Property tax for boats in British Columbia canada

[catman]

Hello Western Spirit,
You can enter Canada on Canpass, which allows you to stay here for six months.
I know some that have arrived here on a Canpass and just stayed for years, not bothering to renew the pass. It would appear that the Gov. does not have the personnel and time to enforce the expired passes.
One Brit came here on a Canpass claiming his boat as a demo unit for his boat building enterprise and the boat is still here 12 years later. He leaves it here for years on end while he travels back and forth to the USA.
Catman

[mentore]

Thank you very much to all of you for the explanations.

[BigVee]

As a tax saving measure, there is no restrictions for boats bought or sold in Alberta to be moored in BC! FYI

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by BigVee

As a tax saving measure, there is no restrictions for boats bought or sold in Alberta to be moored in BC! FYI

Or if you are an Alberta resident who buys in BC and the handoff is "offshore." Alberta has no sales tax so you save the PST.

[Adrian NAMT]

A boat is a vehicle, like an RV, even if you live on it or in it, not property (house, condo). You can buy and register your boat in Alberta and keep it in BC - all sailing lawyers in Alberta seem to do that - lots of BC marina slips have Alberta registered boats.

[longjonsilver]

can you register a boat in Alberta if you don't live there?

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

can you register a boat in Alberta if you don't live there?

Unfortunately this question doesn't make sense, although it should.

In Canada you either register your boat (expensive and lots of paperwork) and is done federally or just license it (which is a form and basically free). Licenses are usually provincial (my boat has a number that begins with AB..., a BC boat has a number that begins with BC etc.) and based on where your residence is.

(http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety...tm#registering)

This has nothing to do with taxes or duties. Those are based on your legal residence and who you normally pay provincial tax to.

[seahaul]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Or if you are an Alberta resident who buys in BC and the handoff is "offshore." Alberta has no sales tax so you save the PST.

What does "offshore" handoff mean? thx.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by seahaul

What does "offshore" handoff mean? thx.

Outside of Canadian waters. Which in BC is pretty darn easy.

[robert sailor]

I've owned a number of boats over the years while living in the Lower Mainland. I never paid any GST or PST on any of them. I kept them in either Point Roberts or Blaine, Washington.. I figure that all the boats in the mainland are kept upriver or a long distance from great cruising grounds..why not simply keep the boat a few hours sail from the San Juan Islands and simply spend a bit more time driving to the marina.They were Canadian registered and Bluebooked as offshore. All my offshore trips over the years were never affected and if I wanted i could bring the boat back into Canada for a few months under a work bond. Saved me avlot of coin over the years.