Texas Sales Tax
 

Did any get a leter from the state of Texas wanting their sales tax from a documented boat?:mad:

did you?

keep two eyes on texas. they nail you on vehicles. that's why my stuff is registered in MI or WI

they can't tax you if they don't know you bought it, someone (slalom shop) must have reported it

I have heard of several cases that they State has asked for receipts on the sales tax.

Just register your boat in Willmington DE nad don't worry about sales tax

register in delaware?
 

I think that only works if you have a Donzi!!!!

If I remember right, Joe said you bought it in another state. Did you register it in Texas when you bought it? I'm not familiar with a documented boat process so that may not even have anything to do with it.

We bought ours in Okla. so to register and get it titled in Texas, we had to pay sales tax then. Actualy, the bank that financed it processed the doc's and we had to pay it then. We had hell with the trailer but once we finally got it titled, we declared it at like $200 value, but still had to pay sales tax on that. But again, our's isn't documented so I may be way off.

By the way, really off topic but is Charlie's serving breakfast on the weekends yet? We're hoping to get our boat back in the next couple weeks and for some reason, I'm craving breakfast at Charlie's. Oh, and Joe said he owes me a Bloody Mary! :D

Texas Sales Tax
 

Seriously, I did get a letter from the Texas State Comptrollers office asking for proof of sales tax on my documented boat.
They must have an arrangement with the coast guard or someone that reports to them. It was a good thing that I had the receipt! I am suprised that they don't start searching all marinas, that would be interesting!

I have a friend in Texas who just told me that the State has asked him for proof of sales tax.

Documentation is public record and someone/state could ask for all boats documented with a Texas address (or something to that affect.) Then the State sends out the notices.

I paid mine when I got the Fountain and haven't been bothered since. (BTW - I waited to get my documentation papers in hand and they charged me a tax penalty because it was "too long" after I actually bought the boat. :confused: )

Re: Texas Sales Tax
 

When I documented mine, the bonding agent the bank uses sent me a form to fill out. I sent the form and a cheque to Austin before the 20 days grace period, if you miss the 20 days you have to pay a 10% penalty I think.

Re: Texas Sales Tax
 

Sorry, I misunderstood your post, Have you already sent in your State tax payment? Did they ask you to prove that you had paid it?

DallasHeat

That's the one! I don't care fo much of anything else from there, just the breaskfasts!!

I bought my boat in Texas and paid the sales tax then. I never received a letter wanting more tax.

If you buy your boat in another state and register it in Texas, then Texas wants its "pound of flesh"! :eek:

Dallas Heat
 

Dallas Heat, I paid my sales tax to the dealer when I purchased my boat, so I had my paid tax receipt to send to the state tax office. I have also heard of the local school taxing board looking at the list of boat tennants at the local marinas so they can charge property tax.

You guys should move fiscally to FL,DE,NV or NH

I think texas is finding people when you get your clean water sticker. This is the only way they know I have a boat.

Sea Ray Jim,

I don't think they are serving breakfast yet. I sure do miss the bloddy marys!!

My $0.02,
If the legislation in Texas is that you still have to register a boat at the state level even tough it is documented with the coast guard, it has to be done. Period. (New Hampshire is like that, fortunately NH does not have a sales tax so all you have to pay is the registration fee $122.50/yr for 35 Cig) If you do not register it at the state level you are breaking the tax laws of TX and if they catch you they will charge the tax, penalty and I would expect interest on the missing funds. And I am sure that if they calculate it warrants the efforts fiscally (meaning enough people are doing it) they will get the information from either the coast guard, trailer registrations, trailer inspections, marine operator requirements, boat inspections... or any and all other ways at there unlimitedly funded disposition. 1/2

2/2 Not doing it is for you guys to assess the risks like any other time one tries to stretch (not to say break) the tax laws. I would suggest estimating what the amount represents and see if it is not worth declaring yourself a resident of a more tax friendly state (this also costs money) however a state like FL or NH does not have sales tax to apply on the toys you purchase (BOATS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TOYS as we all know here) and STATE income tax which can be an ASTRONOMIC amount. I use to live in Vermont and still have my house there but my legal residence and home is now in NH the fiscal difference pays for all the expenses that are generated by this home and then some. I do not earn that much relatively speaking (it's easy VT state taxes were approximately 25% of my federals, you calculate that and put it in your pockets and it adds up FAST) of course all this as to be done and fit within the bounds of the law. As Gene Hackman says about tax laws in "The Firm" "- I want you to go as far as you can bending them without breaking them" words to file by!!!
I would say good luck but with taxes I would try to keep the luck to a minimum.

I would verify everything with a COMPETENT tax attorney or accountant of course, as I am not one. (The normal disclaimer Crap)

Registration is not required in Texas if the vessel is Coast Guard documented

Are the state sales tax required to be paid even though registration is not, it looks like it is from the letters that were sent.

It is supposed to be, but hard to track

if you document a boat in Texas, by law you are supposed to register it with the state. What people are doing is documenting a boat and not registering with the state. So when the game warden pulls you over you have document papers to show him. They have no way of knowing if you registered with the state.

Texas Parks and Wildlife told me that it does not have to be registered and that makes since because you are not required to have TX numbers or the 2 year registration stickerand it is fedrally registered

I did not have to register it with TX, just pay them the tax. I think they just want their sales tax money. No stickers, no numbers, just the name and home port on the back per USCG requirements.

You can't do both! You either register it with the Coast guard OR the State. But the State still wants the Sales Tax monies!

DallasHeat

In NH you have to register with the state but do not have to put numbers on the hull or stickers if it is registered at the Coast Guard.

The only reason we paid the taxes on the boat, was b/c we had to register the trailer at the DMV. The trailer had no plates, and the boat was not registered anywhere, so it was sort of like buying new. ours is documented also, we paid taxes on the boat to the Parks and Wildlife, but they said it did not have to be registered with the state. They basically took my word on what I bought the boat for, and I paid the 6.25 on that price with-out the trailer. I just got the documentation renewal, and sent it back, no fee.

You do have to register the trailer in TX, but not the boat if it is documented. That would be the only way they could track it in my opinion.

What is a clean water sticker?

Her is the link for the clean water sticker requirements

http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/oprd/rules/pdflib/321a.pdf

I was told the CG sends a file to the states once a month with all the boats documented and location of home port! Secetary of State in Michigan said you do not have to register a documented boat with the state. They will most likely track you down for the CG info and expect there tax payment.

RS that sounds about right in a matter for the CG(feds) to help the states collect their taxes. Evenmore now with all the states runnning deficits.