[Matt]

Good evening everyone,

I would like to know what are the customs and fees (taxes, etc.) to consider when purchasing a boat under the Italian flag in Italy?

I’m in contact with a broker who is mentioning taxes for the cancellation of the Italian flag. This is the first time I’ve heard about this.

Has anyone who made a purchase in Italy (for a boat under the Italian flag, of course) been able to provide any information?

I’m not referring to the price of the boat (with VAT paid, of course) or the broker’s commission, but specifically to taxes and other administrative fees.

Thank you in advance.

[Sylvain]

Yes, boats of a certain size (10m minimum, if I remember correctly) are considered “well-mobilized registered goods,” so the ownership transfer must be done in front of a notary.

I don’t have the exact amounts, but I can find them if you want.

If you plan not to keep the boat under the Italian flag (which would be foolish, in my opinion), the best thing to do is to negotiate with the seller to cancel the Italian flag and register it under your preferred flag.

For example, if you want to register it in France, the seller will request the cancellation of the Italian flag, and once obtained, they will ask for registration in France (free of charge, and entirely possible for an Italian resident—at most, you could lend them your address for the registration), then a sales contract according to French law. These fees are comparable to the cost of a postage stamp.

Now that I think about it, you’ll need to check for the DAN (tax), because if they register it in France, even if it’s just for a brief moment, they’ll owe the tax. But you can work it out with the seller—it’s an annual tax, so if they pay it, it’s not your responsibility, and vice versa.

[Matt]

Ok, thanks for the info.

The boat is 10.67m…

I don’t want to keep the Italian flag and I want to switch to the French flag.

Do you think the seller can cancel the Italian flag without registering it in France? Once they get the cancellation letter, I buy the boat, and I would handle the French registration?

The Italians are complicated. The broker is talking about going through an agency to take care of all this, but that doesn’t sound right to me…

[WPI]

I bought the boat and brought it back to France right away.

Then the broker I went through took care of canceling the Italian flag (for a reasonable fee). I received the cancellation papers at home, and I then registered the boat under the French flag.

It’s true that it’s a bit slow, but since I brought the boat back right after the purchase, it didn’t bother me. I was able to enjoy the boat right away.

It’s true that it costs a bit of money, but I had taken that into account during negotiations, so it wasn’t an issue.

It’s complicated if you don’t speak Italian, and it’s better to get help, either from the broker like I did or from an agency like you. It’s just a little more expensive through the agency, but nothing dramatic.

That’s my experience buying a boat in Italy.

[Author]

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