Nicolle Associates in association HM Revenue & Customs and ABYA operate an approved Customs Warehouse for Sailing Yachts and Motor Boats at their Hamble Point Marina yacht brokerage so that if required boats that are VAT unpaid may be imported to the EU Tax Zone and offered for sale without paying VAT up-front.

Boats further away in places like the Caribbean now have a real opportunity get access to a much larger market by coming to Europe to be sold.

Unless your boat is VAT paid it cannot normally be offered for sale unless it is lying outside the EU Tax Zone, however with the benefit of the Nicolle Associates Customs Warehousing Scheme clients can now offer their boat ashore or afloat on the south cost of the UK, just 70 miles from London and close to international airports without having to first pay VAT on import.

This means that when the boat is sold, if it stays in the EU Tax Zone the VAT becomes payable on the sale price, and if it goes back out of the EU Tax Zone the VAT is not payable. In either case this represents significant savings for purchasers.

This scheme is particularly useful for clients from places like Russia, Norway, Guernsey, Jersey and the smaller Channel Islands etc. which are outside the EU Tax zone, where those clients would benefit from having their boats seen by more prospects in turn delivering best value and shorter selling times.

Boats further away in places like the Caribbean now have a real opportunity get access to a much larger market by coming to Europe to be sold.

To be admitted into the scheme a boat must have a minimum marketing value of £80,000. The boat is imported in the usual way, using a shipping agent, and the Customs form completed with the necessary details.

In addition to viewings by prospective purchasers, maintenance and remedial work can be done and boats may be taken to boat shows and for sea trials.

This scheme is particularly useful for clients from places like Russia, Norway, Guernsey, Jersey and the smaller Channel Islands etc. which are outside the EU Tax zone

The Nicolle Associates Customs Warehousing Scheme is not available for visitors to Europe who want to use their vessels or for re-fits, or other major works where if required either Temporary Import or Inward Processing Relief may be arranged under other EU wide schemes.