Buying boat out of state

[badluck]

Dumb question but when you buy a boat out of state… do you pay sales tax from your state/county? Looking to purchase a boat in Michigan and bring it to Ca.

 

[Bajastu]

CA will require the sales tax paid to the DMV. You will also need to pay 1% property tax for the rest of the depreciated life of the boat.

If you buy it from a dealer in MI, you may need to pay sales tax there and the difference in CA. You can avoid the MI sales tax if it is shipped via a common carrier.

Depending on your tax liability, register it in AZ as an out of state boat and avoid the sales tax and the 1% property tax on a private party transaction.

Keep in mind the stupid laws of CA and out of state registered trailers towed by a CA registered truck. The CHP and the state of CA is just wanting a money grab and is totally going to fuck you on this.

Solution- register the boat in AZ and the trailer in CA to avoid the hassle and stupid laws of CA and the CHP.

 

[badluck]

Unfortunately I don’t have an Arizona address

 

[H20 Toie]

Unfortunately I don’t have an Arizona address

You don't need one, the law states that you register your boat in the state you use it the most. since you use it mostly in az you can legally register it there.

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

I register all my boats that are valued at about $25k or more in Arizona. You don't have to have an address or anything else. My dad did this before I was born and so many do so to prevent the California luxury tax. If the boat is cheap, then I would register it in California. I don't even like doing that through.

 

[manxman]

I just bought a boat from Oregon (no sales tax) and will register it in Az (no sales tax on used) It will run $256 per year (non resident fee) and I live in California.
Looks like most people already know the drill. I saved about 6k in tax.

 

[Tank]

We coast guard doc our boats with a hailing port of lake Havasu. Take delivery there too. Keep it there 6 months and a day each year. I also use Arizona address and even though not required I put the AZ address on the documentation (you can use a friends house).

I’ve heard stories (I believe @h2otoie is one of em) of ca sending a bill years later for sales tax etc on a boat that was reg’d out of state. When they were doing the paperwork on our current boat, the girl kept telling my I can use my ca address I kept saying, I don’t want ca anywhere on any paperwork!!!

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

I bought my Formula in Michigan a couple years ago. Private party sale. Fortunately I live in NV so no sales tax, trailer is registered with DMV but boat is with NDOW (NV Dept of Wildlife) and coast $75 per year.

CA will F you any way they can!