Do NOT keep your boat in North Carolina

[Captain Bill]

Something does not quite add up here. The tax rates in Craven county are published on their web site and vary a bit depending on which city and fire district you live in, but the maximum combination of millage rates seems to be about 1.25% and maybe as low as 1% depending on where the slip is located. This is $1000 to $1250 on a boat assessed at $100,000. This is up slightly from when I kept my boat there. It should only approach $5000 on a boat assessed at $400,000 or more. Further it states that taxes are assessed on Jan 1 of each year, the bills sent out in August and due on Sept.1. They are considered past due on Jan. 6 of the following year. Why does the OP have late fees if the taxes are only due starting today. How does the tax collector claim 4 times the legal millage rate? Where was the boat kept before it moved to New Bern less than a year ago? Somehow we are not getting the whole story.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Mr Saturn

I see a lot of crappy roads in NC and you will get a bill from the FD for services rendered. Yes it is not a "profit" it is a "pension" for some civil servant or crook in Raleigh.

I think you are intentionally misunderstanding the purpose of taxes. Taxes are collected in jurisdictions to provide services. It's part of eighth grade civics class. Perhaps you missed that.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

........... Somehow we are not getting the whole story.

Yea, that's pretty common on Internet forums. Sometimes people leave parts out to enhance their stories.

[Colin A]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

Something does not quite add up here. The tax rates in Craven county are published on their web site and vary a bit depending on which city and fire district you live in, but the maximum combination of millage rates seems to be about 1.25% and maybe as low as 1% depending on where the slip is located. This is $1000 to $1250 on a boat assessed at $100,000. This is up slightly from when I kept my boat there. It should only approach $5000 on a boat assessed at $400,000 or more. Further it states that taxes are assessed on Jan 1 of each year, the bills sent out in August and due on Sept.1. They are considered past due on Jan. 6 of the following year. Why does the OP have late fees if the taxes are only due starting today. How does the tax collector claim 4 times the legal millage rate? Where was the boat kept before it moved to New Bern less than a year ago? Somehow we are not getting the whole story.

Same thing I found.

Here is the link looks like he is either right under 1% unless in the downtown district which is higher.
http://www.cravencountync.gov/depart...alTaxRates.pdf

[hellosailor]

The OP questions whether he'll have to pay use tax every year "as well". Pathetically funny, because most of the rubes, voters, and citizens know that use tax is akin to sales tax and it is paid just ONCE in the usual context of the term. Or once per jurisdiction, when you are changing venues.

Sounds more like NC didn't believe his valuation and the bill he got was for back taxes, penalties, and interest. One of the forum members (here or that other forum) had a little problem a few years ago with a boat that "came home" to NY for the first time after 15 or 20 years during which time it had been registered and moored elsewhere. And got greeted with a whopping bill (five figures) because of penalties and interest that way.

Even with a Magic8Ball, it ain't that hard to find out all the choices. Even when they include rude surprises.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

The OP questions whether he'll have to pay use tax every year "as well". .......... .

The OP seems to be having a very hard time dealing with or understanding the tax authorities. Maybe he needs to hire someone as a go-between.

[Dayo]

Police don't protect, they respond to crime.

[boatpoker]

OP - PM me with an email address, year/make/model of boat and I will respond with the soldboats.com data.

This may help proving your lower valuation.

[Captain Parry]

Just appeal to local tax bureau. I had mine lowered easily to what I paid.

[mayberrybfd]

I was Taxed for a rubber dingy for years until I put in Bold Letters BOAT FLAT,,,,,,and my old Columbia was taxed every year ,,not too bad,,,,it was a 1968,,,,but yes Marinas are required to report your boat in their Marina ,,,,just another government money grab......

[stevev]

I have my boat down the Neuse River few miles from New Bern. You do have to pay a property tax to the county in NC. I believe that New Bern is Craven County as is mine. The tax is nowhere near as much as you think it will be. My boat is assessed at 80k and my annual tax is about $400.
You need to contact the county tax office and discuss it. I have found these folks to be very reasonable and if you challenge the assessment, they will give you a procedure to follow to correct it. Good Luck.

[Capt Phil]

Between the California Franchise Tax Board and the San Diego County Tax Authority, they have driven me out of boating for good.
I spent much of my life driving commercial vessels of pretty much every description from Alaska, BC and the rest of the west coast as far south as Panama. I even ran my own delivery service out of San Diego moving boats from LA and San Diego to Mazatlan, MX to duck the CA sales tax back in the 80'svand 90's. I was thoroughly familiar with the tax code as it related to sea going vessels at the time.
What I was not prepared for was getting dinged for sales tax plus penalties on a vessel that I bought in Washington State, cruised in Canadian waters for close to 6 months before bringing her down tho San Diego. The wizards at the Franchise Tax Board in Sacramento told me to either pay the sales tax plus late penalties our they would proceed to get a judgement against me for the taxes owed!

It required me to travel back to Washington state where I had purchased the boat as well as visit every marina I had berthed in over a six month period and contact fuel companies from whom I had bought fuel from in British Columbia seven and eight years previously.
I finally completed this mission and provided all the receipts I could lay my hands on even though a couple of marinas had ceased to exist or gone bankrupt in the intervening period.
After providing all these receipts that proved I was out of country chronologically with my boat through the period they were going to tax me on, the finally said, 'sorry, I guess you were right'.
With that kind of an attitude, I told them to piss off and have never bought a thing in CA since!
Capt Phil

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by mayberrybfd

...........,,,,but yes Marinas are required to report your boat in their Marina ,,,,just another government money grab......

No, it is legitimate taxation. You own the boat, you pay the tax. Just like on your car, home, etc. Somebody has to pay for roads and fire and police protection.

As far as marinas being required to report your boat in their marina, perhaps you can prove this, perhaps not. Usually the tax assessor has employees walking marina docks and other likely places to look for boats whose owners are trying to evade taxes.

[dkenny64]

you have real property in NC..unless I've got this wrong its your home address...
or you had it here long enough to be considered taxable(property tax)...
YES you have to pay...but 5%... BS...there isn't a county in NC that charges %5 tax on property...

sorry, I live here too and also own a boat just down river in Oriental..yea we have to pay property tax...do you really think your westsail 43 is worth on 25k..?? your kidding right...sell it to me for that I'm sure I would make 150% in a couple of weeks..

FYI..got a motorized dinghy...is it registered? needs to be...
don't try to cheat the system...then bad mouth when you get caught..
-dkenny

[markpierce]

If you have a boat, it's the government's assumption you are rich and can afford the assessed taxes. Hope you can document/support the boat's true value.