Venezuela steps up surveillance, but no boat tax for visiting yachts

8:36 PM Sat 26 Sep 2009 GMT

'Los Roques Venezuela - so many great cruising spots' .

There have been rumours around for weeks, but situation for yachts wanting to cruise in Venezuelan waters now seems to be clarifying.

In recent weeks there has been a small flood of yachts, some of whom had been cruising Venezuelan waters for years, who upped anchors and left in alarm.

Causing the concern among these yachts already in Venezuelan waters and those intending to cruise there was the new boat tax of 1% of the boat's value to be charged to allow the boat to remain in Venezuela for a six month period.

According to reports being received from cruising forums in the area, it now emerges that it is foreign flagged yachts owned by Venezuelan citizens who are being targeted. Foreign boats belonging to foreign citizens cruising in Venezuela do not have to pay this new tax.

Venezuelan Seniat is after local yacht owners who evade import taxes - .. .

However, the Venezuelan Tax Office and Customs recently started inspections of boats to ensure that yachts owned by locals are imported and the import duties paid, and in so doing, they discovered some other irregularities among foreign owned boats by foreign citizens.

This has resulted in stringent checks that current rules are being obeyed. Foreign boats owned by foreign citizens are allowed to stay in Venezuela for a maximum of 18 months, having their cruising permit renewed every six months. These regulations were being flouted or misinterpreted by some yachts, and stolen yachts were discovered.

Customs has therefore decided that ALL foreign boats owned by foreign citizens should attend the local customs office and produce their required papers showing their ownership of the boat, their current cruising permit, evidence of their last arrival, and their passports. Until this is carried out a sticker is placed on the visiting yacht showing that they have not completed this requirement.

The situation has caused much unrest and annoyance among visiting yachts, who resent having to produce their papers again.

The Venezuelan coastline has long been a popular cruising grounds for those looking for something apart from the showy glitz of most of the Caribbean. As well as the beauty of its coastline, its offshore islands - Las Aves, Los Roques, Isla la Orchilla and la Blanquilla which lie in a chain parallel to the coast, are of great natural beauty, with extensive coral reefs and hundreds of species of fish.

by Glen Tuttle/Sail-World Cruising

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Venezuela steps up surveillance, but no boat tax for visiting yachts

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