Paying PST 10 Years Later

[jcrozier]

I just got a letter from BC Ministry of Finance - they want me to pay PST on our used sailboat (which I licensed last year for free with Services Canada).

I thought licensing was for our benefit, so that the Coast Guard would have a tracking number and physical attributes of our boat in case we are lost, or the boat is stolen but I see now its more about collecting taxes. I've checked out a couple other forums and see other people have the same complaint.

The boat was imported from the US in 1999 and we have no records of taxes being paid or collected; the trucking company who brought it over the border no longer exists. We do have a record of the purchase itself; needless to say the boat was not expensive but the PST would still be a few hundred bucks.

Any advise on whether or not this bill can be beat?

[Paul Lefebvre]

If you brought the boat over the border, you probably paid taxes at that time. Even though I have paid my taxes at the border on two different occasions for boats, I have still received similar letters from the Ontario government. In both cases, I just ignored them, and I never heard from them again.

If I were in your shoes, I would ignore the first one. If they send another, tell them you bought the boat 10 years ago and don't have your receipt anymore. I doubt they are going to spend a lot of time chasing after you for a small amount.

[Southern Star]

I'm not sure about BC provincial sales tax, but you may be required to pay it on your purchase from the original importer. If they charge sales tax on the purchase of used cars in your province, they likely charge it on used boats. In any event, your registration is federal and while they do not collect provincial sales tax at the time of registration, it may still be payable once they are advised of the transaction.

Brad

[osirissail]

Not to be flippant or anything, but in any country/local government there are 5 reasons they want you to register/license/record your boat. Number 1, Number 2, Number 3 and Number 4 are to collect fees and taxes - Number 5 is to have the information available to local/federal law enforcement/emergency services of who rightfully owns the boat.

[sundown]

May I suggest getting ahold of your MLA and putting him to work! The tax dept are a bunch of bloodsucking vampires but this is a new low.

[George Wade]

Originally Posted by sundown

May I suggest getting ahold of your MLA and putting him to work! The tax dept are a bunch of bloodsucking vampires but this is a new low.

While we are obliged to keep records for 7 years, the government keeps theirs longer. Possibly discovering how the system worked 10 years ago you can apply for a review of your customs records; insist on finding records showing payment, or that the Government is now too late to claim, or both.

You could use the name of the trucking co. and your own in the search.

Freedom of information applications may be needed. Take a lawyer or accountant sailing...