Went on-line to renew my boat tabs (just the boat, not the trailer)

Filing fee
Goes to county in which fee is paid.
$3.00

License fee
For general state programs & city/county marine patrols.
$10.50

Watercraft excise tax
Funds general state programs.
$257.00

JAY EFF SEE! $257 ! ! ! !

License service fee
Supports licensing services systems.
$0.75

Derelict vessel/invasive species removal
For removal of derelict vessels and aquatic invasive species.
$6.00

….

Registration of boats and implementation of the excise tax has clarified the taxation of pleasure boats and resulted in uniform treatment of all boat owners throughout the state.


JEEBUS!

Let's not confuse fees with taxes. In this case the total bite is $277.25 out of which $257.00 is a tax which goes to the general fund. Right? That makes the tax bite 92.7% of the total.

Personally, I'd rather pay for specific activities on a fee basis than taxes because fee money (dedicated accounts) are supposed to be spent for the designated purpose - unless the legislature decides to raid the dedicated account(s) which they have done with the RCO account the last several budget rounds to the tune of millions of $ which should have been spent on boating infrastructure IAW the law as generated via initiative.

Now, as to the assertion that we would somehow pay less overall under a system including an income tax I have to disagree. The legislature will get its money one way or another - the difference arguably is which group of citizens pays less and which pays more than under the current system.

Hmmm, that reminds me, I haven't ordered my new boat tabs yet. Better get on it. Thanks for the reminder Doc!

Charge more---Get less, typical Washington State

IIRC my boat tabs were $562 this year.

Had my sled built in 1984, total including the boat and trailer $87.00.
How can the state justify 500 bucks? Based on what? More people in the state? Well, then there are more tax revenues.
Sounds like another gouge on the user, and funds are being used in the wrong place!

We all need to pay our fair share. The guy who makes the tide go in and out has a family to feed.

my thought is that you should work extra hard this summer/fall to remove at least an additional $300 worth of hatchery salmon from the water to make up for the expensive tabs. that will make up for the high price of the tabs.... and i bet you'll be up for the challenge

Holy cow!

So if I decide to license my drift boat and put a trolling motor on it, I can look for to the same "opportunity" to pay that?

Is this a flat rate or varies by boat size? I know I could look it up, just too lazy at the moment.

Mine were over $600 for the first five years....after that they start to go down every year a bit. At least you use your boat in this state. My boat spends 99% of its time in Canada.

laughable at best.

I'm with eyeFISH on this one. I believe the state figures if you can afford a new or newer boat, than you can afford to pay the higher taxes. When I bought my Alumaweld SuperVee new back in 2000 I had the same eye opening experience but as the years went by it finally was reduced and got more "reasonable" until I sold it a few years ago. Recently I bought a 1989 Almar Sled which I'm in the process of redoing and making pretty which should turn out quite nice when I'm done. Went on-line last night after reading eyeFish's post and total cost to license boat.....................$20.00 plus some change. Sometimes old is better than new.

No to income tax.......been tried lot's of times in this State. Bill Gates dad, tried to get a "income tax" on the rich........but many of the smart voters in this State saw that as "foot in the door".....and the way the tax winds blow in Olympia, wouldn't have been long until income tax was the accepted way.............grrrrrrrrrrr I think not!!!!!!!!

It isn't the expense of the tax that bothers me a tenth as much as the way it is grossly misspent.

For comparison:
Wyoming - Boat registration: $70, good for 3 years. Trailer: $7 per year.

For comparison:

Wyoming - sucks

Washington - doesn't suck






Agree with JTD. It isn't the taxes that rub people wrong - it's the way the money is pissed away that rubs people wrong.

Ahh the state of Washington and the never ending fees to live here! I said it before that when sh!t becomes of value, the people in Washington will be born without a$$holes! When I was still working, I crossed the 520 bridge 5 days a week and it cost me $120.00 a month. The first bridge was $0.35 per vihicle and $0.10 if therre were 2 or more. That's some serious inflation. If the money was spent in the right place it wouldn't piss me off so much!

Wyoming sucks? I guess it depends on if you have lived in Washington so long the moss covers your eyes. Lived here most of my life and my family came to the Chehalis Basin in the 1880's but this is not the best place to live by any means. Puget Sound used to be a great area until the massive growth so it is pretty much on the way to trashed. ( things natural that is ). What sucks is Washington weather West of the mountains on about any level.

Thanks for the reminder. I need to get my new tabs. They're a little cheaper for a boat from 1978.

Update: $25.25 or about 1% of the purchase price.

nothing personal doc but

What else sucks is when you go to the eye clinic to have cataracts repaired w/o insurance. Then one doesn't heal and the eye doc says no problem we can fix that with a laser and it is painless and only takes about 10min. His estimate was in the $800 range.............you should see his home.