Tax assessor and the Coasties

[Carpediem44DB]

So today after owning Carpe Diem for five years and paying county personal property tax at a rate of 1.25% of market value annually in the county we live in and keep the boat, I get a tax assessor form to fil out from the neighboring Napa County. It says right on the form that they got my info from the USCG Documentation system. We do have Napa as the hailing port only because we love Napa Valley wines and we did not want to have Suisun City as the hailing port when we bought the boat. The Solano County assessor gets slip and boat info from the harbor master each year on Jan 1st. I guess Napa is getting creative in looking for boats to tax that are not berthed in reporting marinas. Anyone else been tracked down like this? I just need to fill out the form and tell them that the boat is berthed in Solano and taxes are paid there.
CD

 

[Stee6043]

Man...sometimes I feel pretty good about living in Michigan...

 

[bmac]

New York doesn't have an annual asset tax (yet!!!) but they are VERY aggressive in pursuing NY resident boat owners of boats registered or documented out of state for sales tax purposes. Not surprisingly, The NYS Department of Taxation does not share a data base with NYS DMV to confirm that sales tax has been paid.

 

[sbw1]

So today after owning Carpe Diem for five years and paying county personal property tax at a rate of 1.25% of market value annually in the county we live in and keep the boat, I get a tax assessor form to fil out from the neighboring Napa County. It says right on the form that they got my info from the USCG Documentation system. We do have Napa as the hailing port only because we love Napa Valley wines and we did not want to have Suisun City as the hailing port when we bought the boat. The Solano County assessor gets slip and boat info from the harbor master each year on Jan 1st. I guess Napa is getting creative in looking for boats to tax that are not berthed in reporting marinas. Anyone else been tracked down like this? I just need to fill out the form and tell them that the boat is berthed in Solano and taxes are paid there.
CD

How is asset value determined? Boat values are all over the map.

 

[BillK2632]

I run into some back and forth with the county I live in and the county where the boat is every few years. NC is pretty clear, you pay taxes based on what you own on Jan 1st each year and the taxes are paid to the county where the property is located. Every few years I have to have that conversation with the country tax collector's office.

I always hear stories about the tax collector walking the docks etc, etc - maybe they do, but I think it just makes a good story. Generally I think the tax collectors just do some "fishing" from time to time to make sure they are getting what is due them.

 

[Henry Boyd]

Happens to us occasionally, but our tax regulations limit obligation to the municipality where the boat is principally kept. I just return the bill with a copy of the top page of our marina contract. Does make sense considering a boat is a mobile asset and marina contracts are season to season.

The tax in Mass is based on an age and length based formula. Our tax for the Sabre is only marginally more than what the tax was on the 280.

 

[Carpediem44DB]

View attachment 92190
How is asset value determined? Boat values are all over the map.

In Ca you pay based on the purchase contract including sales tax the first year and then each year you have to fill out a lengthy condition form and include any improvements or damage that may affect value. The assessor then considers that information and applies some standard asset depreciation formula and sends you a notice of declared value. If you disagree you can apply for a hearing to make your case otherwise they send you a bill based on that value. If you do not send in the first form they use the value from the previous year minus depreciation but tack on a 5% Penalty for not returning the first form.
California is the greatest!
Carpe Diem

 

[blaster]

https://taxfoundation.org/massachusetts-revenue-department-bullying-new-hampshire-businesses/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.wb...pshire-massachuetts-income-tax-remote-workers




MA isn’t called taxachusetts for nothing.

Many governments from local on up always are looking to collect revenue however possible.

I had my neighboring county try for four years to collect personal property tax on a trailer I own. I provided proof of location and tax status but they kept trying year after year. After four times documenting their error they finally stopped harassing me.

 

[spikedaddy99]

After 9 years of living in Wi, I still get a tax bill from Middlesex County, Va where we had a camper. Fro the 1st 3 years I sent them notice we had moved. Since then, I just ignore the bill. Losers.

 

[Carpediem44DB]

I'm a little irritated that Napa County sends me a form that I am somehow duty bound to respond to in order to inform them that I have never had my boat berthed in their jurisdiction. If I ignore it they have the power to place a lien on the vessel for tax evasion for taxes I never owed purely because some other government agency provided them information that lead them to assume I owe taxes to them. This gets to the whole issue of Documenting a vessel in a port of the owners choice with no evidence that the boat resides there. I'll just spend 32 cents on a stamp and respond and be done with it but it just makes one wonder about so many inefficiencies that are built in to modern life.
Carpe Diem

 

[Pirate Lady]

I WISH it was like that here. My home port says Nassau, Bahamas. and I am sure the taxes are lower there than in Maryland.

 

[Kwik]

Indiana is vile with taxes on boats. Tax is based on original MSRP and then deducted 10% a year for 5 years. Once the boat is 6 years old, the taxes from then on will be 50% of original MSRP. No more deduction from there. That is a bit frustrating when you own a 16 year old boat.

 

[Carpediem44DB]

So off topic a little but still tax related, what I should really be irritated at...which I am, is, I just received my DMV tag notice for my 6 year old Ram 2500 HD 4WD pickemup truck for $850!
On top of that We just got hit with another fuel tax. There is a proposition on the ballot to raise taxes on business properties and strip away prop 13 protections! When will government figure out that it’s not a lack of revenue that is the problem it’s a SPENDING PROBLEM STUPID!!!!!!
Carpe Diem
That big boat based in Alaska is looking more and more justifiable every day