Please help the STATE of MAINE HARBORS DONATE to your Harbormaster and pay your Taxes

[StargazerP303]

Thanks all for your input here! Because of the statements made by myself and others, I feel maybe I'm being a little hard on the state and town. I am officially threw. Thanks for your understanding..
Best Regards StarGazer II

 

[jssailem]

Stargazer, you got a paper problem with the USCG. I ran into an issue when trying to get my boat cleared. The PO failed to complete the registration, then turned the boat back to the broker. Broker said he would clear it but was agumentive with USCG who decided to work on other boaters problems. I contacted the Vessel Documentation Office and spoke with a pleasant Chief. Once the issue of the incomplete registration was identified and resolved I was able go get my paperwork cleared in two weeks.

 

[Maine Sail]

Buy the way I should mention that my boat is registered in the state of New Hampshire. However the state of Maine doesn't care.. lol Also, they do not make any refunds for any money you give them. Even after they agree your in the right!

Excise tax is paid based on where the boat is:

Principally moored, docked or located. "Principally moored, docked or located" means the place
where a watercraft, other than a commercial vessel, is usually moored, docked, anchored or located during the
period from June 1st to August 31st.

So this is easy, just show the State of Maine that you were principally not in Maine between 6/1 and 8/31 and were at your paid for mooring or dock in NH.. Done deal...

If you were in Maine "principally" 6/1 & 8/31 you owe the excise tax to your principally moored municipality..

For a 30' boat this is $96.00, if the engine is under 20HP add $2.00. Deduct 20% if boat is older than 10 years and 40% if older than 20 years...

Sounds like $59.60 due to the community, who maintains the harbor where you are, if your boat is older than 20 years old. This law has been around since the early 80's.. If you push your luck with the Maine IRS you may find them trying to prove you also owe sales tax too.....

 

[woodster]

if the state of maine is like some of the other states they have a very weak budget for the game and fish and water way officials .....funding through fees and fines ......if i had to contribute to that fund for using their waters and facilities...i would rather pay a fee than a fine any day....that way you don't get all those black marks on your deck from bring boarded .......hell even the state of florida has a swimming pool tax on the motel bill ......

 

[Scott T-Bird]

This post seems really odd. Who are you trying to fool and for what reason? It sounds like you keep your boat in Maine all summer and are trying to make it sound like a "vacation trip". Who rents a mooring or a slip for a season just for a transient visit? Just because you store your boat in the winter in NH doesn't make your registration in NH legit. Are you gaining some advantage by registering your boat in NH? Why did you haul in Maine for a hurricane? Is it because that is your homeport? Your avatar says your homeport is Rock Port, Maine. It sounds like you are upset because the town has caught up with your scam. I don't understand your argument, if you have one. It seems pretty simple ... your homeport isn't really NH. That's the scam.

 

[woodster]

Thanks woodster! I also lived in Palm Beach Florida for 14 years and never was treated with disrespect as the state of Maine. I understand we ALL need money! But doing it underhandedly with intention, is the issue here. This to all boaters should not be overlooked as "well they need money so, lets use this as a way to Extort funds from the vacationers.

you may not agree with their method/procedure and i can see some of your point....... but in your description i also read some of that how dare they/ or i don't deserve this ...why have that attitude.... register a complaint with Boats US ....i don't believe that you are the only one that this applies to.... its for all alien boaters coming to Maine waters ....there is no free ride this day and time ...when you fish in non resident waters do you get the permit or just fish and hope you don't get caught .......money is tight and we have some really unqualified people in charge of our destiny at this time which leaves us with tied hands ....so all we have now is complaining through the proper channels....so i guess what i am saying is when in Rome do what the Romans do....or pay the penalty

 

[Kings Gambit]

"ALIRT-ALIRT" STATE of MAINE declares war with new law's for boating visitors! Maine State Law's for Excise Tax TRAP or is it entrapment, you be the judge!

Did you mean: "Alert-Alert! State of Maine declares war... with new laws for boating visitors! Marine's state laws for excise tax "trap"--or is it entrapment?-- you be the judge!"?

 

[Kings Gambit]

I was to fast and didn't want to use "PAN - PAN" LOL

What about this?: "I was to fast..." Did you mean "too fast?"

 

[justsomeguy]

Sounds like it's time to change-up your scheduled "vacations", or just pay the damned tax.

Mexico, anyone?

 

[Maine Sail]

Simple question is what state did your boat spend the most time in between 6/1 & 8/31 and would the Rockport HM agree? If the answer is Maine you owe the tax...

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Is my resident NH, YES! By way of property taxes paid and utility bills show where I live and pay to register the boat with the state I live, eat and sleep. However, Last year the hurricane was approaching the NE last Aug, and usually we sail back to Rye, NH to haul out on the hard. I decided to contact the town and they arranged to rent me space to keep boat out of harms way.

It doesn't matter where your residence is. If you keep your boat on a mooring all summer in Rockport, Maine, then you have an obligation to register your boat in Maine. What's the big deal? Nothing prevents you from taking your boat to Rye, NH for winter storage. It sounds like the Town caught up with you when you decided to haul in Rockport. You should have been registering in ME all along, don't you think?

We still have no idea what your complaint is. If you are getting the run-around from various agencies, it's probably because they can't figure out your complaint either. They just want the fee that is imposed on you, probably rightfully, by your own confusing account.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

So it sounds like you rent a mooring for the season, but maybe leave the state, (to go to Canada?) and avoid the 60 consecutive day stipulation? But then you go on to say that you are in Maine longer than 75 days during the season. If that is the hook, you rent a mooring and keep your boat in Maine at least 75 days but you want to avoid registering your boat in Maine. The simple question is: why register your boat in NH when it obviously should be registered in ME?

 

[Maine Sail]

I wish it would be that simple Main Sail... But its not. It states: Are you there on mooring 60 consecutive days... NO! are you in the state of Maine longer the 75days.. yes! all because I rent a mooring from the town for the season that's more then 90 days. The town mooring are during that time frame. I've rented from them for over 8 years.. and now its a problem? Humm.. I think it's called extortion. Renting a mooring from a marina or town puts you in harms-way with the state law.

You are trying to blame "ignorance of the law" on someone else... It is not their duty to inform you of YOUR tax liability. Claiming ignorance of the law won't fly with the IRS nor with the Maine IRS...

 

[Scott T-Bird]

By your own admission, you are mooring your boat in Maine for the entire season, except, possibly, for brief visits elsewhere and the fact that you store your boat elsewhere in the winter. Your own avatar in this forum says that your Homeport is Rock Port, Maine. Your argument that you are "just renting a mooring" doesn't fly and you know it. Why do you resist registering your boat in Maine? It sounds like you should be registered in Maine.

 

[Maine Sail]

The fact is, for just renting a mooring in the state is grounds for Excise Tax. It really doesn't matter if your there or not. That's their argument and justification for a tax.

This is 150% incorrect.. Your tax liability is based on where the boat was..

 

[woodster]

i wish i could be more sympathetic to your cause but you have one millstone on your back that makes it not possible "denial" you can stomp your feet in the kitchen all you like but the bottom line is you are going to lose this battle or your boat if you push too hard and not pay the tax....good luck

 

[woodster]

By, the way.. I registered the vessel in the state now! Its the way its handled not trying to avoid taxes.

very good...... it is a draw

 

[Maine Sail]

I rent several mooring annually out of the state as stated. Is my boat "physically" in the state of Maine for 75 days.. NO! BUT, the hook here is that the mooring is still rented for the season with no vessel on it. Prof was given and denied because I rent a mooring. It really doesn't matter about the boat it's the renting of a mooring.

Sorry, I am not buying this. I have a customer with a house on Chebeague Island. He owns a 46' boat that spends the three weeks a year they use the home on Chebeague, that's it.. The rest of the time it's at his marina in MA. When the State of Maine came to him for excise (because they go around by boat and check and happened to when his boat was there) he simply provided proof in the form of ice receipts, fuel receipts, marina statements, and credit card statements for items bought at the marina and other places such as Block Island, Boston or Martha's Vineyard and all of it showed that his boat was not in Maine for the time-frame that would trigger a tax liability the State backed off/ Done deal. He has a yearly mooring permit for this boats mooring in front of his house. The mooring rental does not dictate what tax is due where your boat is does. If you can proove your boat was in NH and Canada more than Maine then you're off the hook.

Also note that the Maine IRS has been also using dock cams & Harbor Master statements. I was at Dimillo's two years ago and was stopped on the dock and asked about an out of State registered boat and if I knew how long it had been there.

 

[Maine Sail]

I have visited before a meeting, several of Maine's marinas and asked all of them the question about the law.. The answers range between: No problems!.. to the law is 6mo.and 1 day! Even to Don't worry about this.. I wont say anything if you don't. To one marina stated: "I don't know the law.. but don't worry your safe with me" I don't keep any information for them to use. LOL
So you see I do know the law and pay my fair share of taxes. The point is the state can impose a tax when and where they want to regardless to the facts.
By, the way.. I registered the vessel in the state now! Its the way its handled not trying to avoid taxes.

None of these marinas can protect you. Beyond that it is Maine State law that these facilities keep a physical record of any vessel that rents dock space or a mooring for more than 10 consecutive days. This in and of itself does not make you tax liable it is merely a State law for record keeping.

Maine IRS or their representatives visit marinas by boat, by foot and also use Harbor Master & local town data. Local F&G also collect some tax type data for the State (a friend is local F&G). Our club has even been asked for web cam images but we don't keep them. IRS has even checked with us about "long term transient" mooring rentals, we don't do any so the answer was simple. They are now rumored to be using software to snap public webcam data too. States have web sites with the laws, asking Daryl & Daryl at the local marina about tax liability is simply unwise.

If you have documentation in the form of "proof" that your boat was not in Maine for the time frame, your passports will show time spent in Canada, in the form of check-in & check-out & your NH receipts should show the rest. The State can not levy tax outside of the law and the laws state nothing about mooring rental only where the BOAT spent time.... If you don't have proof of where your boat was, there is nothing you can do except pay the tax. Bust out the receipts and passport proof and forward it to the Maine IRS.

 

[Benny17441]

Can't a person rent a mooring in Maine to have a place to visit for periods not to exceed the allowed stay? Is there such a law in the books that renting a mooring or slip constitutes an obligation to register a boat or is that a ruse from the taxing authorities to try and get suspected abusers ? The means would not be justified by the end. It should be the location of the boat that triggers any requirement and not the length of the lease or use given to the mooring. If word gets out the economic impact from the loss of visiting boaters will be considerably more than whatever is to be gained by this "Gotcha" scheme.