YMCA can assist you with the customs side of a yacht’s sale in international waters.

 

When your yacht is in French waters, the easiest solution to sell her is to do so in international waters in order to avoid triggering VAT on the value of the hull.

The rules slightly differ depending on the status of the boat.

 

• Vessels needing to file a formal exportation declaration

 

For a formally imported vessel, an exportation declaration is mandatory when the yacht wants to leave the EU waters in order to be sold.  An exportation declaration normally implies the obligation to touch a non-EU port afterwards.

However, French customs accept the closing in international waters without the need for the new owner to touch a non-EU port if they wish to come back in France right after the sale.

 

The sale in international waters is assimilated to the touch of a non-EU port

 

• Vessels not needing to file a formal exportation declaration

 

When the owner of a vessel under temporary admission wants to sell it in international waters, they do not need to carry out a formal exportation declaration if no other specific customs regime has been used (i.e. Inward Processing). Normally, after the sale, the new owner would, also in this case, need to touch a non-EU port before coming back to France and benefit from the 18 month temporary admission period.

However, also in this situation, French customs accept that the sale in international waters is assimilated to the touch of a non-EU port. The new owner can come back to France right after the sale and benefit from the 18 months temporary admission if they respect the conditions of the latter regime. The new owner can also decide to formally import the vessel upon return.

YMCA can assist you filing the exportation/importation declarations as well as the verbal declaration document which will officially reinstate the vessel into the temporary admission regime.

 

Do not hesitate to contact us,

We remain at disposal,

Best regards,

The YMCA TEAM

+33 (0)492004390

info@ymca-yachting.com

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