? Just moved boat from RI to FL. Shud we register?

faithab · #1 (**permalink**) 12-04-2006

We've had a 40' boat in Clearwater for 10 years. Last year, in Dec. we sold it and bought a boat in RI that was the same size and gave it the same name. We got our re-registration material for the OLD boat in Aug. before we brought the RI boat down and just re-registered so we would have those nice orange stickers to put on the new boat.

Question: We've owned the new boat for a year. Should we register it in FL or just put the 2006-7 stickers on it? What would be the problem with that? Someone said we might have to pay some sort of tax on a boat brought into FL. Should we register this new boat and run that risk? What do you know? Thanks

PBzeer · #2 (**permalink**) 12-05-2006

I would think you'd be better off having it properly registered, rather than using stickers for the old boat. Reason being, should anything unfortunate happen, your insurance could be voided due to fraud.

As to taxes, most states that charge will apply any tax paid from where the boat was purchased to their tax. Not sure about how Florida handles that.

Bottom line though, you'd be comitting fraud using the stickers on the new boat and could be liable to penalties if caught.

sailingdog · #3 (**permalink**) 12-05-2006

PB's got a good point...besides it's the law... and if you ever have a problem...get hit or hit somebody or go aground, etc...and the LEO's inspect the boat....you'll get really screwed for it... How much can the registration be...and is it worth the risk to save the relatively minor amount of money it takes to keep the boat legal?

camaraderie · #4 (**permalink**) 12-05-2006

Faith...Under FL law, any vessel in the state for 90 days or more must be registered AND sales tax is due on any amount NOT collected by the state in which you bought the boat and Florida's tax rate. In your case Rhode Island has no sales tax on boats so you owe the full amount of Florida sales tax and they will come after you whether or not you register the boat in advance assuming the boat is in a marina somewhere in FL.
Sorry for the bad news!

sailingfool · #5 (**permalink**) 12-05-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithab

We've had a 40' boat in Clearwater for 10 years. Last year, in Dec. we sold it and bought a boat in RI that was the same size and gave it the same name. We got our re-registration material for the OLD boat in Aug. before we brought the RI boat down and just re-registered so we would have those nice orange stickers to put on the new boat.

Question: We've owned the new boat for a year. Should we register it in FL or just put the 2006-7 stickers on it? What would be the problem with that? Someone said we might have to pay some sort of tax on a boat brought into FL. Should we register this new boat and run that risk? What do you know? Thanks

Faith,

You have to be kidding! Your prior threads
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/genera...ht=florida+tax

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/buying...ht=florida+tax

well worked over the subject of use tax.

(edit - I've removed some comments on this situation that I'll PM to you...)

Here's a story to consider - in 1994 the state of MA billed me for use tax for a Rhodes 19 I had purchased in Maine in 1989. (No engine, so never registered anywhere.) I sold the boat in 1991 when I moved from MA to Minnesota. By adding penalties and interest MA doubled the amount due. I wrote them a long letter explaining that the tax was not due because I had never brought the boat to MA. Their response was PROVE IT and they started attaching various MA bank accounts (closed ones...). I got worried they might find my mutual funds, and anticipated returning to the state some day, so I offered to pay the tax and interest if MA dropped the penalty. So MA collected use tax from a non-resident, for a boat he didn't own, with no evidence the boat was ever in the state.

The states want these taxes as badly as any loanshark wants his vigorash...and take about the same attitude to collecting them

sailingfool · #6 (**permalink**) 12-05-2006

PS - if the new owner of our old boat has registered it in FL, assuming FL uses HINs, at some point the state system may recognize there are two registrations with the same HIN...

faithab · #7 (**permalink**) 12-07-2006

Thank you for the advice. We'll just bite the bullet and register. Some seem to think since we've owned the boat out of state for almost 10 months we won't have to pay taxes. Others think we will. We'll cross our fingers.