The Congress approves the elimination of the matriculation tax on recreational yachts destined for charter

The companies dedicated to charter and nautical tourism can start planning their 2014 season with the new fiscal situation in mind, which no doubt will help create jobs and wellbeing, consolidating the supply of quality services for the nautical tourism.

- The law will come into force next week, after it is published in the BOE (Official State Bulletin).

- The nautical sector, represented by ANEN, AENIB, AEGY, MYBA and with the help of Direction General of the Merchant Navy, have thus reached one of their main objectives for industrial and entrepreneurial growth.

- This measure does justice to the nautical charter activity, as it matches the fiscal treatment of the recreational charter yachts to the one applied to rental cars. From now on, the recreational charter yachts and sea schools are levied only the VAT of 21%.

- The sea schools don´t need to pay the matriculation tax for their boats anymore either.

The approval yesterday in the Spanish Congress of the Draft of Law in which determined measures for the environmental taxation are established and other fiscal and financial measures adopted (621/000047), means a big step for the nautical industry in our country, as it includes the elimination of the matriculation tax that is levied on the first definite registration of recreational or sports boats over 15 m, new or second hand, destined exclusively for the charter activity or sea schools. The tax is an unfair and discriminating burden on entrepreneurial activity, applied only in our country.

This measure comes about after years of battle by the nautical sector, which, represented by the national Association of the Nautical Enterprises (ANEN), has defended its role as an industrial and entrepreneurial sector towards the various public administrations and business organizations. 

The industrial sector of the recreational yachting is one of the motors of growth and competitiveness, as much by its own activity as its capacity to promote the nautical tourism. The corresponding sectors in EU, like the Italian and French ones, have demonstrated this clearly. This is the reality that, after years of work by ANEN to sensitize the corresponding administrations, our decision makers are finally starting to understand.

A resolution by the European Commission stated the disproportionality of the Spanish matriculation tax applied on the recreational boats, given that it violated the free movement of goods and services.

Against the approximate 107.400 direct and indirect jobs, and the 5.690 million euros of Gross Valued Added that the recreational yachting contributes to the Spanish economy, in Italy the number of employed in the sector is over 669.200, in France 343.350 and in the UK 266.100. These numbers are a result of fiscal policies that don´t penalize the sector.