Importing a used boat into Canada

[airwear]

I recently bought a used Mastercraft that I will be bringing back to Canada in May.

Has anyone else done this? What was your experience? How low can you value the boat in order to reduce the Canadian taxes that have to be paid?

Thanks for any help you guys can provide me.

[Jorski]

I bought my boat into Canada from Ohio two years ago. Here is the drill:

You need a bill of sale. On the boat you pay PST and GST. On the trailer you pay GST only. You fill out a form and pay the taxes right at the border, they accept credit and debit charges.

In terms of licensing, that gets done after you are in the country with the supporting documents from border guys and the original bill of sale.

As far as reporting a "lower" amount to reduce taxes, one could pay some of the purchase in cash if the seller is willing to write up a lower bill of sale. Be aware though the border guys can at their discretion set the fair market price on which to calculate the taxes if they smell something funny.

You have some slack if the purchase included a trailer. You can attribute a reasonable but somewhat disproportionate amount to the trailer as it is subject to just one of the taxes.

My experience was that they really had no idea about the boat, they mostly seemed p*ssed off at having to write up the paperwork. It was pretty straight forward.

[Footin]

I sold one to someone in Canada last year. MAKE SURE your title and or bill of sale serial numbers match the boat and trailer exactly!
My trailer was missing one number on the registration and this became a problem.

[milkmania]

since you've had a couple of valid responses......

I'm gonna add my :twocents:

it can't be done!
send boat to milkmania, PM me for address:D

but seriously, it was a PITA just to get my boat from Arkansas to Oklahoma.

I don't know what you're in for, but congratulations either way, welcome to the board too:)

[Farmer Ted]

since you've had a couple of valid responses......

I'm gonna add my :twocents:

it can't be done!
send boat to milkmania, PM me for address:D

but seriously, it was a PITA just to get my boat from Arkansas to Oklahoma.

I don't know what you're in for, but congratulations either way, welcome to the board too:)

Man you guys are making me relive my nightmare, I'm the 4th owner of the boat. I guess the first owner never titled or registered it, got divorced, sold it. Second owner never titled or registered it, sold it. Third owner never titled or registered it sold it to me. Being the upstanding law abiding citizen that I am I take all my paperwork to the Louisiana Fish & Wildlife peoples and they want to see "notarized bills of sale" from every owner......oh did I mention that the trailer was never registered either?

So I mull it over, contact the guy I bought it from get my notarized BOS, call the guy he bought it from and get alot of hemming and hawing figure FTS I took all the paperwork home with me to Iowa when I went home for Thanksgiving and had the boat and trailer titled and registered in Iowa. The lady at the DOT said she had to register the trailer as a home made trailer and when I asked her about it she looked up at me and said, "Honey, if you want to walk out of here with tags for your trailer it's a home made trailer" Yes Ma'am.

It got real frustrating for awhile, especially since three of the previous owners were from different states.

I don't envy you trying to do it in another country

[bradamerry]

Man you guys are making me relive my nightmare, I'm the 4th owner of the boat. I guess the first owner never titled or registered it, got divorced, sold it. Second owner never titled or registered it, sold it. Third owner never titled or registered it sold it to me. Being the upstanding law abiding citizen that I am I take all my paperwork to the Louisiana Fish & Wildlife peoples and they want to see "notarized bills of sale" from every owner......oh did I mention that the trailer was never registered either?

So I mull it over, contact the guy I bought it from get my notarized BOS, call the guy he bought it from and get alot of hemming and hawing figure FTS I took all the paperwork home with me to Iowa when I went home for Thanksgiving and had the boat and trailer titled and registered in Iowa. The lady at the DOT said she had to register the trailer as a home made trailer and when I asked her about it she looked up at me and said, "Honey, if you want to walk out of here with tags for your trailer it's a home made trailer" Yes Ma'am.

It got real frustrating for awhile, especially since three of the previous owners were from different states.

I don't envy you trying to do it in another country
Farmer, I think this means the 98' belongs to the Wildman!! I am ready for another Greeson trip, with boat this time, duck boat I should say!!

[Farmer Ted]

Farmer, I think this means the 98' belongs to the Wildman!! I am ready for another Greeson trip, with boat this time, duck boat I should say!!

Everybody is sick, Jen came home early with a stomach virus and Nikki's and her crew are down with some sort of upper respitory infection...I got my flu shot yesterday so I"m waiting for it to kick my @ss.

If we go in a month I might summerize the beast for some cruising, you think the lake will be up enough?

[bradamerry]

It is up enough now. The Wildman knows Greeson like the back of his hands!!

[Farmer Ted]

It is up enough now. The Wildman knows Greeson like the back of his hands!!

I'll bring it next month, as long as there's a zero chance of rain. Can't have my boat getting all wet.


That's just wrong

[bradamerry]

I'll bring it next month, as long as there's a zero chance of rain. Can't have my boat getting all wet.


That's just wrong
Can we run Yo-Yos and jugs out of it, surely we want catch any fish ;) ?

[Farmer Ted]

Can we run Yo-Yos and jugs out of it, surely we want catch any fish ;) ?


Wildman said Jugs :banana: Jugs rule :banana:

[Brent]

Got my 87 ps 190 in NY city 2 years ago . Got to the border @ 4am & they gave me a hard time over the trailer ( it had no papers). they made me leave the whole thing (boat & trailer on the US side). Turns out I did not need papers for a NY trailer.(Quebec) customs officers were just sticking it to me. I went back the next day & paid the tax's on the boat ( they have a directory price list for boats" ball park").they give marine numbers when you pay your tax's. I did not pay any tax's on the trailer because it was over 10 years old.Got a custom's form for the trailer, which allowed me to get plates .

What Year boat? Were are you bringing it in(quebec-ontario)? :steering:

[Brent]

Oh yea

I spoke to a guy last year who kept his boat registered in the US (in the name of an US family member). pays insurance in the US. he brought the boat over in the spring a number of years ago & will register it here when the value makes the tax's a non issue ( they don't seem too keep track of boats coming & going)! 8p

[airwear]

I am bringing back a Prostar 195 into Ontario. I am not worried about the boat and trailer registration stuff, as I know the previous owner has that paperwork all in proper shape.

I guess my safest bet is to use a price for the boat that is just slightly lower than the NADA guide, which I believe is fairly reliable. I have heard many stories, both positive, where low values were used and little tax paid, and negative, where fines had to be paid.

[chico]

airwear.
you may have to get the trailer safetied.in canada.you may also have to get a certificate from mastercraft stating THat there are no safety recalls on the trailer.hope this helps.

[east tx skier]

Everybody is sick, Jen came home early with a stomach virus and Nikki's and her crew are down with some sort of upper respitory infection...I got my flu shot yesterday so I"m waiting for it to kick my @ss.


That stuff is bad news! My wife just got over it. Was sick with it for a week. Never seen her so bad. Didn't help that she was pregnant t'boot. I was sick over Christmas and keep telling myself that, for that reason, I won't get this one.