OK to register a boat from out of province?

Joolz · #1 08-20-2018, 05:45 PM

I'm in Alberta, am considering buying a boat in BC as these seem to be easier to find and the prices are lower. Apparently registering the trailer is no problem (since they don't have a motor) but what about the boat itself? When I got my current boat some 4 years ago it was an AB boat, so it was a free, quick registration. Will an out of province boat make a difference as far as registering it goes?

dgl1948 · #2 08-20-2018, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joolz

I'm in Alberta, am considering buying a boat in BC as these seem to be easier to find and the prices are lower. Apparently registering the trailer is no problem (since they don't have a motor) but what about the boat itself? When I got my current boat some 4 years ago it was an AB boat, so it was a free, quick registration. Will an out of province boat make a difference as far as registering it goes?

Boat is a federal license, not provincial.

ChrisGrohms · #3 08-20-2018, 05:48 PM

Boats are federally registered. Has nothing to do AB. Just register the trailer in AB and go online to register the boat.http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Corp-Serv-Ge...Number=84-0172

bat119 · #4 08-20-2018, 05:54 PM

Beware the BC boat tax

You must pay PST on boats you purchase, lease or receive as a gift in BC, and boats you purchase, lease or receive as a gift outside BC and bring or send into BC, unless a specific exemption applies (see Exemptions below). You must pay PST, regardless of whether the boat is for personal or business use. You must pay PST at the rate of 7% or 12%, depending on how the boat is acquired.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/ta...-108-boats.pdf

This happened to a buddy bought a boat in BC transferred the registration to Sask. BC government sent him a bill

ChrisGrohms · #5 08-20-2018, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bat119

Beware the BC boat tax

You must pay PST on boats you purchase, lease or receive as a gift in BC, and boats you purchase, lease or receive as a gift outside BC and bring or send into BC, unless a specific exemption applies (see Exemptions below). You must pay PST, regardless of whether the boat is for personal or business use. You must pay PST at the rate of 7% or 12%, depending on how the boat is acquired.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/ta...-108-boats.pdf

This happened to a buddy bought a boat in BC transferred the registration to Sask. BC government sent him a bill

Sounds like thats only for boats entering or staying in BC...Overview says nothing of boats leaving. Also, if a boat is federally regulated how does BC know when its sold?
When I brought my dads boat out from BC to AB there was no tax that I had to pay. All AB wanted was the trailer registered in the province.

Half Pickereled · #6 08-21-2018, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisGrohms

Sounds like thats only for boats entering or staying in BC...Overview says nothing of boats leaving. Also, if a boat is federally regulated how does BC know when its sold?
When I brought my dads boat out from BC to AB there was no tax that I had to pay. All AB wanted was the trailer registered in the province.

I went through the same thing bringing an Ontario boat back. Never got a bill, never paid pst. Two reasons why, I would be naive to walk into their dmv and try to correct the paper work rather than do it on my home turf. And most importantly, I wink, wink

, had it delivered to Alberta where Pst is exempt. If I got a bill from them I would tell them to pound sand.

Doesn’t it seem wrong that a 500$ cavalier on kijiji can be sold multiple times privately and each time the province wants a piece of the pie?

Topwater · #7 08-21-2018, 07:10 AM

If your an Alberta resident you don’t pay pst on boats or vehicles in other provinces if your taking it back to AB to register and you don’t have to have it delivered either. Just provide your AB drivers licence or certificate of incorporation and viola. Sometimes you have to inform or remind your salesman if they arnt familiar with out of province transactions

graybeard · #8 08-21-2018, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgl1948

Boat is a federal license, not provincial.

In addition when buying a boat in BC and you think the price is excellent, make sure the trailer is included.
In Alberta it is usually a given that a trailer comes with the boat, in BC not usually.

bat119 · #9 08-21-2018, 07:55 AM

You have to read the fine print
Boats Shipped Outside BC If you purchase a boat in BC through a private sale or from a boat dealer,
you are exempt from paying PST if: 
the boat is to be shipped by the seller for delivery outside BC, and  no use is to be made of the boat by you while the boat is in BC except storage of the boat with the seller.
The exemption does not apply if:  you personally haul or pilot the boat out of BC,  you have a friend, family member or other agent haul or pilot the boat out of BC on your behalf, or  you enter into a contract or arrangement to have a third-party haul or pilot the boat out of BC on your behalf.

Many have stung be careful

Suzukisam · #10 08-21-2018, 08:29 AM

Boats are cheaper in BC for two reasons:
1st. More of them
2nd they have a longer season and get used more

Most Alberta boats will sun fade out before they wear out

Joolz · #11 08-22-2018, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bat119

The exemption does not apply if:  you personally haul or pilot the boat out of BC

Many have stung be careful

Am I reading this right? If I was to buy a USED boat in BC from a private seller i'd be stung by this BS tax? Even though we in AB don't have a provincial sales tax?
If the above is correct - and I sure hope I'm reading this wrong - then I suppose the feds would find out when I tried registering the boat in a province other than the one currently registered with them and a red light would go off in their system, the one labeled "must punish sucker".

This for real? 7% or whatever the BC's ripoff sales tax is would add up to a lot of dough on a 6 grand purchase.

Joolz · #12 08-22-2018, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suzukisam

Boats are cheaper in BC for two reasons:
1st. More of them
2nd they have a longer season and get used more

Most Alberta boats will sun fade out before they wear out

True, so far this year I managed to take my boat out a total of once.
Have 4 free whole days next week and plan to take it out each and every day - that is, assuming the smoke from BC that's suffocating us doesn't ground us (have a baby, must be extra careful). So if I can take something away from this thread is that things coming from BC are overly used, smoky and taxed. Yep, think I'll stick to looking for a boat around here. Money saved on a boat that's well used isn't a cheap preposition. Then there's the worry about receiving a bill from the feds.

Dark · #13 08-22-2018, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joolz

Am I reading this right? If I was to buy a USED boat in BC from a private seller i'd be stung by this BS tax? Even though we in AB don't have a provincial sales tax?

If the above is correct - and I sure hope I'm reading this wrong - then I suppose the feds would find out when I tried registering the boat in a province other than the one currently registered with them and a red light would go off in their system, the one labeled "must punish sucker".

This for real? 7% or whatever the BC's ripoff sales tax is would add up to a lot of dough on a 6 grand purchase.

12% hst and it has to be a bc shipping company. I have bought 3 boats from BC, they got me on the first 2 but not the 3rd one. Saved almost 10 grand in taxes

Joolz · #14 08-23-2018, 11:12 PM

When my friend in Toronto ordered a laptop from Dell last year, he used my address. Saved a good bundle on their PST, given the cost of that overpriced piece of junk (thousands of dollars for a laptop and it isn't even an Apple...)

The cost to ship it from here to his address was I think $20. Easy for these companies but not when the feds have their eyes on their precious taxes. Knowing this now, there's no way I'm taking the long drive to BC to get a boat.

Really appreciate the input here. Now I realize that an underused AB boat to be the way to go.

RiverHawk · #15 08-24-2018, 09:20 AM

Last week a buddy of mine bought a boat in BC. We went to an ICBC in the same parking lot and got an “in transit permit” They give you a paper plate to get it home for $42. Just needed a bill of sale. The seller just stated on the BOS that the trailer was worth “$100” and the rest was for the boat. We were on the road in a few minutes.