Alan de Enfield

This is allegedly one of the companies that has misled / misinformed (lied to ?) customers and has resulted in the buyer coming under an HMRC investigation and becoming liable for huge amounts of cash (£20k) being demanded to b paid 'that day'. Ask any supplier of a widebeam to provide you with HMRC accepted calculation that show it meets the criteria - alternatively 1) Work on the basis that any widebeam is subject to VAT at the standard rate (20%) 2) Enure that any sales contract does not pass on the VAT liability to the buye in the event that HMRCE decide it is not compliant. 3) Keep £20k available for instant payment to the VAT man if he calls. 4) Have boat custom built that has the 'extra-high' gunwhales that will allow it to comply, and get a certificate of compliance. This may help (from the 'Fit Out Pontoon' website: The HMRC formula for calculating gross tonnage for vessels of less than 24m in length is as follows. L (m) x B (m) x D (m) x 0.16 (see below for HMRC definitions of L,B & D) HMRC then go on to specifically define the D measurement for canal boats and this is measured from under the top of what we know as the gunwale to the base plate. As an interesting example, take ‘Panache’ the widebeam boat featured on our build diary of a huge 69’ long (L) x 11" beam (B) with a height of 46” (D). Let's work out the calculation by first converting the imperial measurements to metric so we have: 21.03m x 3.35m x 1.16m = 81.35 x 0.16 = 13.01 gross tons… Not a qualifying vessel. So heres the interesting part in order to get a boat even of this size to qualify the standard (D) measurement would need another 190mm adding giving a (D) measurement of 1.35m. See the revised calculation below: (21.03m x 3.35m x 1.35) = 95.10 multiplied by 0.16 = 15.21 gross tons, a qualifying ship. So here's the bottom line: Provided that the boat is not designed or adapted for recreation or pleasure at the time you buy it and so long as the gross tonnage (L x W x D (from the underside of the back deck, or gunwale if no back deck) x 0.16) works out to be not less than 15 tons the supply of the boat is zero-rated so no VAT. Simple! Many boat builders are now offering specially designed wide beam craft with higher gunwales that give live-aboard boaters the opportunity for VAT savings. Misconceptions regarding VAT exempt vessels & residential usage: There is no legal requirement that a VAT-free vessel be designed as or even used as a residence. Any conditions in HMRC’s Notice 744C (‘Ships, aircraft and associated supplies’) which go further than the statutory provisions are of no legal force. There is no legal justification for imposing an additional condition of permanent residential use.

You do know that the licence is not transferable don't you ? Well the current owner will need to cancel the licence PDQ - ie before the end of this month, if he cancels it on (say) 1/7/17 then it will be cancelled effectively, from end of July and he will receive back one months 'refund' less than he would have done if he cancelled it on the 30/6/17. Similarly, if you licence it before 30/6/17 to take effect 1/7/17 then you will get the 'early payment' discount - if you licence it on or after 1/7/17 then you will pay full price and the effective date is backdated to 1/7/17 (even if you were to licence it 30th July) If you phone C&RT to licence it on or before 30/6/17 then MAKE SURE they understand you want it licenced w/e from 1/7/17 - they will try and backdate it to 1/6/17 and not pay you your discount (don't ask how I know this !!!) Hope you follow all of that.

Thank you. We need to ensure that any information provided to 'newbies' is both relevant and factual. There are enough 'internet rumours' without adding to them.

NO NO NO. Don't start hares running. There are very very very few 'widebeams' that will actually legally comply with the VAT regulations, and some 'devious' manufacturers actually include a clause in the contract that if HMRCE decide subsequently that the boat is to be subject to VAT, then the buyer - not the manufacturer - is legally liable. In at least one known case the buyer had to find the VAT payment and only given 'days' to pay it as it was (technically) overdue. The application of zero-rated VAT requires meeting several criteria - one of which is 'GROSS TONNAGE' of at least 15 Tonnes. THIS IS NOT THE WEIGHT OF THE BOAT It is a mathematical calculation based on the dimensional rating of Merchant Ships.

I seem to keep getting emails about those (and Russian Ladies)

So - are you changing the name to 'A Lady For All Seasons' ?

What did you expect ? A boats name is often related to some feature or quirk of its personality

I would have thought Aluminium was a far better conductor than steel which is why it is used for cables - particularly HV Overhead lines. As electricity is actually 'conducted' using the surface of the cable conductors, then aluminium offers a lower weight for a higher cross sectional area - and in fact many power cables (aluminium) have sectorial - or 'shaped' conductors to maximise the surface area. A company I had dealings with in the '80s (called AWCO - Aluminium Wire & Cable Company) were leaders in this field.

Don't forget 'materials'.

BUT Ensure your builder / joiner does not intend to use a spirit level to get things 'straight'. Boats 'move' side to side and front to back - a full water tank (at the front) will make the front dip down, whilst a fuel fuel tank (at the rear) will make the rear end dip. A couple of people on one side and guess what happens ? All fittings should be installed 'using the Mk1 Eyeball' Eg : You need the water to run out of the sink so build it so it does - and it may have little relationship to the 'levelness of the floor' (boats tend to slope uphill towards the front - that's the pointy-bit)

"That's the way to do it" !!!!!

But with careful IHT planning (and reviewed every year to ensure compliance with the current regs) IHT can be drastically reduced unless you are above the million pound mark. From April 5, each individual can claim an additional allowance of £100,000 to offset the sale of a family home on death, on top of their existing £325,000 inheritance tax exemption. This new tax allowance will rise to £175,000 by 2020, allowing a couple to pass on £1m estates tax-free. Eit fr missing ltters

Unless my eyes are failing more than I thought - the left hand side (in the picture) master-switch doesn't appear to have anything coming 'off it' and appears to be acting solely as a busbar between the battery, the split charge relay (??) and the 'thin-wire'

I do not know the specifics - just the 'rules'. Maybe MtB would be prepared to list the differences. I do know that a BSS surveyor/inspector who 'does' many liveaboard boats in our Marina tells owners not to be there when he does the visits, as if they are not there then they are not liveaboards and he cannot test liveaboard boats as he is not registered. From the BSS Examiner notes "Guidance for Conducting Examinations" : Information received from boat owners and examiners has prompted another reminder for non-Gas Safe registered examiners about your need to keep on the right side of the law. Boats used for residential purposes as well as hire boats and floating businesses (such as cafés or shops) all fall within scope of the Gas Safety [installation and Use] Regulations (GSIUR) and as such any LPG 'work' must be undertaken by Gas Safe registered installers. As the definition of 'work' covers the removal and replacement of a screw nipple on a gas tightness test point, so this can include carrying out BSS tightness test in Part 7 of the checking procedures. Make no mistake, people who are prosecuted and found guilty of contravening the GSIUR, can face fines of up to £5000 for each offence or even jail terms for very serious breaches. The HSE and local authorities are active in pursuing people not complying with the regulations, especially where hazards have arisen. Any examiner who has been found by the HSE not to have complied with GSIUR and thus also failed to follow the BSS Manager’s guidance in this matter may also have their future authorisation as an Examiner reviewed. If you are not Gas Safe registered, as part of your initial dealings with owners when booking the examination, please try to protect yourself by tackling the issue in advance of turning up at the mooring. Ask if the boat has a gas system, then find out whether the boat's use will put it in scope. We suggest the following questions: Is the boat hired out in the course of a business (This may include timeshare/shared-ownership boats where there is letting involved in some of the timeslots)? Is the boat used primarily by anyone for domestic or residential purposes (In this matter, it makes no difference to you if it is owner-occupied or rented-out)? Do you invite people on board your boat in the course of a business, e.g. is it a café or shop? If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then in order to carry out the BSS gas tightness test you will either have to use a fitted bubble tester, or observe a Gas Safe registered installer carrying out the test with a manometer. Even if the answer to all the questions above is 'no', you are recommended to make a brief record that you have asked the questions and received the negative answers *NB. Remember that in the event the boat is a hire boat, third-party managed share-owned boat, trip boat, rented residential boat or floating business, you must also have been trained and assessed to the 2002 BSS requirements.

Indeed, and ideally you want it to have as high a value when gifted as possible, to ensure that if the value does rise you still have no CGT liability. If you buy it for £1 and sell it for £30,001 you potentially (if in fact it is subject to CGT - speak to your accountant) have a liability of CGT on £30,000