Buying or selling cross border

[Jimbo]

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about the sales taxes that would be due when selling/purchasing a boat across the Canada/US border?

I have run into a brick wall here trying to find out anything.

I am a Canadian (B.C.) selling a boat to an American (WA) , and I 'believe' (but am in no way sure) that there will be Canadian sales tax due to be paid by the purchaser.

Trying to find out if that's true or how the tax should be paid and to whom has been a struggle. (Several calls to Transport Canada, BC Registry etc. all cut off after 45 minute waits). Nothing online. No replies to my emails.

Help! First time I have had trouble finding out how to send the government money.

Thanks.

 

[scross]

We bought Our Journey about 7 years ago this week so things may have changed. The sellers marine broker in Sidney tried to get the paperwork correct for 10 days without success.
I hired a customs broker in Washington state and we had the proper paperwork to import the boat within 24 hours. Cost me about $900 but solved all the import problems. Seller cruised from Sidney, BC to Friday Harbor, presented the paperwork from my customs broker to CBP and 10 minutes later walked out the Customs office door. We met the seller later that afternoon and took possession of the boat at the Friday Harbor marina. Our lender would not fund our loan without the boat being in US territory. The escrow was handled by Pacific Marine Title Services in Seattle which I, as buyer, also paid for. Both our customs broker and PMTS were excellent and turned a looming PITA into an easy transaction.
To the best of my knowledge the seller paid no taxes on the sale to a US citizen. Your buyer may well have taxes or other fees due to bring the boat into Washington state. Since we are in Oregon we didn’t pay any taxes and only a few dollars to get the boat registered in Oregon. Again, this was in September 2015 so things may have changed.

 

[Jimbo]

Thanks for that, I think a customs broker is probably the right answer!

$900 would be well worth it to get things done properly and quickly.

 

[Jimbo]

I also am thinking that the only sales tax due will be in Washington, which makes much more sense.

 

[ShawnD]

We bought our R21EC this year from the Sunshine Coast in Canada. I was very concerned about bringing the boat and trailer back into the United States, but it was actually very easy. We trailered the boat home so that may have made things easier. I called the truck crossing and they provided me with a website with all of the information and paperwork we would need to import the boat and trailer. When we got to the border they looked over the boat and trailer and filled out some paperwork and we were on our way. We did pay WA sales tax on both the boat and trailer when we registered them both in WA. Hope this helps and good luck! We love our tug.