Luxury Taxes

[TheEduKATor]

Can anybody help out with a luxury tax question? I've seen a few threads that have dealt with luxury tax questions, but now I guess it's my turn to deal with it. I've received the forms from the county assessor that must be returned withing 30 days. My question is, is it too late to register the boat in Arizona? If I register it in Arizona, do I just tell the assessor that it's no longer registered in CA and that it's already registered in Az. I've alredy filled out the forms for the Arizona fish and game but I haven't sent them in because I don't want to have to pay to register it in AZ and then have to pay taxes for the past year in CA. It is a 2002 and its primary use is in Az. I've only taken it out twice in CA to Elsinore, the other 8 times this year have been to Havasu. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Boozer]

I think you would be wiser to sell it now and buy a Bayliner.

[Sandbar Mike]

TheEduKATor:
Can anybody help out with a luxury tax question? I've seen a few threads that have dealt with luxury tax questions, but now I guess it's my turn to deal with it. I've received the forms from the county assessor that must be returned withing 30 days. My question is, is it too late to register the boat in Arizona? If I register it in Arizona, do I just tell the assessor that it's no longer registered in CA and that it's already registered in Az. I've alredy filled out the forms for the Arizona fish and game but I haven't sent them in because I don't want to have to pay to register it in AZ and then have to pay taxes for the past year in CA. It is a 2002 and its primary use is in Az. I've only taken it out twice in CA to Elsinore, the other 8 times this year have been to Havasu. Any info would be greatly appreciated. If the boat was registered in CA for 1 minute, or a week or a day you still have to pay luxury taxes for the year. My experience anyway. Ty'd arguing my way out of that one, did'nt work.

[Ziggy]

Yup, you gotta pay this years taxes since its already registered in Ca. Make sure to do your Az. registration before the next annual date of your boat that way you can prove its no longer a Ca. boat when our dutiful assessor sends you the next bill.
BTW, saw ya in Copper Canyon last Sunday morning..looked like you were just getting situated for the day.
Z

[uvindex]

EduKATor: I agree with the posts above. By the way, I think it is "Unsecured Property Tax" we're talking about here, not luxury tax (luxury tax was a different tax, and it has gone away for the most part.)
Be prepared NEXT year to document to the tax collector where (in Arizona) you keep your boat, and where (in Arizona) you use your boat. I had to correspond with them several times, and provide some documentation (re: storage, slip rental, etc.) before they stopped billing me about my boat's unsecured property tax when I changed its tax status to AZ.
I saw your transom go by me (recognized the name) in the channel over the weekend. :)
Happy boating,
CS

[TheEduKATor]

Thanks for the info Ziggy and RatherBeInLHC. So basically it's too late to do anything this year, i'm better off getting it done for the coming year. BTW yeah Ziggy that was The EduKATor on Sunday. We got to copper canyon early, got a nice spot then an hour later the cops told us to move because they were relocating the buoys. It's okay, we got a spot with a better view, i'll be posting plenty of pics in a few. RatherBeInLHC, we didn't spend too much time in the channel. We did on Saturday, but I could no longer stand the fumes from the little water roaches. Made my eyes water, and I couldn't breath until I got out of the water at night. We were behind a water roach going through the channel and I thought I was either going to pass out from the fumes or my brother was going to crash into another boat because it was so damn smokey and we couldn't see a thing.

[uvindex]

....could no longer stand the fumes from the little water roaches.That's a new one for me (water roaches.) Cracks me up! Thanks for making me laugh. :)

[PlayTime]

Educator how much are they asking. Did they send that as part of a registration thing. Did you have to ask to have it sent to you? Let me know how you got this bill. Cause then I'll know when to expect mine. Dread seeing it.

[mike37]

PlayTime:
Educator how much are they asking. Did they send that as part of a registration thing. Did you have to ask to have it sent to you? Let me know how you got this bill. Cause then I'll know when to expect mine. Dread seeing it. play
time youl get somthing in the mail asking how much
only tell them what the boat is worth not the trailer and tax and all the other bs
just the hard cost of the boat itself
thats all thay can tax you on
but they will try to tax you on the out the door price dont let them

[TheEduKATor]

Play, they aren't asking anything right now except for the make and cost of the boat. They sent it about 2 weeks ago, which was about 1 year to the date that the boat was supposed to be finished. Didn't ask for it, didn't want it, but it came anyways. I've had others tell me it's gonna be anywhere from $800 to $1,000, but those are just guesstimations. I'll soon find out the real cost.

[MagicMtnDan]

Good luck with the tax assessors office. We went to get my wife a car and found out my credit score was a lot lower than I thought. The reason was the tax assessor had three (3) liens on my credit records all showing as unpaid (for a boat).
I had moved from NoCal to SoCal and I filed my address change with DMV (and the post office) but did the tax assessor check with them? Nope. They simply attached a lien to my credit report for three years. My credit score was lowered based on three tax bills for under $100 each.
So I took care of the paperwork and paid them their money (ultimately got one removed) and they said they'd clear the liens. Of course I had to PAY more money to do that! And of course they took their friggin' time to clear the liens. It takes them five seconds to attach a lien and seems like five months to clear it. Typical gov't BS.
Don't mess with the tax assessors office. And do NOT register a boat in CA!
[ May 29, 2003, 10:56 PM: Message edited by: MagicMtnDan ]

[C-2]

MagicMtnDan:
Don't mess with the tax assessors office. And do NOT register a boat in CA! Magic is absolutely correct. Register the boat in AZ as soon as you can, but be sure to cut your losses in California and pay the personal property tax...otherwise they will lien ya, even for amounts as little as $10 eek! eek!

[uvindex]

I thought it would be easy to find the tax rate for unsecured property. It's not. Best I could find is the following, from the Revenue and Tax Code:
2905. In collecting taxes on unsecured property the tax rate to be used is the rate for property of the same kind on the secured roll last fixed before the lien date for the taxes to be collected.
I THINK that means if you're paying, say, 1.2% property taxes on your house in SD County, that your boat tax will be the same. I'm no accountant or lawyer, however, so I may be way wrong (but for what I used to pay on my boat in CA, the math worked out pretty close.)
Good luck!

[rvrkaosI]

TheEduKATor:
Can anybody help out with a luxury tax question? I've seen a few threads that have dealt with luxury tax questions, but now I guess it's my turn to deal with it. I've received the forms from the county assessor that must be returned withing 30 days. My question is, is it too late to register the boat in Arizona? If I register it in Arizona, do I just tell the assessor that it's no longer registered in CA and that it's already registered in Az. I've alredy filled out the forms for the Arizona fish and game but I haven't sent them in because I don't want to have to pay to register it in AZ and then have to pay taxes for the past year in CA. It is a 2002 and its primary use is in Az. I've only taken it out twice in CA to Elsinore, the other 8 times this year have been to Havasu. Any info would be greatly appreciated. If you know someone who lives in az, use there address, it something like $25 a year, otherwise a outside resident depends on the size of your boat. I pay something like $150 or so a year.

[LUVNLIFE]

Hey guys how about a little help to keep a vehicle registered in Arizona. It came from there and I have relatives that have property there. Is it doable?

[boatnam2]

good luck,i sold a boat and owed luxury tax and didnt know it until i tried buying something.i sent the money as soon as i got a late letter but it was to late.they totally f--ked up my credit.trying to get them on the phone and get it handled is a nightmare.i said this in the other luxury tax thread,alls i want for christmas is a county f--king worker to choke i dont care whos mom it is.

[MKE - POWER]

Question regarding when you have received your Property Tax Bills?
I purchased and registered (CA)my boat in June/02. My current registration is good untill
Dec./03. Are Property Tax Bills sent out when your individual registration is due to expire?
Or, are they sent out at a specific time of year;
like Real Estate Taxe?
I.E./ Should I wait to register in AZ untill say
November, or is my Tax Bill already on its way?
Please reply with your experience.
Mark.

[OGShocker]

TheEduKATor:
Can anybody help out with a luxury tax question? I've seen a few threads that have dealt with luxury tax questions, but now I guess it's my turn to deal with it. I've received the forms from the county assessor that must be returned withing 30 days. My question is, is it too late to register the boat in Arizona? If I register it in Arizona, do I just tell the assessor that it's no longer registered in CA and that it's already registered in Az. I've alredy filled out the forms for the Arizona fish and game but I haven't sent them in because I don't want to have to pay to register it in AZ and then have to pay taxes for the past year in CA. It is a 2002 and its primary use is in Az. I've only taken it out twice in CA to Elsinore, the other 8 times this year have been to Havasu. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Go to
Montana (http://www.mtregisteredagent.com/Vehicle.htm)
Hope this helps.
[ June 01, 2003, 09:25 PM: Message edited by: OGShocker ]

[Essex502]

Gentlemen...I've been through this and the following is the real stuff:
1) THe boat in question MUST be outside California on January 1 of the tax year AND
2) It must be habitually moored outside California AND
3) It must be used more than 50% outside California to be legally resgistered in another state and be exempt from Property Tax in California.
<a href="http://www.oc.ca.gov/assessor/faq.asp#BA" target="_blank">
See this</a>
So... get the boat out of CA on Jan 1 and have your registration completed by december to be safe.
The AZ registration can be handled completely over the phone and is based on the length of the boat. Roughly $80/yr for a 21' boat as an out of state resident. Damn sight cheaper than the $500 the County of Los Angeles wanted for the Property Tax on my boat.
Another thought...the hassles I had with the L.A. County Tax Assessor taught me to know who to call...they have a Marine Division that is small and pretty knowledgeable if you can get to them.

[MKE - POWER]

ESSEX502
Thanks for the straight info. The Assessors Site
explains the details. :)

[Essex502]

MKE - POWER:
ESSEX502
Thanks for the straight info. The Assessors Site
explains the details. :) Anytime, Amigo...been throught the "ringer" with our boat on this issue. It's out of CA permanently now.