HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have announced a 6-month extension to the 1-year grace period previously put in place by the Government, following concerted representations from the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and British Marine.

Published 4 years ago

Both organisations had asked for a 3-year transition period, consistently pointing out to HMRC that the 1-year period of grace effective from 1 January 2021 in respect of the three-year condition for RGR was not sufficient. They have helped HMRC officials to understand the many factors that affect the repatriation of vessels, including, global pandemic travel restrictions, the Schengen area immigration restrictions, insurance restrictions and the length of sailing season.

Grace Period Extended to June 2022

This issue was central to a letter that RYA and British Marine sent to the Chief Executive of HMRC in February, urging him to take a holistic approach to addressing the post-Brexit issues impacting on recreational boat owners and the leisure marine industry. This announcement extends the grace period for RGR until 30 June 2022 for all goods including recreational craft, regardless of when they left the UK.

Howard Pridding, RYA Director of External Affairs, commented: “Following many months of dialogue with officials we welcome this news from HMRC. The extension of 30 June 2022 for boat owners to repatriate their vessels will allow many recreational boaters the opportunity to return to the UK without incurring additional VAT costs. The HMRC announcement is timely, as we have seen additional concerns from members about the new restrictions on leaving the UK announced this week.

Discussions to Continue

“We will continue our constructive dialogue with HMRC on all outstanding post-Brexit issues, including the repatriation of boats that have not been in the UK under their current ownership, and look forward to receiving a full response from the HMRC chief executive on the points that we have raised.”

Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine, said: “This collaborative work with the RYA shows that together we can better influence matters affecting the leisure marine sector and boaters. Whilst we requested and set out a strong case for a 3-year RGR transition period, the 6-month extension is welcomed. However, given the current restrictions on international travel, we hope HMRC will demonstrate flexibility to the extension to allow all UK boat owners to return their boats in a safe weather window. This flexibility would also be welcomed by UK boat retailers and brokers in order to keep fulfilling the rising demand for second-hand boats in the UK.”

If you are a RYA member and have any questions regarding this or any other current affair issues, please visit the RYA website or email: cruising@rya.org.uk. 

Related Links:

• Royal Yachting Association (RYA) – News and Events
  
• British Marine
  

Related News:

• UK Boat Owners Left Stranded in Europe due to Government Inaction (October 2020)
• Brexit: VAT on boats outside the UK – Urgent Update (CA 5 October 2020)
• Keeping your Yacht in Greece after Brexit: A Simplified View (June 2020)
• United Kingdom: The possible effects of a no deal Brexit (October 2019)
• UK – Brexit: RYA Holds Talks with Government Officials on Border Controls (July 2019)
• UK – Brexit: Confusion reigns for UK boats based in the EU (May 2019)
• What changes for British yachts sailing abroad, post Brexit? (November 2017)

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.