Boat Reg in SC

H2ONUT

Well-Known Member
Nov 26, 2006
2,658
Savanna GA
Boat Info
2000 215EC
Engines
5.0 EFI Mercruiser Alpha
I am in CT and will be registering the boat in SC, will be moving there in a few months.

Does SC check the book value of a boat when registering? I understand there is a cap of $300.


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You're only registering, right? Maybe SC is different than the 3 states I deal with (personally), but why would boat value matter for registering? That would only be if you are buying the boat and have to pay sales tax, right? Does SC base the registration fee on boat value or length/power of boat?
 
I need to pay sales tax on it. I didn't register it in CT when I bought it. In CT they will look up the value and charge tax according to book value. Sales tax is capped at 300 in SC. I have a 13' Whaler that I am going to register there, only paid $250 for it. That's why I am asking if they look at book value. This is all being done thru the mail and don't want to go back and forth.


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Gotcha.

I'm curious to here what the verdict is, to see if SC is any different. So far, all the states I've dealt with (probably more like 5 or 6) base sales tax on the actual price that was paid. Personally, I've even used a hand-written sales agreement between me and the guy that I bought the boat from, at times. From my experience, as long as the price was "relatively reasonable", it's never caused any red flags.
 
Well, here in CT it all depends on who is helping you at the counter. Our DMV in CT is horrible to deal with. I had a major problem getting our previous boat registered because of the price I paid for it. They didn't agree and wanted to charge me more. I fought it and won.


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Well, here in CT it all depends on who is helping you at the counter. Our DMV in CT is horrible to deal with. I had a major problem getting our previous boat registered because of the price I paid for it. They didn't agree and wanted to charge me more. I fought it and won.


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I wonder if you got the "sales agreement" notorized, if that would help with one of those guys/gals with a chip on their shoulder.
 
Nope, the bill of sale I had was from a broker here in CT. The boat was owned by a donation company, that's why I got it cheap. The bill of sale was made out by a lawyer. The broker really went to bat for me!


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In GA, if purchasing from a private seller, you pay no sales tax. If purchasing from a dealer, you do. However, everyone pays a Personal Property Tax that varies county by county. The higher the millege rate, the more the tax. It is tax deductible on your yearly taxes.

It seems anyway you play it, they get you.

Bennett
 
Dennis
I bought this boat in NY state and didn't pay the dealer any sales tax (on Long Island, I think the sales tax was 8.5%). When I got it to NJ, I registered it at motor vehicle and they charged me the 7% sales tax that NJ collects, based on the bill of sale provided by the dealer. So in NJ, the value of the boat is necessary to register it.
 
Ron I think, above, by "value of boat" they were referring to a "book value", not actual price paid. Your scenario is what I'm familiar with, too. Meaning, sales tax is based on actual price paid (and to the state where it's registered). It's interesting, though, to see how this differs from state to state.
 
Ah, I get it! :)
 
It wasn't too long ago (or maybe it was longer... time seems to go by faster and faster as I get older) that people were buying boats around here (PA, NJ, MD) and then registering them in Delaware since DE doesn't have sales tax on boats. But the people were still using them (and slipping them) in PA, NJ, MD. Eventually the authorities caught on and I haven't seen any DE tags for quite a while.
 
It wasn't too long ago (or maybe it was longer... time seems to go by faster and faster as I get older) that people were buying boats around here (PA, NJ, MD) and then registering them in Delaware since DE doesn't have sales tax on boats. But the people were still using them (and slipping them) in PA, NJ, MD. Eventually the authorities caught on and I haven't seen any DE tags for quite a while.

Saw that all the time also when I was younger.


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I wonder how that works if you truly do live in DE but boat in MD on the Chesapeake (which is conceivable). MD for sure is gonna want their money.
 
I wonder how that works if you truly do live in DE but boat in MD on the Chesapeake (which is conceivable). MD for sure is gonna want their money.

I would imagine it's somewhat a "grey" area. But I would think that if it's SLIPPED in MD, then that is probably where the taxes should go. I've "heard" (second hand), that once in a while someone might walk the docks (or cruiser through on their blue-lighted boat) looking for slipped boats with DE reg. To the best of my knowledge, though, "a boat should be registered in it's state of principle use".
 
I would imagine it's somewhat a "grey" area. But I would think that if it's SLIPPED in MD, then that is probably where the taxes should go. I've "heard" (second hand), that once in a while someone might walk the docks (or cruiser through on their blue-lighted boat) looking for slipped boats with DE reg. To the best of my knowledge, though, "a boat should be registered in it's state of principle use".

Yes if a boat is moored/slipped in SC for 6 months. SC will be looking for personal property tax. SCDNR, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, is the go to here to register your boat. They will require a copy of the receipt that the sales tax was paid, by the way the SC Dept. of Revenue, if done by mail, will not send you, found that out the hard way, is required at time of registration. Carefully supply all information requested on the proper form and your check for $40.00 for the registration fee, and then sit back and wait. Minimum of 8 weeks to process by mail. Can be done in person with all the paperwork, including the hull number pencil shading off the boat, and it happens a bit faster. Couple of hours. Lol. You have 6 months from the date of purchase to register in SC.


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I am in CT and will be registering the boat in SC, will be moving there in a few months.

Does SC check the book value of a boat when registering? I understand there is a cap of $300.


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Where in SC are you relocating, general area?


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