Does your state charge an ANNUAL excise, use or property tax?

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Apparently, california charges boat owners annually Based on current market valuation. I am wondering if or what other states do that as well and for any which do, are you also charged a tax when purchasing a boat?

i know some states charge neither but would like to know which do.

 

[Rick D]

CA charges both. I also pay for the dinghy. Also pay a "possessory tax" annually for the slip we rent.

 

[dlochner]

NY does not consider boats real property so they are not taxed. We do have an annual registration fee which is collected every 2 or 3 years.

 

[kappykaplan]

Not in MD for a documented vessel.

 

[JamesG161]

No Taxes on Boats in MS.
Jim...

 

[capta]

SC does charge an excise tax, but as my boat was my home it cost me a tiny fraction of what it would have been if it wasn't. I seem to remember (but not for sure) that one could also get the discount if the boat was considered a second home (summer residence).
As for California, they are the greediest when it comes to boat tax. In Hawaii I traded my Phil
Rhodes ocean racer for a Wm. Hand gaff ketch built in 1909, a grand old lady for sure.
California began sending me a tax bill shortly thereafter. I sent them a nice letter explaining that the boat had not been to California since I'd owned it and that I was a Hawaiian resident. Another tax bill arrived, even bigger (penalties I guess). After about a year of these monthly bills, getting bigger each month, my responses were much less pleasant until the final one which I answered with the "F" word every other word. That seemed to be the magic letter, as they stopped sending the bills.
I couldn't believe they had the greed to try and intimidate me into giving them money for a vessel that hadn't been in their state nor was owned by a resident, for years. If you are a California resident I feel sorry for you, but don't just pay a tax bill without checking that you might be entitled to some exemption that they won't tell you about.

 

[dmax]

MA has an excise tax on boats of $10 on every $1000 of valuation but their valuations are very low. It's basically the same for cars. And a sales tax on boat purchases of 6.25%

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

MA has an excise tax on boats of $10 on every $1000 of valuation but their valuations are very low. It's basically the same for cars. And a sales tax on boat purchases of 6.25%

I still remember the John Kerry tax avoidance fiasco having lived in RI where some MA residents tried to hide.
Thanks all for the info. Hope more to come.

 

[ggrizzard]

Florida has a sales tax with a cap and an annual registration fee like a car tag.
The fee on my 'Antique', 1979 Hunter 30C is $20.

 

[jssailem]

Washington charges an annual use fee if non resident or tax if WA resident. Amount dependent on value of boat when acquired or brought into the state.

I provided a bill of sale and several comps when first applying. From then on renewals have been the same each year. Suspect if the legislature changes the rate the cost will go up.

 

[jviss]

I still remember the John Kerry tax avoidance fiasco having lived in RI where some MA residents tried to hide.
Thanks all for the info. Hope more to come.

As much as I dislike John Kerry, I feel he was treated unfairly in that situation. He took delivery of a yacht in Rhode Island, which has no sales tax on boats. He really didn't owe anyone anything, but paid to quell the hub-bub.

 

[jviss]

MA has an excise tax on boats of $10 on every $1000 of valuation but their valuations are very low. It's basically the same for cars. And a sales tax on boat purchases of 6.25%

Yes, it's fairly cheap, like $120 no matter what it is. There's also a mooring permit requirement most places, but also cheap. No registration required for documented vessels. The sales tax on boats hurts!

 

[Stu Jackson]

I thought of this thread when I looked at my boat insurance paperwork as I stored it in my boat book this afternoon.

I removed copies of the past two years of insurance papers to replace them with the new current policy.

Hmm, "agreed value" - goes DOWN, as much as theirs are goin' up. If not more...

It may be a good resource to show the govt that their "value" sources nay be suspect. ***

Paperwork sometimes overcomes bureaucracy.

Good luck.

*** I left CA, continued to get county bills for property that was no longer there, i.e. my boat! Took a couple of years and lots of copies of receipts, but haven't heard from them again after the first two years (It's been over six now). Happens...

 

[stickinthemud57]

Taxes in Texas for boats:
-Sales tax on purchase of 6.25%, with municipalities usually tacking on an additional 2%
-Title transfer fee of 6.5% based on declared value.
-Annual title renewal for boat, motor, and trailer (also license for trailer). Usually amounts to around $200 for my 26S.

No annual ad valorem taxes. I think trying to do that in Texas would result in a general revolt.

 

[Terry Cox]

Grr. A sore topic here in Washington. Still do not have an answer to my questions from DOL, DOR or my District Representative after two months of numerous messages. Boat tab tax increased 50% over last year. Somehow the value of our boat increased 50% in one year.

 

[kloudie1]

No use tax or property tax on boats in Louisiana. No sales tax on used boats bought from private persons.. "Casual Sales" sales through a broker generally are "casual sales" .. 10% tax (state + local), no cap, on new boats. (that is abusive on new boat purchases!)
Registration is required , fee for a 34 foot boat is $78 for three years.. Tax law here are kinda loose because of the humongous number of boats used recreationally.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Appreciate the responses.

 

[FastOlson]

Oregon: no sales tax, no use tax, and boats are not "property" like land homes.
We do pay a registration fee, every two years, and it makes no difference if the boat is state registered or documented. IIRC we are paying about $200. every two years, and some of the money goes into boating facilities (docks & ramps) throughout the state. Since this is administered by an independent small state agency, with no general funding, it's a good ROI for us boaters. We overnight at "our" docks quite often up and down the Columbia River, for instance.

 

[FastOlson]

Hmm, "agreed value" - goes DOWN, as much as theirs are goin' up. If not more...

Watch out for that ploy! Geico/BoatUS tried to do that to our policy and later admitted after a complaint that they actually did not have a right to unilaterally lower any "agreed" value, and then restored it. We left that "fake lizard" company last year to give our business to a boat insurance broker. Our cost per thousand went down, as well.
Who Knew?

 

[stickinthemud57]

Grr. A sore topic here in Washington. Still do not have an answer to my questions from DOL, DOR or my District Representative after two months of numerous messages. Boat tab tax increased 50% over last year. Somehow the value of our boat increased 50% in one year.

Nice to be able to up your revenue through arbitrary action. Perhaps you should pay half of what they say you owe, claiming your money is worth 50% more than others say it is worth.