Tx laws on Documented boats
 

I know several people with documented boats in TX that did not have to pay sales tax, I'm waiting to hear back from the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, but how do you tranfer ownership and do you still have to have the bi-yearly registration stickers?

This is how it works in Indiana. I would bet some of the things are the same as Texas.

You transfer owner ship by sighning the Documentation papers and send for a form of deletion from the Coastguard. The new owner then has to re document the vessel, sending the letter of deletion, the Coast Guard Bill of Sale and a form so they can refigure the vessel tonage. There is a Coast Guard website where you can down load all the forms you need. I seem to have lost the bookmark.

We have to have the State regestration decal on the boat. I got it regestered by simply showing the DMV my receit and leter of Deletion. Good thing because it took all summer for the Coast Guard to finish the documentation.

The total cost was $96.00. I had heard of brokers charging 4 times that to do the same thing.

I didn't have to pay any sales tax.

I just bought a documented boat from texas and brought it to fl. i wonder if i could do the same here???

Here is the phone# for the Coast Guard Documentation
1 800 799 8362

They are great at answering all your questions.

I did get stuck for the sales tax on mine, but no registration fees and no ugly stickers or TX numbers. Just the Coast Guard number somewhere on the structure of the boat. (In my case, inside the engine compartment with resin over vinyl numbers.)

Doc Center
 

You must also enclose a check for fifteen (15) dollars.

National Vessel Documentation Center
792 T J Jackson Drive
Falling Waters, WV 25419
Phone: (800) 799-8362

www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/vdoc/poc.htm

Hope this helps, but there could be a problem, because even though the vessel is documented, the owner is liable for payment of state and local taxes after his purchase.

I am a Texas resident and have purchased several boats. I believe this is how it works: You must pay 6.25% sales tax on the reported purchase price of the boat. If it is an outboard, you must pay for boat and motor. If it came with a trailer, you must pay your local sales tax rate on the value of the trailer. You pay the Texas Parks & Wildlife Comm. $10 per title for registration plus the fee for a 2 year registration sticker (about $40 ). THen you go to the Dept of Motor Vehicles for your trailer tags (about $40 per year) plus $13 title fee (if trailer is titled). I hope this helps.....

I do not think Texas requires registration of documented vessels. You can confirm this with Texas Parks & Wildlife. If the boat is purchased out of state, Texas has no way of knowing of the purchase or collecting taxes since they do not require registration for documented vessles. Since the boat will not stay in the state of purchase (since your moving it to Texas) you do not pay sales tax in that state either.

If the boat is purchased in Texas, you get to pay the sales tax regardless of documentation.

Taxes
 

If you purchase a boat in one state and take it to another, You pay taxes based on the state you register the boat in. I sell boats to folks out of state often.

If the state you take the boat into does not require registration on documented vessels, you do not pay any tax. The only way they have to collect the tax is if you register the boat. No registration = no tax.

Many states require you to register your boat even if it is documented. However you do not have to put numbers on it. You do have to put the sticker on the boat. I just sent one to MD this way. He has to reg. it. NY is the same.
Some think they can get away with out paying tax. Wrong!
There may be some states that don't collect, but I have never dealt with one. Also send boats to OH and PA. They pay.

In Indiana we don't pay sales tax on a documented vessel. We do pay a regestration fee. and have to have the state sticker, but no numbers. Just the CG numbers, inside the boat..

My numbers were already on the boat so I was able to document using the same numbers.

Bottom line is fully understand the laws in your State. We have had boats in several states that do not require registration of documented vessels. Illinois recently added a provision to eliminate the loophole. If your State requires registration for documented vessels, pay the tax and move on down the road. If on the other hand it does not, take advantage of the opportunity.

Now we are on the same page!

Don't ask the NVDC about taxes! They don't know and don't care about how or if a state knows. We certainly want them to start gathering data on this topic and feeling they have to change and provide unsolicited info to the states. And we certainly don't want the states to feel like they have to start asking the CG for info because so many boater owners are asking them so many interesting questions...