Taxes, how do they know?

[Mojadito]

Keep in mind, if you stay in Florida for more than 90 days, you must register and pay the taxes. If you leave Florida (a quick cruise just outside the 3 mile limit), then it resets the clock and you have another 90 days

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by sailormarine

Take the time to document your boat...not very hard to do yourself, and takes about 90 days to get your documentation back (unless it is stretching a bit longer now, but even if so you can pay extra for expedited service). Florida does not require that documented boats be registered with the state, as they used to do.

Vessel documentation is a national form of registration for vessels with a net weight of five tons or more. Vessels are documented by the Federal Government (U.S. Coast Guard) and not by individual states. These vessels are not titled in Florida.

A documented vessel must be registered in Florida, if used on Florida waters for longer than 90 days. The registration number will be the official federal documentation number and a decal will also be issued. The decal must be affixed to a window or the windshield on the port side of the vessel. The registration will be issued in the name shown on the federal documentation papers. Commercial vessels registered to a non-resident of Florida pay an additional fee of $50.00.

For federal documentation papers completed in the applicant's name, bring the following to register the vessel in Florida:

Application to Register Non-Titled Vessel
Copy of documentation papers
Copy of executed bill of sale to document amount of sales tax due
Proof of payment of sales or use tax or proof of tax exemption
Registration fees
$50 non-resident commercial vessel fee, if applicable

For federal documentation papers pending, vessel previously registered in Florida, and documentation number already assigned, bring the following to re-register the vessel in Florida:

Application to Register Non-Titled Vessel
Proof the documentation request is on file with the US Coast Guard (examples: post card that indicates the US Coast Guard received the paperwork or other documentary proof from the US Coast Guard that it is on file.)
Copy of executed bill of sale to document amount of sale tax due
Proof of payment of sale or use tax or proof of tax exempt
Registration fees
$50 non-resident commercial vessel fee, if applicable

For federal documentation papers pending, vessel not registered in Florida, and documentation number not assigned, bring the following to register the vessel in Florida:

Application to Register Non-Titled Vessel
Proof the documentation request is on file with the US Coast Guard (examples: postcard that indicates the US Coast Guard received the paperwork or other documentary proof from the US Coast Guard that it is on file.)
Copy of executed bill of sale to document amount of sale tax due
Proof of payment of sale or use tax or proof of tax exempt
Registration fees
$50 non-resident commercial vessel fee, if applicable

The Certificate of Documentation and Florida registration must be on board the vessel at all times.

[Paul G]

Florida Boating Guide states documented boats operating on Florida waters are required to be registered in Florida or some other place.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by boatman61

The Eye in the Sky..
Big Brother is watching..

Vessel tracking... oooooh!


https://www.marinetraffic.com/


It's actually a bit creepy, but yes, they could easily prove you were in Florida too long.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Mojadito

Keep in mind, if you stay in Florida for more than 90 days, you must register and pay the taxes. If you leave Florida (a quick cruise just outside the 3 mile limit), then it resets the clock and you have another 90 days

That's pretty much tax evasion (you did not spend measurable time in another state, did not check into another country, and purpose was solely to evade) and is probably also a felony. So yuck it up.

Pay your damn taxes unless you are truly cruising. Who do you expect to pay for stuff? Other people? And why would you expect other people to coach you on how to avoid paying?

[keepondancin]

Originally Posted by carlheintz

Don't underestimate the revenuers. I bought a boat in Maryland, had the port of call changed to Newport CA and within a year got a billing from California for sales tax. The boat had never touched the Pacific, but they argued that it was Californian. After several annoying back and forth conversations, they finally ceased harassing me.

The States very easily search the USCG for documented vessels. They see either an address or a port of call for the respective state, and you get nailed. You are guilty until proven innocent as to where the boat is berthed, which may or may not exclude you from sales tax.

[john61ct]

Generally you get billed, maybe fined, and then it is **up to you** to prove the tax is **not** owed.

CA certainly works that way.

Keep your receipts, and stay honest is the most practical approach.

[billknny]

Originally Posted by scarlet

But, how does the state know I'm there for a year? If I start off in Jacksonville for a few weeks.. Then head to St. Augustine for a few weeks Then down to West Palm, and Jupiter for a few weeks.. continue down the coast, you get the picture, right? How do they know that I'm there, and thus needing to pay the adjusted sales tax?

If you travel around Florida at all, you will be calling bridges to open for you. You might just notice that the bridge tender ALWAYS asks for your boat name. Did you think he is doing that for fun? Do you think that MAYBE he might be reporting it to a central database?

Do you think that MAYBE, just MAYBE the police boat might just take notes about boats they see in their jurisdictions with out of state registrations that they share with the state?

The state makes a lot of money from boat registration fees. You can be sure that they are careful to spend money to make money...

This is NOT something to fool around with, hypothetically. The amount of extra money it will cost you when you get caught WILL be very painful.

[billknny]

Originally Posted by Mojadito

Keep in mind, if you stay in Florida for more than 90 days, you must register and pay the taxes. If you leave Florida (a quick cruise just outside the 3 mile limit), then it resets the clock and you have another 90 days

Follow this advice, and get a BIG tax bill for evasion. It is just NOT true.

The internet, where you get legal advice from random strangers that is worth even LESS than you pay for it.

[Boatguy30]

Actually the N florida FWC commander told me that the 90 day/ 3 mile rule is legal in his opinion. I have an email to this effect somewhere. Not sure it’s statewide FWC policy or not.

[john61ct]

Check in and out of the Bahamas, sure.

[Hoosierdoc]

Ask John kerry

John Kerry unloading yacht that made waves | Boston Herald

[belizesailor]

In Flordia they know because officials do patrol and look for FL registration stickers. No sticker then they will have some questions for you.

[stnick]

Im in Pinellas county Tarpon Springs Florida My morgan is documented
I get sent by mail a fla registering sticker which i have to pay for .
i get a sticker for my truck and car , my boat , my dingy, my dingy trailer !
I know some of my dock neighbors no longer want stickers, to save money ! But if your stopped on the water ,they will fine you .

[denverd0n]

In the first place, to avoid paying use tax to Florida you have to own and use the boat for 6 months -- not 90 days -- outside of Florida. In the second place, the "OWN AND USE" part is important. You cannot just let the boat sit for 6 months and a day, come down to Florida, and expect to avoid paying the tax. They figured that dodge out a long time ago. They have taken people to court who have tried this, and have won in cases where the people could not provide things like gas or pump-out receipts, or something, to prove that they were actually USING the boat before they brought it to Florida.


Also, as others have pointed out, documenting your boat with the USCG absolutely DOES NOT exempt you from the requirement to register it in Florida (or any other state that I'm aware of). It does exempt you from the requirement to have a title for your boat, but that is all.


As for how they know... They have a variety of ways to collect information. The truth, though, is that there's a fair chance that you can break the law and get away with it. In fact, there are a lot of people who make a living doing this. We have a word for them: "CRIMINAL!" And when they finally do get caught -- as many of them do -- I have absolutely NO sympathy for them.


Do whatever you can to legally avoid taxes and I will probably admire your ingenuity. Evade taxes by breaking the law, though, and that's a whole different matter. Don't expect any admiration, respect, or sympathy from anyone, in that case.