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

[Mikem]

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.

Mine did too. One explanation I heard was that if you had owned the boat more than 10 years your tax went up and if less than 10 years ownership it went down. My annual excise tax went up from $332 to $502. I have owned the boat 19 years. My son’s boat, owned for 4 years went down from $420 to $340. My daughter’s boat that she has owned for 2 years went down from $190 to $140.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

New Jersey has 6.625% "sales and use tax" and annual registration fee, regardless if documented or not. Registration fee is $52 for 26' to 40' and $80 for 40' to 65'. The good news is that in NJ, the sales tax is limited to 3.5% and a use tax exemption for new and used boat purchases. You get credit for any sales tax paid to another state. So, when I purchased my boat in Massachusetts and took delivery in MA, I paid MA the 6.25% sales tax and owed nothing to NJ when I moved the boat home. I mentioned the sales tax difference to the broker and negotiated a very small price reduction accordingly, which the seller accepted just to offer me a small concession, I suppose. Also, for the luxury boat buyers in New Jersey, there is a $20,000 cap on sales tax regardless of the boat's value. I'd say the fees in NJ are pretty reasonable considering our reputation as a high tax state.

 

[jssailem]

I have concluded there are too many taxes dipping into our recreational pleasures.
We work hard. We pay sales and income taxes. And then they have the gall to tax our rest time. Is nothing sacred?

 

[stickinthemud57]

I have concluded there are too many taxes dipping into our recreational pleasures.
We work hard. We pay sales and income taxes. And then they have the gall to tax our rest time. Is nothing sacred?

Nope. Can't say I know of a time in human history when anything was.
Cue The Beatles "Taxman".

 

[Paul356]

No annual tax in Wisconsin. No license plate required for trailers, either. This is Wisconsin: It's our right to go boating!
However, there is a boat sticker required every three years, it costs $17 to $100 for three years, depending on boat type and length.
Sales tax is required on boat transactions and has to be paid in order to register the boat in the first place.
Finally, there is no boater registration card required for anyone born before Jan 1, 1989, or anyone operating a boat with such an old person aboard. For those post-1989, registration card requires only completing an online course (unlimited test attempts allowed) and is good for life.

 

[aoversier]

California charges every kind of tax there is on boats.. Sales tax, annual property tax, annual registration fees. They will probably come up with another one soon.

 

[Brian D]

Being in Ca I too was a victim of their tax everything policy. But being on federal land I guess I am exempt from that. Wasn't the case when I was in a civilian marina. Regardless, the marina I am in likes to charge almost as much as the local marinas, just to be fair. Ha!

 

[stickinthemud57]

California charges every kind of tax there is on boats.. Sales tax, annual property tax, annual registration fees. They will probably come up with another one soon.

Brass tax
Thumb tax
Starboard tax
Big Mac A tax

 

[HeatherE]

California is out of control. They doubled assessed value on boats purchased in 2017. I bought my boat 1 year ago and my assessed value is up 35%. I called to start the appeal process, but no one has returned my calls.

 

[mermike]

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.

If there's a user fee for non-residents, it's not identified as such. I'm a non-resident and I pay the same vessel excise tax that locals pay. Which actually went down from last year.

 

[Mikem]

If there's a user fee for non-residents, it's not identified as such. I'm a non-resident and I pay the same vessel excise tax that locals pay. Which actually went down from last year.

Mine went up because I’ve owned it more than 10 years. Went from $332 to $502. My son and daughter both have boats and theirs went down as they have owned them less than 10 years.

 

[mermike]

Mine went up because I’ve owned it more than 10 years. Went from $332 to $502. My son and daughter both have boats and theirs went down as they have owned them less than 10 years.

That's what you get for being owning an antique.

 

[SkipR]

Hard to beat the taxman. My Beneteau 22 is registered and winter-stored in NV. However, because it is used from my Placer County home on Lake Tahoe during the summer, I have to pay Placer Co. Personal Property Tax. I appealed and Placer Co. assessor cited the court ruling that supported their case.
BTW in CA property tax is assessed and collected by the county, not the state. Not that it makes any difference in my bank account balance.

 

[Mikem]

That's what you get for being owning an antique.

 

[Mac Smith]

It is infuriating! Property taxes on "Luxury Items" in South Carolina was passed, to include boats, unless commercial, which were taxed differently. SC even decided to tax "any vessel within the waters of SC exceeding 30 days! I don't know if that is still the case today, but BoatUS article confirmed some years ago.
Now, this is the kicker, and you must be aware, that in our fine state of SC, the taxe rates are determined by the COUNTY. That being said, in Richland County, taxes are halted on older pleasure boats over 20-25 years, however; Lexington County continues to tax forever!
A vehicle licensed as a "Vintage vehicle" gets a tag, and is not taxed. This tag only allows that vehicle to go to/from the group event, such as a car show.
Oh, I am happy, can you tell?

 

[stickinthemud57]

Taxation of the type Mac Smith describes is particularly odious because it discriminates against a particular leisure activity while ignoring others. I doubt SC levies yearly taxes on high-end home theatre systems, golf equipment, firearms collections, or any other such expensive items associated with other leisure activities.

The only time such taxes might be justified might be to offset costs of maintaining public facilities for use by boat owners, and then only if such taxes are evenly applied to activities like golfing. In many cities, huge amounts of public funds (or tax breaks) are granted to golf courses to which the general public does not have access to. This in itself is scandalous.