Please find below a pdf file with a quick summary of the EU rules (Italy, France, Spain, Croatia, etc.) for 2017. For any info, questions or clarifications needed please never hesitate to contact us writing an email to info@yachtwelfare.it. Always assure you to check our NEWS section on the www.yachtwelfare.it website. Stay tuned!
After the VAT workshop conducted during MYBA 2017 by our staff and partners please find hereby a summary of the new rules about Croatia:
1. Charter business can be performed by NON EU and EU charter companies with commercially registered yachts
2. To set up a yacht for charter business in Croatia (approx. 10 – 14 days), a charter company needs:
a) To obtain VAT and PIN numbers with the Croatian tax office. The list of required papers that must be submitted depends on if the charter company is from the EU or outside the EU.
b) To list the yacht in “E-crew” ( a central online database ) of the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs. The list of documents to submit depends on the GT and LOA of the yacht.
If all the papers are in order there will no longer be a need for a technical inspection of the yacht’s firefighting and safety equipment in Croatia before the beginning of its 1st charter.
3. All non-EU flagged commercial yachts will be required to obtain a charter license. There is no longer a limit on the yacht’s length in order to perform charters in Croatia. The license will be valid for the calendar year. The number of licenses issued might be limited based on the Croatian market supply situation.
4. VAT will be charged on all commercial yachts that start charters (embark guests) in 3rd countries, on a pro-rata basis, for the time spent in Croatia. For instance, if a yacht embarks guests in Montenegro and comes to Croatia for 6 days, charter guests will need to pay Croatian VAT on those 6 days.
5. All charter contracts with an embarkation port outside of the EU, and a disembarkation port inCroatia, and which are signed before the 1st of May, will be exempt from VAT charges on a pro-rata basis for the time the yacht will spend in Croatia.
6. VAT for charter activities with overnight stay is 13%. Daily charters are 25%
7. All commercial yachts need to have proof of their VAT status in the EU when entering Croatia
8. When embarking guests outside the EU, all commercial yachts need to have a charter contract when entering Croatia; and when leaving Croatia they need to have an invoice of payment of Croatian VAT issued by its local VAT representative
9. When embarking guests in another EU country, all commercial yachts need to possess a charter contract when entering Croatia and a pro-forma invoice for VAT payment in that country issued by a fiscal representative in that country
10. When embarking guests outside the EU, EU charter companies can use their own VAT number for VAT payment in Croatia on a pro-rata basis
11. Non Eu commercial yachts who do not possess a cabotage license can cruise in Croatian territorial waters only between international ports, to and from shipyards, and only with crew on board
Some details are still being clarified by the Ministry regarding how certain points above will be processed and controlled, so get in touch with us if you plan to charter this year in Croatia.
Setting up a charter business in Croatia is a pretty simple, straightforward and quick process if you have a quality, professional representative.
For more info please download the below pdf file from our partner MYS and feel always free to contact us to info@yachtwelfare.it to get your dedicated estimate on costs.
Yacht Welfare, Easy Tax, Tax Marine, MYS Croatia, Evolution Agents and Rosemont presented the VAT Workshop during MYBA 2017. We thank all the attendees for their partecipation and the important questions made which have definitely enriched the talk. At this link https://youtu.be/k-iGgJ8b680 you will find the video of the VAT meeting. Stay tuned on www.yachtwelfare.it for more news about VAT and fiscal matters on Charters in the Med! For any additional info please email us to info@yachtwelfare.it.
In early April 2017 an important taxation agreement between Monaco and Italy came into force and, as a direct result, Monaco now appears on the Italian ‘white list’ of tax compliant jurisdictions. The Agreement gives rise both to opportunities and challenges for those individuals who fall within its scope.
In March 2015, Monaco and Italy concluded the terms of the Agreement for the exchange of tax information between the two jurisdictions. However, it was not until earlier this month the Agreement completed the formal ratification process by the competent authorities in both Italy and Monaco.
With ratification the Italian authorities can request their Monaco counterparts to provide information on individuals who are Italian tax resident and who hold assets in the Principality. Furthermore, both states have the possibility for their respective tax authorities to conduct a tax audit in the counterpart state.
The Agreement also seeks to avoid the double taxation of income and also defines the concept of ‘tax residence’ in the two states.
The Agreement is an important change for those individuals who are tax residents in Italy and Monaco with economic interests in the other jurisdiction.
The Agreement should be seen in the context of the introduction of automatic exchange of information on financial accounts which came into effect on 1 April 2017 between Monaco and the European Union, including Italy. For more info please do not hesitate to contact us writing an email to info@yachtwelfare.it.
Withholding tax on charter revenues: has this battle been definitively won? As you may have heard MYBA and ECPY members have recently been subjected to French tax inspections in their capacity as Stakeholders. In compliance with Article 182B of the French General Tax Code, French Fiscal Authorities wanted to apply a 33% withholding tax on charter funds held by Stakeholders based in France, in relation to the commercialactivity (charters) made into the French territory and territorial waters. The withholding would apply when charter funds were transferred to Owning Companies or Yacht Owners which did not have a permanent professional establishment (business) in France and were based in jurisdiction which did not have a double tax treaty with France.
MYBA and ECPY decided to seek the official position of the tax authorities at the ‘Direction de la Législation Fiscale (DLF) in Paris. They asserted that Stakeholders are only intermediaries of on charter revenues realised in France and not the debtors.
The first reply was unfavourable but MYBA and ECPY lodged an appeal for a second interpretation by the National College. The DLF has now replied favourably, indicating that “the Stakeholder is not liable to pay the withholding tax provided for under Article 182 B of the General Tax Code”.
This is of course a great success but this is only the first stage, as now MYBA and ECPY need to ensure that this national decision is implemented at local level for the ongoing cases.
But when the battle is won at local levels are the tax authorities going to accept defeat or are they going to try to find a new debtor?
There’s still plenty of grey areas around this … stay tuned, we will release up-to-date news as soon as possible.
For any additional info or questions needed please email us to info@yachtwelfare.it.
We are always at your disposal.
The French government has recently enacted a decree that states a new requirement for social security payments for all non-French seafarers (crew) based in France unless they are already paying for social security (national insurance) in another EU member state, or in any other national state that has an existing bilateral social security treaty with France.
This decree will come into force on 1st July 2017 and will apply to all seafarers resident or otherwise domiciled in France irrespective of whether their vessel (yacht) is private or commercially operated.
Please find links below to download an initial summary of the key points of the new French social security legislation, and two flow charts to help clarify the regulation. This information was prepared and released by Lesia Employment Services ICC Limited (Lesia) in conjunction with a major maritime law firm.
Lesia Summary on Social Charges
Employers’ social security obligations in Franceregarding crew members
Social security obligations of seafarers living in France and notworking on a French flagged vessel
Thanks to www.pya.org
Please find below some important info to know about chartering in Spain:
As is well known, chartering in countries like France, Italy or Malta can benefit from really reduced VAT rates on charter fees. This is not the case in Spain. What is the reason why? Let’s find out what are the legal grounds on which this VAT reduction is based and what other implications this legal provision has.
Article 58 of EU Council Directive 2006/112/EC, VAT Directive, entitled “criterion of effective use and enjoyment”, provides that:
In order to avoid double taxation, non-taxation or distortion of competition, Member States may, with regard to the supply of the services referred to in Article 56(1) and with regard to the hiring out of means of transport:
(a) consider the place of supply of any or all of those services, if situated within their territory, as being situated outside the Community, if the effective use and enjoyment of the services takes place outside the Community;
(b) consider the place of supply of any or all of those services, if situated outside the Community, as being situated within their territory, if the effective use and enjoyment of the services takes place within their territory.
How does this affect chartering in the EU and more specifically chartering in Spain?
As the article lays down in its first paragraph, Member States may, which means this is an optional criterion which might be applied by each Member State or not. Having said this, we must distinguish what is stipulated in paragraphs (a) and (b).
Paragraph (a) – as it is clearly defined, the provision seeks to minimize VAT taxation applicable to certain services, among them the hiring out of means of transport (for instance charter), when part of the enjoyment takes place outside the Community. This provision or approach is in place in France or Italy which allows chartering in these countries to benefit from reduced VAT rates. However, this is not the case of Spain, which making use of its optional right, did not implement this provision in the internal Spanish VAT law. Therefore, chartering in Spain is subject to a flat VAT rate which does not benefit from any reduction even sailing beyond 12 nautical miles.
Paragraph (b) – the second part of the article seeks to subject to VAT certain services, which, although according to the rules on the place of supply can be understood to be provided outside the Community, their effective enjoyment takes place in the Community. This might be the case of a charter starting in Montenegro or Gibraltar, territories outside the Community, and visiting a Member State. There are certain countries which apply this approach, such as Italy. This is the case of Spain too. Spain implemented this provision in article 70.Two of the Spanish VAT law. Therefore, although not very well known, this rule is in force in Spain.
In practical terms, this would involve for instance that a charter starting in Gibraltar and visiting Spanish territory would oblige the yacht owning company to register for VAT in Spain and to pay to the Spanish tax authorities VAT on the length of the charter taking place in Spain.
Therefore, it cannot be said that the use and enjoyment provision is not in practice in Spain. It is, but unfortunately only the more burdensome part of the EU provision is applicable.
For further information, please email our Spanish referent Mr. Alex Chumillas to alex@taxmarine.com or send your inquiry to info@yachtwelfare.it. We are always pleased to assist you and remain at your disposal.
Thank you to our Spanish partner Mr. Alex Chumillas:
Please find below a news about the VAT regime in Spain on supplies of goods to commercial yachts, released by our Spanish referent Mr. Alex Chumillas:
Most commercial yachts based in Spanish marinas are owned by European companies, which in many cases are registered for VAT purposes in their respective countries. It is very often that local Spanish suppliers and clients end up in a conflict situation over whether the goods supplied to these yachts should be subject to Spanish VAT or not. We will try to provide here an overview of the Spanish approach to this situation.
First of all, we must remind that the term “intra-Community supply” refers to goods supplied by a business in one EU Member State to a business located in another EU Member State where the goods have been transported from the territory of one Member State to another as the result of such supply.
A VAT-registered trader in one State may apply the zero rate to the supply of goods to a business customer in another Member State if:
a. the customer is registered for VAT in another Member State
b. the customer’s VAT registration number is obtained and kept in the supplier’s records
c. this number, together with the supplier’s VAT registration number, is stated on the sales invoice, and
d. the goods are dispatched or transported to another Member State
So what is the Spanish approach on this matter and more specifically on supplies to commercial yachts?
Several recent rulings issued by the Spanish Directorate of Taxes determine the current trend and approach in Spain. Among these rulings, the following deserve special attention:
1. Binding ruling dated October 2015 which considered that the supply of spare parts to transport trucks owned by VAT registered business in other member states would be subject to Spanish VAT when the supply of such parts takes place in Spain.
2. Binding ruling dated February 2016 which considered that the supply of equipment to commercial yachts owned by VAT registered entities in other member states, when the supply of goods involves an installation or assembly of the equipment by the Spanish local supplier and such installation takes place in Spanish territory, the whole supply is subject to Spanish VAT.
In addition, a couple of court judgments are relevant to this matter:
3. Judgment STS 2978/2012 of the Spanish Supreme Court of Justice which consider that, in order to consider a supply of goods as an intra-community supply, the document declaring receipt of the goods by the acquirer must clearly state that the goods were actually delivered outside Spanish territory by means of a declaration or certification of the goods’ recipient.
4. Finally we consider that the ECJ Facet case is relevant, according to which intra-Community supply would imply that the associated intra-Community acquisition should be deemed to have been made in the Member State which issued the identification number. In other words the goods should have been actually delivered to the Member State where the customer is identified for VAT purposes.
The above resolutions determine the current jurisprudential trend in Spain. The intention to remove the goods from Spanish territory is not enough, but an effective shipping or exit of the goods from the Spanish territory at the time the supply takes place in Spain. Therefore, if this condition is not met instantaneously at the time the supply becomes effective, the whole supply should be subject to Spanish VAT.
For further information, please email our Spanish referent Mr. Alex Chumillas to alex@taxmarine.com or send your inquiry to info@yachtwelfare.it. We are always pleased to assist you and remain at your disposal.
Please find below a detailed update for 2017 released by our Croatian partner:
Part of our business is keeping up with the ever changing maritime laws and regulations in the region. So with the possibility of some important changes to charter tax potentially being instated this year, we’ve been keen to inform everyone in the industry. We were going to wait until the changes took effect before sending out this update, but after hearing conflicting information from many other people in the industry outside of the country, we decided to send it out early. It covers the main VAT regulations and charter activities in Croatia that are set to change this year. Of course, we will continue to release pertinent information as we learn more from the relevant authorities. The following are the changes we have been informed of that should come into force for the upcoming 2017 season.
VAT and Charter Regulation Changes for 2017:
1. VAT will be charged to all commercial yachts that start charters (embark guests) in 3rd countries, proportionate to the time spent in Croatia. For instance, if a yacht embarks guests in Montenegro and comes to Croatia for 6 days, charter guests will need to pay Croatian VAT for 6 days.
2. All non-EU flagged commercial yachts will be allowed to perform charters in Croatia, but will be required to obtain a charter license. There is no longer a limit on the yacht’s length in order to perform charters in Croatia. The license will be valid for the calendar year. The number of licenses issued might be limited based on the Croatian market supply situation. Please note from the above info, ALL non-EU flagged commercial yachts will be able to start charters in Croatia if they obtain a charter license and have a charter and VAT representative!
3. Commercial yacht owners and owning companies are allowed to perform charters in Croatia, either through charter companies / ship agents or if they open their own charter company in Croatia.
4. Commercial yacht owners and owning companies from the EU are NOT obliged to have a VAT and fiscal representative in Croatia, while yacht owning companies from non-EU countries ARE obliged to have a VAT and fiscal representative in Croatia.
5. Private yachts will still be able to embark and disembark their guests in Croatia regardless of flag. In cases where the owner and family members are not onboard, the Captain will have to have an authorized list of people with: 1) names of guests and, 2) length of time that these guests will spend on the yacht. This list of people will have to be authorized by the Captain’s signature and the yacht’s stamp.
6. VAT for charter activities in Croatia is still 13% for weekly charters and 25% for daily charters.
As soon as the administration finalizes and publishes the relevant information under points 1 and 2 above, we will inform you immediately. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time
Advice: if you are coming to Croatia this season and plan on having a busy charter season, you should start preparing NOW.
Thank you for your time and attention. All the best and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sanremo 1st March 2017.
Please find hereby the info just released by our French partner: As you are aware, it has been EASYTAX policy since July 15, 2013, when the VAT became applicable to charter hire in France, to include any Delivery/Re-delivery fees charged to the charterer into the taxable base. This approach was based on Article 267 of the French Tax Code, which considers Delivery/Re-delivery fees as an ancillary service to the main service. Therefore this ancillary service should be treated the same way tax-wise. Over the years, there has been some confusion within the industry on this matter, with various positions taken. As a result, several of our partners have asked that we seek confirmation from the French Tax Administration on this particular point – which we did.
Some time ago, we had requested for a legal ruling from the French Tax Administration Rules and Regulations Division (“Département de Legislation Française”) to confirm the taxable regime to be applied to Delivery/Re-delivery fees. Recently, we received the ruling (Ref. D2B/1500014757D) that confirmed that such fees – regardless if they are just fuel &/or “a time package” – charged in order to put a vessel at the charterer’s disposal, EITHER before the charter from one port to another OR after the charter to reposition the vessel, are indeed constitutive of an ancillary service to the main service, and therefore are taxable under the same condition.
To quickly summarize: DELIVERY/REDELIVERY FEES ARE TAXABLE IN FRANCE
1. If the charter fees are taxed at 20% French VAT, the delivery/re-delivery fees are taxed at 20%
2. If the charter fees are taxed at 20% French VAT on 50% of the charter fees, the delivery/re-delivery fees are taxed at 20% French VAT on 50%.
For any additional info please call or email us to info@yachtwelfare.it or chartermcf@easytax.fr.
We remain at your disposal for any clarifications or questions.