Pricing on "tax included" vs "excluding tax"

[Emoyeni]

Hello CruisersForum,

Like many of you, I have developed the hobby of browsing boats on Yachtworld and sailboatlistings.com. For boats listed in EU countries, I sometimes see them listed as "tax included" and sometimes "excluding tax". If I'm buying the boat from the USA or Canada but travel to Europe to buy the boat, will I have to pay the tax or can the broker easily not charge me the tax? Thanks.

[Flod]

They mean VAT. If you take the boat out of the EU in a certain amount of days you don’t have to pay the VAT. But maybe you have to pay import duties and other taxes when you register it in your home country? It depends.

[Emoyeni]

Originally Posted by Flod

They mean VAT. If you take the boat out of the EU in a certain amount of days you don’t have to pay the VAT. But maybe you have to pay import duties and other taxes when you register it in your home country? It depends.

That's what I figured as well. But is it universally true throughout the EU that if I declare I'm registering it outside the EU as I'm buying, they don't have to charge me VAT? In other words, I don't want to buy from a country where there is some bureaucratic procedure where I have to pay the VAT on the front end and hope they give it back to me as I'm leaving the country....

[Orion Jim]

If you use the search function and enter “VAT” you will find dozens of responses in dozens of threads based on a particular set of circumstances. You will have to decide which is relevant to you.
Personally I never rely on hearsay in financial matters, I speak to a tax attorney or an accountant in the relevant country.

[Flod]

Ok now I am guessing but I don’t think the broker cares. It’s up to you as a buyer to see to it that the VAT is paid in the region you intend to keep the boat. Then you will need proof of that when clearing into ports etc. On my boat I have a receipt stating that VAT has been paid in the EU and that receipt I bring on the boat as proof.

[Emoyeni]

Originally Posted by Flod

Ok now I am guessing but I don’t think the broker cares. It’s up to you as a buyer to see to it that the VAT is paid in the region you intend to keep the boat. Then you will need proof of that when clearing into ports etc. On my boat I have a receipt stating that VAT has been paid in the EU and that receipt I bring on the boat as proof.

Thanks!