Sales Tax? - The Hull Truth

ruckus18 · 06-15-2006, 10:46 PM

I am in the process of purchasing a boat from another individual and was wondering if there is a way to get around paying the $300 sales tax on the boat. I know on a cars bill of sale you could put the sale price at $1, however there will be a lein holder on the boat since I have to get a loan. Is there anyway I can get around the tax?

yknot fishing · 06-15-2006, 10:49 PM

sales tax is not paid on the boat only property tax due to the county

Need any financing?

ruckus18 · 06-16-2006, 03:20 PM

I'm in South Carolina, and the website for the Dept of Natural Resources says I have to pay sales tax and property tax.

Reeldanger · 06-17-2006, 09:10 AM

Yep, in South Carolina you have to pay sales tax on a boat bought from an individual, or at least I did a couple times while living in that state! I could not get the boat registered until I went by the local state tax office and gave them their blood money and you probably won't either! I do not know of any way to get out of paying the tax!

I don't think they do this in NC but its about the only thing they don't tax you to death on here!! I could of course be wrong! The state of SC came up with paying sales tax when you buy from an individual several years ago,,seems someone in the state tax office in Columbia SC had nothing better to do than to come up with that idea, guess that individual loves paying taxes!! I hope the tax people in NC aren't reading this, it might give them an idea on how to tax us a bit more!! One thing I would like to see is NC putting titles on boat motors like SC does,,that was a good idea, it helps with theft, but of course here they title your boat trailer!!

Hope you can get out of it,,,but I don't think you will, not in SC!! Good luck!!

Rough Rider · 06-17-2006, 10:20 AM

In NC you will likely pay the tax, similar to buying a used automobile.

Wolakrab · 06-17-2006, 09:25 PM

The sales tax cap on boats, cars, motorcycles, RV's, and aircraft is SC is 300.00. Basically you do not have to pay any more than that regardless of purchase price. You do have to pay even if you buy any of the items mentioned above out of state and they are registered in SC. 300 bucks isn't bad.....I paid that instead of over $1200 on a boat I bought in Ohio, and most states do not have a cap on how much sales tax you will pay. That's the good part about living in SC.....the bad part is the property tax. The formula for determining property tax on boats is all out of whack in SC; you pay double or more on boats than you do for cars, aircraft, or RV's of equal value. The property tax on my last boat was more than what I paid for 2 cars and my house.
Go ahead and pay the sales tax.....it could be worse.

ruckus18 · 06-19-2006, 12:15 AM

Yea, I didn't figure there was a way around it, but I figured I'd try since they are going to rape me on the property tax. The property tax is going to be double what I just paid for my new F-250. Its so nice that they decide to tax people for doing well and being able to buy "toys".