Taxes

[Timbo]

Question ,I live in New Hampshire and now recently bought a house in Naples Florida. I’m in the process of buying a boat in New Hampshire and want to ship the boat to Naples and keep it there for more than six months a year. Naples says I need to pay a “waterway use” tax To the tune of 18k. Should I document the boat and list Portsmouth New Hampshire as my hailing port and say nothing to Naples or take the 18k hit and pay the tax To Naples?

 

[wspitler]

No such thing in Florida that I am aware of. You may be the target of a scam!

 

[SkunkBoat]

Oh yes there is...

https://floridarevenue.com/Forms_library/current/gt800005.pdf

 

[glacierbaze]

I just skimmed the document once, but does keeping the boat out of Fla for 6 months after purchase exempt you?

Florida’s 6% use tax, plus any applicable discretionary sales surtax, is due on a boat used or stored in Florida when:•
The boat is purchased from a person who is not a registered boat dealer and the sale or delivery of the boat occurs in Florida;•
The boat is purchased in another state, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia and is brought into Florida within six (6) months of the purchase date; or•
The boat is purchased in a foreign country and is brought into Florida at any time

 

[Hookup1]

In the past their was a “Use Tax” issue. People were trying to dodge State sales tax. Buy a boat, register it in DE, pay no sales tax and use it in NJ or FL. Eventually they will catch up with you. I am one of them. NJ and FL reciprocate as other States do.

If there are new taxes I’m not familiar with them.

Generally speaking if you paid Sales Tax when you bought the boat you are fine. They may ask for the difference between the State Sales Tax. This is a highly negotiable topic so don’t sweat it. Enjoy your boating in FL.

 

[wspitler]

Agree with Hookup. I believe that is really just like an auto and is a sales tax. Have not heard of a "waterway use tax"

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Simple..Buy the boat and register it in New Hampshire,but only for 1 year. Next year when the renewal expires , transfer the registration to Florida. They tag you with the tax difference if you register it within the first 6 months of a new purchase. They only know when you bought the boat when you go to register it in Collier county.

 

[Rustygaff]

I have some friends and family members who have their boats registered in CT and RI haul their boats down to FL. sometime in the fall for the winter season. The boats come back north in the spring. None of them have mentioned paying any kind of FL tax. I would register in NH and run with it.

 

[Fishtales]

I thought the 6Mo period was the trigger. If you exceed that time period in Fl, you owe applicable sales and use tax in Fl. I thought this applied both to boats and vehicles. The use tax is 10% of the value of the boat (crazy high if boat is new) but the value is depreciated quickly and the use tax is a low percentage (~1%) of the depreciated value each year. They do the same in MA, where the yearly excise tax is charged on the value of the boat and owed to the town where it is located on 7/1 of that year. For my boat it works out to ~$90 per year.

From the net (the only caveat I thought was IF the boat is in Fl 6Mo or greater):
All boats sold, delivered, used, or stored in Florida are subject to Florida's sales and use tax, plus any applicable discretionary sales surtax, unless exempt. ... The boat is purchased in a foreign country and is brought into Florida at any time.

 

[wspitler]

Once a boat is registered in Florida there is no ad valorem tax. Simply an annual registration fee. For example, my 2007 330 is $84 per year. I did have to pay 6% sales tax on it initially. In the past, if a boat was documented it did not have to be "registered" in the state. However I believe that has changed in most states they now require that even documented vessels that are domiciled in a state be registered with the state. Documented vessels should not show state registration numbers on the hull.

 

[Dhirsh]

Whats your sales/use tax on a boat in NH? In Fl its capped at $18,000 no matter how much the boat costs (6% of the first 300K plus any local surtax which usually isn't much) . I agree that as long as you pay tax in one place or the other, its usually fine

 

[Fishtales]

Once a boat is registered in Florida there is no ad valorem tax. Simply an annual registration fee. For example, my 2007 330 is $84 per year. I did have to pay 6% sales tax on it initially. In the past, if a boat was documented it did not have to be "registered" in the state. However I believe that has changed in most states they now require that even documented vessels that are domiciled in a state be registered with the state. Documented vessels should not show state registration numbers on the hull.

Just like MA. We pay a sales tax when purchased (new or used) an annual excise tax (close to what you pay) and a two year registration. They get you coming and going.....

 

[Doc Stressor]

The taxes and use fees in Florida apply only to the hull. If a dealer breaks out the outboard engines and all added equipment, you don't pay tax on that stuff.

 

[Seafarer_Bob]

Simple..Buy the boat and register it in New Hampshire,but only for 1 year. Next year when the renewal expires , transfer the registration to Florida. They tag you with the tax difference if you register it within the first 6 months of a new purchase. They only know when you bought the boat when you go to register it in Collier county.

THIS!