Boat Importation Spreadsheet and Facts

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by TrevC

You need something like a "Manufacturers Statement of Origin" for the boat.

You also require a "Pre-charged equipment license" from the department of Environment if there's any fridge or other system with refrigerant on board.

Thanks. I have that covered in my docs I have mates in air con too. I would just have it discharged prior to reaching customs. If there is no gas there is no charge AFAICT. What a stupid law they have made that encourages people to vent their gas rather than pay some crazy fee that is aimed at bulk importers of air cons and fridges. The red tape our gov sets in place is so out of line it actually has the opposite effect of what it sets out to achieve. Great work govco.

[ausaviator]

A few things:

Didn't someone mention that Aus rego is now $1,200 ? (just something I read on here somewhere)

Don't forget airfares!
- Your airfare to get there to look at it prior to inspection (return)
- Accommodation and living expenses whilst you are away at the potentially expensive destination whilst the survey takes place
- Labour on repairs required whilst you are away in preparing the boat for sailing. It's easy to just say $1,000 in electrics, but we often forget fitting the equipment and the time taken to do so
- Your captain and crew's airfare if you have one (an expensive one-way fare and depending on where they leave from another fare may be required
- Your captain's fee if you have one. Caribbean - Aus - perhaps $10k - $15k
- Your survey cost might be a bit light on. I'm quoted $1,200 - $1,500 for a cat
- Your food costs will likely be much higher - remember Dragon Lady took 115+ days from Carib to Qld, thus with several crew if you're paying, say 3 crew, $15 a day x 115 = ~$5,200 !
- Your marina fees might be a bit high so you might win a little there, but that being said there are customs / clearing fees totaling in the hundreds for some countries that you'll need to allow for

Hope this helps; just what I've picked up.

[Mr B]

It was built by Performance Cruising in Annapolis MD USA in 2003, I will ask the present owner if he has the original documentation for it, As he bought it new and had it transported by land across the USA to California from the east coast where it was manufactured, It does have a fridge on it, Will check on that too,
Interesting on the ABN, Its not in steel, so may not apply to me,
Keep them coming, Its all good to know, Prewarned is good,

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by downunder

Chile also has a FTA with Aus.

OK if you are in the market for an Awoplast Chris White vessel.

I wish I was in the market for a Chris White

[Mr B]

872.09 AUD for survey
208.82 AUD for the haul out. Both just done in Fiji.
In OZ its $500 for haul out and $1500 and up for the survey at Sandringham for a 38 foot Prout.

[TrevC]

Originally Posted by ausaviator

A few things:

Didn't someone mention that Aus rego is now $1,200 ? (just something I read on here somewhere)

Something like that. If you're sticking around AU, you can use state rego (like QLD, etc), then register in a different country for your national registry ($50 or less). You'll get shafted for cash on everything in Australia, so it's best to just find legit loopholes whenever possible.

Venting your refrigerant is a great idea. An empty tank means you're not required to have the license. I wish we had done the same!

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by ausaviator

A few things:

Didn't someone mention that Aus rego is now $1,200 ? (just something I read on here somewhere)

Don't forget airfares!
- Your airfare to get there to look at it prior to inspection (return)
- Accommodation and living expenses whilst you are away at the potentially expensive destination whilst the survey takes place
- Labour on repairs required whilst you are away in preparing the boat for sailing. It's easy to just say $1,000 in electrics, but we often forget fitting the equipment and the time taken to do so
- Your captain and crew's airfare if you have one (an expensive one-way fare and depending on where they leave from another fare may be required
- Your captain's fee if you have one. Caribbean - Aus - perhaps $10k - $15k
- Your survey cost might be a bit light on. I'm quoted $1,200 - $1,500 for a cat
- Your food costs will likely be much higher - remember Dragon Lady took 115+ days from Carib to Qld, thus with several crew if you're paying, say 3 crew, $15 a day x 115 = ~$5,200 !
- Your marina fees might be a bit high so you might win a little there, but that being said there are customs / clearing fees totaling in the hundreds for some countries that you'll need to allow for

Hope this helps; just what I've picked up.

This list is not helping because all these costs get added on to the purchase price and duty and gst are then on the total!

On the other hand if you are claiming you have just started an importation business and this is your first import, well, you could claim all those expenses as deductions against any 'profit'

Minor correction though... If you stop in New Caledonia, your import is only from NC to Brisbane, so food, crew, fuel, customs fees, marina fees etc is only for the last little hop as far as duty and gst are concerned.

Of course if you're claiming expenses/tax deduction against profits, you bought it at the North Pole...

[dennisail]

As far as I have read. Only the last leg of the trip is included in the delivery price that is subject to GST and duty. I will not be hiring a captain or crew anyway (well possibly if I buy a boat in a cold climate, it will just be moved south a few 100 miles so I can safely sail it in March).

I do not see the point in adding cost for food, as food you eat on the boat would more than likely cost far less than the food you would have eaten should you have stayed on land, unless you never eat when you are on land?. In reality this food bill should be included as a saving! The only thing is you have to pay tax on that food, but only from your last international port. This cost is almost negligible. Would NZ qualify in the same was as New Cal?

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by ausaviator

A few things:

Didn't someone mention that Aus rego is now $1,200 ? (just something I read on here somewhere)

Don't forget airfares!
- Your airfare to get there to look at it prior to inspection (return)
- Accommodation and living expenses whilst you are away at the potentially expensive destination whilst the survey takes place
- Labour on repairs required whilst you are away in preparing the boat for sailing. It's easy to just say $1,000 in electrics, but we often forget fitting the equipment and the time taken to do so
- Your captain and crew's airfare if you have one (an expensive one-way fare and depending on where they leave from another fare may be required
- Your captain's fee if you have one. Caribbean - Aus - perhaps $10k - $15k
- Your survey cost might be a bit light on. I'm quoted $1,200 - $1,500 for a cat
- Your food costs will likely be much higher - remember Dragon Lady took 115+ days from Carib to Qld, thus with several crew if you're paying, say 3 crew, $15 a day x 115 = ~$5,200 !
- Your marina fees might be a bit high so you might win a little there, but that being said there are customs / clearing fees totaling in the hundreds for some countries that you'll need to allow for

Hope this helps; just what I've picked up.

Thanks. Many of those points are valid for me, most are not. Which is why I did not include them. However the space is there in the spreadsheet to add them if they are applicable to me later, or for anyone else. I can see that they would be important in many scenarios. The formulas will add any costs up you put in the columns so it is easy to add costs.

For example. I am going to the USA for a holiday anyway. Holidays cost money, hotels cost money, air fairs cost money. Therefore I don't need to add those costs up since I am doing it anyway. If this was a commercial plan than yes. But it isn't. Well that's my optimistic take anyway

[Mr B]

A 4 foot cubic fridge is no good to me when I am living aboard after I get it here,
I will just pull the fridge out and over the side, and buy a new big fridge in Brissy when I get here, No fridge, no charge.
I read some thing that they want the last four ports of call listed, It might be by the Quarantine people,

[Mr B]

I am going to Fiji for a two week holiday any way, Does this cost go towards the cost of the boat I am bringing back,

Or do the charges apply from when I leave Fiji.

The parts I am buying for the boat are paid for in Australia and flown to Fiji with me,
GST is already paid in OZ, Do they whack that on top of the boat price as well.

The fridge runs on Ammonia and Hydrogen, Heated by Propane.
So I think that puts it outside the CFC Import tax,
So I can keep my fridge.???????

Would like clarification on that one, Please.

The boat is coming from Fiji, straight to Bundaberg, Then it will be in Australian waters permanently, Owned by an Australian Resident,

Next Friday, The boat will have Victorian State Registration, As I am a permanent Resident of Victoria, And My Postal address is my Victorian House address, Which I own.

Every thing on the boat is 7 years old, as It was basically purchased when new,

7 year old anything is virtually worthless these days.

How am I doing Here, All help appreciated.

Finally got the customs and immigration forms I needed, How, you might ask,

From the Bundaberg P2P race site, Very infromative site and very helpfull for sailers.
Has lots of good info on its site and where to get it if it hasn't got it.

[Dragon Lady]

I doubt you will have any hassles with fridges.
There is no duty just GST on delvery cost including the skipper.
The P2P people put out a really good magazine type guide on how to sail from Noumea to Bundy. Worth getting hold of even if you are going from Fiji to BNE.
There are no termite inspection cost if your boat is mainly GRP like most production boats are now days.

[ausaviator]

Unless i am mistaken, Victorian registration is not suitable for transiting international waters. You will need it struck off the register that it is currently on before it can go on the Aus AMSA register, was $800, gone up recently? You should call them to confirm this unless someone knows better here.

[Dragon Lady]

You are right, you must have a national flag on your boat state rego means nothing out there.

[D&D]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Plus I have an ABN, So I wonder how they will take the knowledge that the more they tax me, the more the tax office give it back to me as a tax deduction. As cash.

If you have an ABN and -- This is the important bit -- you intend to use your boat for your business, then you should probably be lodging your Aust Customs papers electronically and using a Customs Agent to do so; the latter (in our experience anyway) was not too expensive and good value for the quick reference to answering questions.

If you follow the above course, you will not have to pay the GST at all. It will simply be both debited and credited as you import the vessel.

As suggested in another post, however, you should only travel this path if you intend a genuine business with the vessel...and you can certainly expect an ATO audit to check.