually and pay no additional state taxes on my vessel.

At the current value of the boat I am saving somewhere over $3,000 per year in taxes! I find that very reasonable....

Not that you complain when you get your municipal retirement check though right?

[Boatguy30]

Also, there is something called a sojourner rego for out of state boats spending more than 90 days. A frequently used scam is to dock at a boatyard with slips and claim that the boat is undergoing repairs and not subject to the 90 days or any applicable sales tax. I personally someone that did it for almost 4 years. Most anti-government local tax collectors in florida are happy to help you with the paperwork.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

I moved from California to Florida with my boat... It is documented with the USCG.

California did not require any additional registrations, but did have a 1% Unsecured Property Tax on the market value of your boat. They found you through USCG Documentation lists provided to the County Tax Assessors Office. They also added on things like 9-1-1 tax, library tax, etc... My last Unsecured Property Tax Bill in California was for just over $3,800 for 2010.

Now that I am in Florida, I pay my Florida Registration Bill, which is $134 annually and pay no additional state taxes on my vessel.

At the current value of the boat I am saving somewhere over $3,000 per year in taxes! I find that very reasonable....

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Not that you complain when you get your municipal retirement check though right?

I'm missing the connection???

[Miniyot]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Also, there is something called a sojourner rego for out of state boats spending more than 90 days. A frequently used scam is to dock at a boatyard with slips and claim that the boat is undergoing repairs and not subject to the 90 days or any applicable sales tax. I personally someone that did it for almost 4 years. Most anti-government local tax collectors in florida are happy to help you with the paperwork.

AAA....AAAA..CHOOOO!!!
Sorry, I'm allergic to bullsh......

It STILL has to be registered, just not titled. There is a difference.

[RuffusMD]

It really would be to the advantage for some county in Florida to set up a Boat tax haven like the Cayman Island or Bahamas . Like Volusia County could make a lot of money on volume ect . BUT the county people are too short sighted to see any anything but money now . Just the income sales tax of boat yards for sales and repair would be great . That boat tax break would bring in a ton of business otherwise that wouldn't be there .Florida the maximum sales tax on a yacht is $18k , and now property tax is paid . Then why doesn't the mega yachts register in Florida ? Everyone it seems has a red flag and has to jump through hoops to get back into Florida / USA ?

[BandB]

Originally Posted by RuffusMD

It really would be to the advantage for some county in Florida to set up a Boat tax haven like the Cayman Island or Bahamas . Like Volusia County could make a lot of money on volume ect . BUT the county people are too short sighted to see any anything but money now . Just the income sales tax of boat yards for sales and repair would be great . That boat tax break would bring in a ton of business otherwise that wouldn't be there .Florida the maximum sales tax on a yacht is $18k , and now property tax is paid . Then why doesn't the mega yachts register in Florida ? Everyone it seems has a red flag and has to jump through hoops to get back into Florida / USA ?

There is NO property tax on boats in Florida. None.

Sales and Use tax is a state tax and counties can't eliminated it.

Actually more mega yachts in Florida than any other state. Them not registering in Florida has nothing to do with taxes. $18,000 isn't going to run a mega yacht away. The reasons most are flagged in other countries are very different tax and crew considerations and nothing reflective of Florida or any state.

[RuffusMD]

Thank you for your reply , I have not had a boat registered in Florida , and I am trying to figure out if I should have a Florida registration or a red flag off shore tax free nation . I have had boats registered in Georgia ( none in Florida ), big and little , and the annual taxes are simply unbelievable . it is nothing more than robbery and taxing the rich for taxation sake . ( the various counties make up their own property taxes , not the state in Georgia) I agree about the $18 K as being a non issue . thus really for a 35-60 foot sail boat there is little reason to register it in a tax haven , especially if you already live in Florida ?

[CarlF]

Boatguy30 mentioned the sojourner registration for Florida. Here's more information.

Florida Sojourner Registration | Paradise Yachts Sales & Service

[BandB]

Originally Posted by RuffusMD

Thank you for your reply , I have not had a boat registered in Florida , and I am trying to figure out if I should have a Florida registration or a red flag off shore tax free nation . I have had boats registered in Georgia ( none in Florida ), big and little , and the annual taxes are simply unbelievable . it is nothing more than robbery and taxing the rich for taxation sake . ( the various counties make up their own property taxes , not the state in Georgia) I agree about the $18 K as being a non issue . thus really for a 35-60 foot sail boat there is little reason to register it in a tax haven , especially if you already live in Florida ?

If you live in Florida and intend to keep it in Florida then you generally are better off to just register it in Florida.

Now you may have other reasons as there are reasons to flag offshore, especially for those using one for charters. Privacy is one. Labor laws can be one. Ability to hire foreign crew. Liability and law suits can be one. And there may be parts of the world you'd feel less comfortable with a US flagged boat.

The reasons not to register offshore evolve around being able to keep it in the US, added costs of having offshore presence, and just general inconvenience if you live in FL and want to keep it there.

Much depends on your plans for the boat. However, taxes are not a reason to bypass Florida or to bypass US documentation.