mhclarkealb
Member
I am a US citizen (New Mexico) who would like to purchase a boat and keep it in BC. It appears I may have a couple options for tax exemption. This seems to be a fairly common yet seemingly complex transaction. Some brokers know about it and other do not. Does anyone have this ironed out yet. Any guidance would be much appreciated.
#1 ---- I have been told I can find a boat currently in BC with a pleasure craft liscense. As long as I don't need a loan. Have a captain bring it over the boarder to Anacortes where I would take delivery. I let Washington State know I will be removing the boat from washington waters, and bring it back to BC. I then transfer the pleasure craft liscense to myself and avoid the BC tax as I am not a resident of BC or canadian citizen. The boat can then travel back and forth to Canada on the pleasure craft liscense but stay indefinitly in Canadian waters without any additional cruising permits. Not being a washington resident allows me to avoid the tax in washington if the boat gets removed in 45 days.
#2 --- Another option which was floated is possibly buying the boat in Washington, and telling the state I will be leaving washington waters avoiding the tax (NM resident). I would then bring the boat to BC and get a cruising permit for each year? Can I get a cruising permit if the boat has yet to be registered in any state or would I need to get a pleasure craft liscense? As a non-resident/candian citizen is it possible to get a pleasure craft liscense without paying tax there? Basically is there a way to buy a boat in the states and make this work. There are many more to choose from south of the boarder.
MC
#1 ---- I have been told I can find a boat currently in BC with a pleasure craft liscense. As long as I don't need a loan. Have a captain bring it over the boarder to Anacortes where I would take delivery. I let Washington State know I will be removing the boat from washington waters, and bring it back to BC. I then transfer the pleasure craft liscense to myself and avoid the BC tax as I am not a resident of BC or canadian citizen. The boat can then travel back and forth to Canada on the pleasure craft liscense but stay indefinitly in Canadian waters without any additional cruising permits. Not being a washington resident allows me to avoid the tax in washington if the boat gets removed in 45 days.
#2 --- Another option which was floated is possibly buying the boat in Washington, and telling the state I will be leaving washington waters avoiding the tax (NM resident). I would then bring the boat to BC and get a cruising permit for each year? Can I get a cruising permit if the boat has yet to be registered in any state or would I need to get a pleasure craft liscense? As a non-resident/candian citizen is it possible to get a pleasure craft liscense without paying tax there? Basically is there a way to buy a boat in the states and make this work. There are many more to choose from south of the boarder.
MC