Sen. Kerry - Do You Know Who I Am!?

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

Sen. John Kerry skips town on sails tax

By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa

Sen. John Kerry, who has repeatedly voted to raise taxes while in Congress, dodged a whopping six-figure state tax bill on his new multimillion-dollar yacht by mooring her in Newport, R.I.

Isabel - Kerry’s luxe, 76-foot New Zealand-built Friendship sloop with an Edwardian-style, glossy varnished teak interior, two VIP main cabins and a pilothouse fitted with a wet bar and cold wine storage - was designed by Rhode Island boat designer Ted Fontaine.

But instead of berthing the vessel in Nantucket, where the senator summers with the missus, Teresa Heinz, Isabel’s hailing port is listed as “Newport” on her stern.

Could the reason be that the Ocean State repealed its Boat Sales and Use Tax back in 1993, making the tiny state to the south a haven - like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Nassau - for tax-skirting luxury yacht owners?

Cash-strapped Massachusetts still collects a 6.25 percent sales tax and an annual excise tax on yachts. Sources say Isabel sold for something in the neighborhood of $7 million, meaning Kerry saved approximately $437,500 in sales tax and an annual excise tax of about $70,000.

The senior senator’s chief of staff David Wade denied the old salt was berthing his boat out of state to avoid ponying up to the commonwealth.

“The boat was designed by and purchased from a company in Rhode Island, and it’s based in Newport at the Newport Shipyard for long-term maintenance, upkeep and charter purposes, not tax reasons,” Wade told the Track.

And state Department of Revenue spokesguy Bob Bliss confirmed the senator “is under no obligation to pay the commonwealth sales tax.”

But back in 2006, then-gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos took some flack for avoiding some $23,000 in Bay State sales tax and $1,320 in local excise taxes by berthing his motor yacht in Rhode Island. But Mihos paid just $475,000 for his 36-foot vessel Ashley and readily admitted that he used the boat at his West Yarmouth summer home.

However, according to Bliss, if Kerry berths the Isabel in Massachusetts waters within six months of purchasing the boat, there’s a “presumption of use” and the Heinz-Kerrys would have to walk the plank and pony up to the Bay State. After six months, should the boat change its berth to, say, Nantucket, then it’s up to the state to go after them for the taxes, Bliss added.

Yesterday, the Isabel, which lists Great Point LLC of Pittsburgh, Penn., as its owner, was getting a spruce-up at the Hinckley shipyard in Portsmouth, R.I. Sources say the senior senator is demanding that some warranty work be done.

Fontaine, a protege of legendary sailboat designer Ted Hood, was tight-lipped about the owners of Isabel but he did confirm the boat was built in New Zealand. According to Internet reports, Kerry was seen in Whangarei last December inspecting his new high-seas plaything.

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[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

APNewsBreak: Kerry to pay Mass. tax on yacht

Sen. John Kerry has told the Massachusetts Department of Revenue he will pay taxes to Massachusetts on his new $7 million yacht even though the vessel is based in tax-free Rhode Island.

By GLEN JOHNSON

BOSTON —

Sen. John Kerry has told the Massachusetts Department of Revenue he will pay taxes to Massachusetts on his new $7 million yacht even though the vessel is based in tax-free Rhode Island.

In a statement Tuesday to The Associated Press, the Democrat said, "The payment is being made promptly."

The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee has been dogged by charges of tax evasion since last week, when the Boston Herald first reported about his decision to dock the 76-foot sloop Isabel in Newport, R.I. Doing so spared Kerry a $437,500 one-times sales tax charge in Massachusetts, as well as about $70,000 in annual excise taxes.

In his statement, Kerry says, "Whether owed or not, we intend to pay the equivalent taxes as if the boat's home-port were currently in Massachusetts."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BOSTON (AP) - Sen. John Kerry has told the Massachusetts Department of Revenue he will pay taxes to Massachusetts on his new $7 million yacht even though the vessel is based in tax-free Rhode Island.

In a statement Tuesday to The Associated Press, the Democrat said, "The payment is being made promptly."

The 2008 Democratic presidential nominee has been dogged by charges of tax evasion since last week, when the Boston Herald first reported about his decision to dock the 76-foot sloop Isabel in Newport, R.I. Doing so spared Kerry a $437,500 one-times sales tax charge in Massachusetts, as well as about $70,000 in annual excise taxes.

In his statement, Kerry says, "Whether owed or not, we intend to pay the equivalent taxes as if the boat's home-port were currently in Massachusetts."

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/hilarious.gif.02a037aad04aa96f19982b298a3d70a8.gif

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

Not after being outed, no. He's payin' up.

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

He tried tho. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

I guess journalism is not dead, at least not at the Boston Herald. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

It was pretty amusing tho.

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

No, he was outed because he is the senior senator from MA, maintains his primary residence in MA, has a berth on Nantucket Island (MA) and chose to berth his new 7 million yacht in RI in an attempt to dodge $500K in taxes.

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

Also, based on the following from the original article:

"However, according to Bliss, if Kerry berths the Isabel in Massachusetts waters within six months of purchasing the boat, there’s a “presumption of use” and the Heinz-Kerrys would have to walk the plank and pony up to the Bay State. After six months, should the boat change its berth to, say, Nantucket, then it’s up to the state to go after them for the taxes, Bliss added."

There be numerous reports that the new yacht has been seen all over marinas in the Commonwealth of MA. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

Anyways, Ms. Heinz is gonna be very mad she has to pony up $500K for her hubby's attempted tax scam. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/hilarious.gif.02a037aad04aa96f19982b298a3d70a8.gif

Dats a lot of bottles of ketchup. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

My parents' yachet says Hawaii and they have never sailed it there bro. They've never been north of Florida with it.

yacht

You're welcome. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wave.gif.002382ce7d7c19757ab945cc69819de1.gif

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

For?

yachet yacht