Boat licensing
- Thread starter JAC
- Start date
geo_tonz
Member
Anything over 10hp is supposed to be registered. No cost though as far as I know.
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/boats/pcl.shtml
The worst day fishing is better than the best day working...
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/boats/pcl.shtml
The worst day fishing is better than the best day working...
geo_tonz
Member
As long as you have a bill of sale with both the previously registered seller and your name, signature, address, phone # you can prove ownership but as far as the RCMP and SAR are concerned until you licence it with a new # no one knows you own it. If you're stopped you can be charged up to $250 for failing to licence it if the licence on file doesn't match your name. and that's only if you can prove it's your boat. Maybe they'd have the potential to seize it if you can't prove you own it? I don't know for sure. I was dumb enough to forget a bill of sale when I got my boat and am trying to get the previous owner to sign one and mail it back to me. Amazing how things like that slow down once the cheque has been cashed!
This is also just how I read the regs, maybe someone else knows better?
The worst day fishing is better than the best day working...
This is also just how I read the regs, maybe someone else knows better?
The worst day fishing is better than the best day working...
vetteman
Active Member
That brings up an interesting question.Liscencing the boat is done on a Federal level through Service Canada and it is free of charge.However,the PST is paid on a Provincial level.Does someone at Service Canada notify Service BC that a change of ownership has taken place and that PST is due.Usually,when it comes to government,the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.My guess is that this would be doubly true when dealing with two different levels of government(Federal & Provincial).Can anyone answer this.
Dave
spring fever
Well-Known Member
I can confirm that as I had an unlic. tin boat for years. I needed it registerd to get a Mexican fishing lic.-sure enough a couple of months later the prov. gov't. wanted PST. I refused to pay it by the way as our family had had it for at least 20 years. They left it at that.
myknoo
Member
bought 1 of my boats 8 yrs ago-previous owner,a buddy's bro,passed away 5 yrs ago,decided better change the # into my name-service can.then to notary-back to service can.all went well--3yrs latter got the letter-pay us now----only 2 guarentees in life--you will die and the gov't will tax you.
Apparently the HST won't apply to boats. There was a previous thread about this with a link to the appropriate government page.
Found it.
http://www.kpmg.ca/en/services/tax/tnf/tnfc0926.html
"Tax on private sales of used vehicles
Private sales of used vehicles, aircraft and boats are currently subject to PST but not GST and so they will not be subject to HST. The province will retain a provincial sales tax that will reflect the current tax treatment of these items. "
Found it.
http://www.kpmg.ca/en/services/tax/tnf/tnfc0926.html
"Tax on private sales of used vehicles
Private sales of used vehicles, aircraft and boats are currently subject to PST but not GST and so they will not be subject to HST. The province will retain a provincial sales tax that will reflect the current tax treatment of these items. "
claymcpher
Member
I bought a used boat last year,It had no registration # so I went and did the right thing, so now I get these letters demanding pst on the boat
Gone Fishen
Member
quicksilver11
Member
I bought a boat from the BC government auction in 2001 and they sent me a letter in mid 2008 saying to pay the PST. I phoned and said that I paid the tax when I bought the boat, she say's they have no proof, but I say I bought it from you guys (the gov) she tells me they have no proof and for me to fax the reciept. They were finally sending me letters that they were going to send me a bill for $1200.00 plus interest(tax was only $216.00 when I bought it). Phoned back said you are making me spend money to proof my innocence because you people are to incompetent and can't communicate. Well 16 months later finally scanned it and emailed it. It is a little insight on how our gov is so inefficent.
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
Lesson here is ALWAYS keep your paperwork. They came after me when I imported my boat. I paid PST and GST at the border... the province said they had no record of it. I HAD saved the import documentation so I faxed them a copy , which they promptly lost. Of course it was MY fault that they lost it, and I had to resend the invoice.....Finally they went away.
20ft Alumaweld Intruder
20ft Alumaweld Intruder
searun
Well-Known Member
Yep in some cases the left hand talks to the right...brought in two boats from the US, paid all my taxes at the border (pst and gst). Several months go by and we get a nasty gram from the province. We call them and explain we paid their *%$# tax. not good enough...they demand proof even though the thing that alerted them to our purchase was the tax form from Revenue Canada...listing all my financial info on the purchase and you guessed it...tax paid. We told them to read their records closely, leave us alone and if they really wanted their tax that badly to come and get the boat if they could prove we didn't pay......click. Never heard from them again.
Searun
Searun
