Australia, need to re import boat?

[daletournier]

Hi all, its been drawn to my attention that I maybe asked to re import my boat when I return to Australia as its been out of the country for more than 3 years? My boat has been fully imported, gst and duty paid.

Does anyone know anything about this?

[Boatguy30]

Maybe it's just filling out some papers. You have receipts from before? A US built boat would not be subject to duty just GST. Unless they changed the law since 2006.
I wonder if I'm still a registered importer?

[JPA Cate]

Dale, this is from a long time ago, before you left Oz. At one time, we were required to export our boat when we left on a short trip to New Caledonia, and so we did, but thereafter, imported it back in again, and no fees were administered outside the "normal" AQIS fee. They are a contract organization, not a Service, like Customs and Border.

So, I really don't know what they'll do with respect to Sukha. You may be able to query Customs about that from where you are, just so you're prepared.

Ann

[UFO]

I have asked border control a couple of times about this and they are as clear as mud. Trying to get something in writing out of them is also not easy.


I spoke to two different officers - One Put me onto another border control office and the other office after a long conversation told me to talk to AMSA who told me to talk to Border control, at which point, as I was trying to figure it out for the future I gave up.


I did talk to another local boater who told me that when they came in, they tried to charge him import GST & Duty using some calculation on what upgrades the boat would have had in the years that it was away - It was the upgrades that they were going charge the GST and Duty on - He basically said the boat was identical, with the exception of standard maintenance items and they did not charge him.


Anyway if you do get a sensible answer (and make sure you get it in writing) please let us know what they say.

[RaymondR]

Has the boat been Australian registered for the time it has been out of the country?

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Has the boat been Australian registered for the time it has been out of the country?

Yep, definitely. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Boatguy30]

I can see the improvements angle, sneaky bastards!

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

I can see the improvements angle, sneaky bastards!

I'd say the key to that aspect os to present everything you can as repair and maintenance to retain value rather than additions that enhance value.

[Dave Isom]

I was away from Melbourne for over four years circumnavigating in my Adams 40, Australian registered ship.Left the country from Darwin, returned to Bundaberg no problem apart from having to pay quarantine a lot for searching for termites on my steel yacht !
If you were the registered owner when you left and when you returned I don’t see there will be an issue.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by UFO

I did talk to another local boater who told me that when they came in, they tried to charge him import GST & Duty using some calculation on what upgrades the boat would have had in the years that it was away - It was the upgrades that they were going charge the GST and Duty on.

This came about in the early eighties when folks started building a hull and deck then rigging it and then sailed them up into Asia for the rest of the fit out and then sailing them back to Australia. I was building my first sail boat at the time and was told you could halve the cost that way.

[Wotname]

I'm told it is a big help if you have an inventory of all the items on board (especially photos of same) from when you first departed Oz.

Any GST or other taxes should only apply to additional (i.e. not replacement) items purchased while away.

Good luck with it all.

[pelicans]

Originally Posted by Dave Isom

I was away from Melbourne for over four years circumnavigating in my Adams 40, Australian registered ship.Left the country from Darwin, returned to Bundaberg no problem apart from having to pay quarantine a lot for searching for termites on my steel yacht !
If you were the registered owner when you left and when you returned I don’t see there will be an issue.

We had the same experience. Aus registered boat, left Darwin in 2006, returned Bundaberg end 2009 having been OS all that time. There was no suggestion we had to re-import the boat, just the usual quarantiine inspections etc.


We did have a list of all the equipment, purchase dates etc, but that was for insurance purposes. It was not asked for.