Res...me again...I went to the MO state tax site and found that there IS a tax for documented new boats...it is called "in lieu of" and would be $4K on a new 200k boat...then you have to pay a minimum of 2% ANNUALLY in personal property tax...I think I'll stay in salt water!
I'm pretty sure that's what I said earlier. The in lieu of fee plus documentation cost is much less than a sales tax of say 7 percent of $200,000.00 which I believe would be $14,000.00 And yes Missouri is a personal property tax state on all vehicles, boats, trailers, etc. That's the main reason people document here. That and you don't have to have registration numbers on the bow. Basically it only benefits you when you buy a high dollar boat.
Resently bought a older sailboat ( 1969 Islander), one to fix up and screw around with, question is, What does it mean when it says " Undocumented Vessel " on the registration
I just documented my boat. The total USCG cost was $81.00. The forms and instructions are on the USCG Documentation web site. You must be a US citizen and owner of the boat. You will fill out a tonage form in addition to your application form. Note that some states will give you a history of ownership for a nominal fee that will trace the boat's history for the past 10 years and including all lien and claims against the boat. Of course I had to pay Texas sales tax of 6.25% and received a tax decal to be placed on the bow. However there is no requirement to display any state registration number. The days of registering your boat in a non-sales tax state, not your own, are long over. Any attempt to do so will subject you to Title 11 of the US code and violations are generally punishable in the 10 years plus $10,000 fine range. There is considerable confusion and conflict between state and Federal law as to registration versus documentation numbering requirements. If you can't do it yourself, you might have to contact one of the services that do the documentation for you. They are usually the most informed because it is their business to be so. However, they are expensive. There is an excellent article on documentation, (US and Canadian) in one of the "DIY-Boats" back issues. See if you can locate the magazine on the internet and request a back copy from them. In any case, be prepared for a wait of up to 3 months after applying for a Documentation Number. The Coasties have a lot on their hands. Don't even think of visiting other countries without US documentation and a valid passport in these times.
I used the BoatUS Documentation service and it was not that expensive, given all the run around they had with the builder's certificates and such. They also got me my documentation number about two weeks or so after I applied for it.
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Sailingdog Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this POST.
You can't get away from sales tax in California by having your boat documented. Now the only way is to take off shore delivery and be out of the state for 12 months. When I did my new boat (October 2004) I had to be out of the state for 91 days out of the first 180 days I owned the boat.
Mike
When we bought Kukulcán last year in Annapolis, we ended up paying sales tax in CT, her home port, when we registered her. There is no property tax on boats in CT, but the "registration" fee is the same whether documented or not. There is a different colored sticker for the bow to indicate that the vessel is documented, but documentation doesn't really take effect until the name and hailing port are affixed. There was a time when boats in CT WERE subject to the property tax, but everyone registered them in RI. Now the registration police roam the marinas and mooring fields to check that the proper stickers are affixed. At least the loans are tax-deductible if you itemize.
Bill Coxe, O28/)40, New London, CT
Don't forget that the USCG documentation number has to be put on a structural element of the boat that is clearly visible from inside the boat, in letters 3" high, and in such a way that removal or alteration of the numbers will be evident.
I used a copper plate, that has the numbers on it, as raised lettering, that is bolted and epoxied to an interior bulkhead. There is no easy way to remove it, as the epoxy effectively makes it a part of the structure.
__________________
Sailingdog Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this POST.
I do have the same situation presently.
I'm a new owner of a Van D' Stadt from 1976 without any registry papers.
I bought the boat in Holand and according with some non oficial information I collected, it's a common situation for boats with such age.
The only "oficial" document I have is the Sales Agreement between me and the former owner. On this document it's possible to find the boat's features, the price agreed and of course and my personal details, so to prove that I'm the present owner of the boat.
From this, I'll continue to present this document in whatever situation needed. Port of call authorities, insurance companies and so on!
Guess it'll keep on working!
Furthermore, a complete registry process rounds up the amount of 500 euros, (Latvia flag hoisted).
The in lieu of fee plus documentation cost is much less than a sales tax of say 7 percent of $200,000.00 which I believe would be $14,000.00 And yes Missouri is a personal property tax state on all vehicles, boats, trailers, etc. That's the main reason people document here. That and you don't have to have registration numbers on the bow. Basically it only benefits you when you buy a high dollar boat.
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