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Legal & Finance
As of the 1st of September 2017 in the UK, HMRC started receiving details of bank accounts, trusts and holdings as a result of the Common Reporting Standard. So if you've just finished a busy çharter season and you haven't yet dec...
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The French social security decree (No 2017-307 of 9 March 2017) has been a hot topic for much of 2017. The implementation has not been smooth, creating confusion, uncertainty, alienating French and non-EU crew and resulting in a s...
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Back in the day of Henry VIII, life aboard a naval warship was akin to being in prison with the added danger of being cannonballed, drowned or killed by primitive medical care. Thankfully conditions have improved and these days yo...
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For a yacht to be in free circulation within the EU it has to have been supplied in the EU, imported into the EU or grandfathered in by way of VAT exemption on age. If your yacht was supplied in the EU as a domestic supply with VA...
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It's Groundhog Day... you save and you spend. You save and you spend. The cycle never stops. You're a hamster on a treadmill - spinning away, yet standing still. Don't get me wrong, yachting is a lot of fun, and there are far wors...
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Eventually the time comes for all yacht crew to address their tax situation and to accept that this is inevitability, not a choice. There are still so few UK/EU resident crew who are aware of the existence of SED, or that taking a...
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Following news of changes to the French Social Security system, for many yacht crew the implications remain clear as mud. Having scrutinized every point, John Cook cuts through the confusion to summarize exactly what you need to k...
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In the words of David Crosby ‘You got to speak out against the madness, you got to speak your mind if you dare’. The yachting community definitely spoke its mind yesterday evening in response to the French Decree (Décret no.2017-3...
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Following the announcement on 9 March regarding upcoming changes to French Social Security Laws, Marine Accounts has received numerous questions from concerned seafarers about how these changes will affect them. Here's a quick ref...
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The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has now published MIN 543 (M): Sea Service Verification on Large Yachts, outlining revised arrangements for the verification of Sea Service Testimonials (SST) for seafarers working on large y...
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While the USA and Canada hold bilateral social security treaties with France, Australia and New Zealand do not. So what are the implications for AUS and NZ yacht crew when new French social security laws come into force on 1 July ...
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Does your hull insurance cover towing and salvage costs? In the event, a salvor may be a professional salvage company or the captain of a commercial yacht and, if successful, they are entitled to charge a fee. What many people don...
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Many UK yacht crew are aware that they can file tax returns under the Seafarers Earnings Deduction (SED) and claim 100% tax relief on their income from yachting. What many crew may not know is that once you become a UK tax residen...
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France has now brought its social security laws in line with the mandatory requirements of MLC 2006 with Decree no 2017-307 which comes into force on 1 July 2017. Together
with a major law firm, Lesia Group has studied the Decree... Read More
with a major law firm, Lesia Group has studied the Decree... Read More
Many of you will have come across Facebook posts concerning crew who have received bad financial advice. Sadly, in all too many cases, they have lost some or all of the funds they invested. When you consider the time and hard work...
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Dayworkers are always a contentious point with regards to insurance. All too often, no employment contracts are signed and in the event of a claim, the process becomes complicated in trying to prove whether the owner is liable for...
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The New Zealand Inland Revenue Department is trying to remove any grey areas from their residency laws to produce a working model that is clear and easy to understand. However, to comply with the 183 and 325 day rules there are so...
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If you are working on a yacht and banking offshore, the likelihood is that you have received, or will receive, a letter entitled CRS/ FATCA concerning your tax residency. It's important that you respond to avoid risk of your accou...
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When it comes to understanding tax liabilities, many yacht crew still believe that they don't need to declare their income. Even if you bank offshore, are non-resident, are not resident anywhere, spend less than 183 days anywhere ...
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Withholding tax of up to 33% is being applied to charters in some EU countries and yacht owners may need to consider restructuring arrangements to avoid being caught out. Yacht ownership established in territories such as Cayman, ...
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Choosing a yacht ownership structure has never been a simple matter but, with recent changes in legislation, a minefield of tax laws and fierce competition, along comes Brexit to really shake things up. According to Bruce Maltwood...
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Yachting has always been viewed as a grey area when it comes to taxation and most crew have only declared their income if their native land recognizes them as exempt. Sadly
with new banking transparency and reporting regulations ... Read More
with new banking transparency and reporting regulations ... Read More
The phone rings and it's your soon-to-be new captain telling you that you got the job! In most cases, your employment contract is the last thing on your mind when you accept. However, whether you will work on an MLC compliant vess...
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Having heard some of the stories on social media of late, there is still some confusion around the requirements for yacht crew employment contracts. Clarification can be found in the MCA's Guidance Note, MGN 474 (M), which outline...
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Since the implementation of MLC 2006 there has been uncertainty among yacht crew agents operating in France, specifically in regard to Regulation 1.4 Recruitment and Placement. The PYA MLC work group sought clarification and has i...
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The sun is shining on the Balearics in the form of new legislation set to simplify and streamline procedures for superyachts wishing to charter in these Spanish waters. After the partial lifting of the Spanish Matriculation Tax i...
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Reports have been circulating about a number of yachts in French waters having been stopped by the Gendarmerie Maritime for not having lights fitted to the buoyancy aids used by guests operating personal watercraft (PWCs).
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Whether you are career crew or just passing through, it's important to make informed financial decisions early on in your career as this will affect your financial options later on, particularly when it comes to investments and bu...
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The Croatian government has announced a new regulation requiring superyachts above 45m cruising in Croatian territorial waters to appoint a local agent. This is an extension of EU Directive 2002/59/EC, which used to apply only to...
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With uncertainty comes opportunity, and yacht crew will already be reaping the benefits of a weaker Pound if they are paid in Euros or Dollars. For anyone wanting to enter the property market there is also further good news as the...
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