Sardinia Luxury Tax on Mediterranean Yacht Charter Vessels Abolished

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“My neighbor recently rented a boat with a crew for a family vacation in the Virgin Islands. It sounds like fun but I wonder if it’s safer to take a cruise on a big ship. Any thoughts that might sway me? Thanks.”
Marilyn W, Miami, FL
Great question, Marilyn. In our opinion, private yachts are actually safer.
Cruise ships visit numerous ports of call (often referred to as, “tourist traps”). It’s no secret that pickpockets and other petty-theft criminals prey on unsuspecting tourists in these busy tourist areas. Private yachts tend to stay away from these hot spots, and since the yachts are smaller, they can anchor in small, quiet, uncrowded coves.
Speaking of crowds, there are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of strangers onboard a cruise ship. We’ve all seen the news reports about Norovirus breakouts on cruise ships. In their defense, the cruise lines are diligent in cleaning their vessels, but with so many people onboard, it’s a tough task. That’s not the case on a Virgin Island yacht charter vessel – the only people onboard are you and your private crew.
In terms of training, both the crews on cruise ships and private yachts are trained to international standards in case of the rare chance of an onboard emergency. Remember – the crew on a private yacht has to attend to the yacht’s owner when charter guests are not onboard. It is a safe bet that most yacht owners want the finest professionals operating their yachts!
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What do you think? Do you agree with our opinion? Are private yachts safer than cruiseships? Please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!
This entry was posted in Good Times Educational and tagged yacht charter crew, private yacht charter, 1800yachtcharters, sailboat charter, Education, cruiseships, Ask The Pro's, cruiseship safety, private yacht safety, Novovirus
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QUESTION
“I’m planning a 10 day private yacht charter in St. Tropez and the South of France in July. My broker say VAT is 20%. That’s seems a lot. Is there way to not pay this?”
Xavier E, Barcelona, Spain
Answer provided by Jana Sheeder, President 1-800 Yacht Charters:
“The bad news, Xavier, is all charters that take place in a European Union (EU) country are subject to VAT (Value Added Tax). However, we have good news as well – there is a simple, legal strategy that can cut your VAT expense in half.
Instead of paying 20%, this strategy will reduce your VAT to 10% of your base charter fee – a significant savings!
Each EU country can set their own level of VAT on commercial yachts for hire. In France, if the yacht undertakes a coastal cruise in French territorial waters, the VAT is 20% of the base charter fee (the base fee is the cost to rent the yacht before factoring in other running expenses such as food, dockage, etc.). So, for example, if you began your charter in Saint Tropez, and cruised along the Côte d’Azur and concluded your trip in Antibes, you would incur a VAT expense of 20%.MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VAT
However, IF you plan a portion of your charter to cruise in international waters, your legal responsibility for VAT drops to 10% – a savings of 50%!
So how do you do this? Here’s how: When you are planning your itinerary with the yacht’s captain prior to the commencement of your charter, let the captain know that you would like to, “visit a port that requires you to cruise in international waters and beyond the coast of France.”
You could, for example, leave the French coast and cruise to the island of Sardinia. This is approximately a 5-7 hour cruise from the South of France.
Ask your captain to undertake this crossing overnight, while you and your guests are sleeping. Then, when you rise in the morning, you’ll be able to spend a full day, or longer along the coastline of this fabled Italian island before heading back to France.
So there you have it. With a little strategic planning, a slight deviation in your St Tropez yacht charter can result in big savings; possibly thousands of Euros depending upon the cost of your charter.”
Have a question about a yacht charter vacation?
Submit your question to me, and my team will help you.
If we print your question in our blog, we’ll send you a complimentary Eco-tote bag.
Email me at jsheeder@1800yachtcharters.com
Thank you, and keep those questions coming!!!
This entry was posted in Destinations Frequently Asked Questions Educational and tagged Discounts, VAT value added tax, private yacht charter, Jana Sheeder, 1800yachtcharters, Education, Ask The Pro's, Save money on a yacht charter, Tips and tricks, Ask the Yacht Charter Pros
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CLIENT QUESTION
“Hey, 1-800 Yacht Charters. I saw ‘Serene’ while i (sic) was vacationing in France last summer. Beautiful yacht! Who owns her?”
Bill C. Atlanta, GA
Thanks for asking, Bill. There’s an old saying, “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you!” LOL
All kidding aside, one of the alluring benefits of luxury yacht charters is the element of privacy. We carefully guard the identity of our charter clients and their guests – both for reasons of safety and discretion.
The same discipline applies to the owners of the yachts we offer for charter, as most prefer to remain anonymous.
That being said, certain details were recently released to the public, so now we CAN share that information with you:
In an article on October 15th, 2016, the New York Times ran a story entitled, “Rise of Saudi Prince Shatters Decades of Royal Tradition.” The story disclosed last year, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince, “…saw a yacht he couldn’t resist.”
That yacht is the 440 foot motor yacht SERENE…
The article reads,
“While vacationing in the south of France, Prince bin Salman spotted a 440-foot yacht floating off the coast. He dispatched an aide to buy the ship, the Serene, which was owned by Yuri Shefler, a Russian vodka tycoon. The deal was done within hours, at a price of approximately 500 million euros (roughly $550 million today), according to an associate of Mr. Shefler and a Saudi close to the royal family. The Russian moved off the yacht the same day.”
Built in 2011, Fincantieri yacht SERENE is the largest yacht ever launched in Italy and features more than 4,000 square meters of interior space spread across seven decks, plus two helipads and a hangar. At the time of her launch, she was the 9th largest yacht in the world and the largest yacht available for charter.
Each year, the newest yachts get bigger and bigger. As of mid-2016, the yacht had “dropped” to #13 on the list world’s largest yachts.
So there you have it, Bill – now you know the names of BOTH the former and current owner of superyacht SERENE!
See the world’s newest yachts for charter, offered by 1-800 Yacht Charters.
This entry was posted in News Frequently Asked Questions Educational and tagged Ask The Pro's, yacht owners, motoryacht, who owns, privacy, confidentiality, Frequently Asked Questions, Serene
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