Charter Advice

Yacht Charter Tax by Country: Who Charges What

Figures checked October 12, 2026

Charter tax is set by the country you embark in, not by the flag the yacht flies. This page lists the rate each country charges on the charter fee, and the countries that charge nothing at all.

Which Country Charges It

The tax is charged once, on the charter fee, by the country the charter begins in. A charter that starts in one country and finishes in another is taxed where it started, and the flag the yacht flies makes no difference to it.

Rates by Country

We hold charter tax rates for 72 countries. 43 of them levy a tax on the charter fee and 29 levy none.

Country	Charge	Rate	Notes
Alaska	Charter tax	None	US state; no state sales tax on yacht charters
Anguilla	Charter tax	None	No VAT applies to yacht charters
Antigua and Barbuda	Charter tax	None	Caribbean; no VAT on yacht charters
Aruba	Charter tax	None	Charter fees typically include all local taxes
Australia	GST	10%	10% Goods & Services Tax on domestic charters
Bahamas	VAT + Port tax	14%	10% VAT + 4% harbour tax = 14% total
Bahrain	VAT	10%	Standard 10% VAT
Barbados	Charter tax	None	No VAT on yacht charters; rates typically inclusive
Belize	VAT	9%	Applied to fees for Belize origins
Bermuda	Charter tax	None	No VAT in Bermuda
Bonaire	Charter tax	None	Part of Caribbean Netherlands; minimal charter taxation
British Virgin Islands	Charter tax	None	No VAT in BVI; cruising permit fees apply
Cayman Islands	Charter tax	None	No VAT or income tax
Costa Rica	IVA or special rate	2.5%	Special 2.5% charter fee, or the standard 13% IVA, depending on the yacht’s licensing and commercial classification, and whether it’s a superyacht charter or a general day rental.
Croatia	VAT	13%	13% reduced VAT rate for yacht charters (standard rate 25%)
Cuba	Charter tax	None	Limited charter market; taxation handled locally
Curacao	Charter tax	None	No VAT on yacht charters
Cyprus	VAT	19%	Applies to all charters in Cypriot waters
Ecuador	Charter tax	None	Galapagos charters typically rate-inclusive
Egypt	VAT	14%	14% VAT
Fiji	VAT	5%	5% VAT rate for most luxury and superyacht charters
France	TVA	20%	20% TVA; may reduce if charter spends time outside EU waters
French Polynesia	VAT	5%	A 5% local Polynesian tax/VAT is standard on yacht charter rates
Galapagos	Charter tax	None	Part of Ecuador; charter rates typically inclusive of park fees
Greece	VAT	12%
Greenland	Charter tax	None	Greenland has no general VAT system
Grenada	Charter tax	None	No VAT on yacht charters
Grenadines	Charter tax	None	Part of St Vincent; no VAT on yacht charters
Guadeloupe	TVA	8.5%	8.5% reduced TVA as French overseas territory
Hawaii	GET	4.7%
Hong Kong	Charter tax	None	No VAT/GST in Hong Kong
Iceland	RSK	24%	24% standard VAT, locally known as RSK
Indonesia	PPN	12%	12% is applied to commercial charter base fees
Italy	IVA	22%	22% IVA; may reduce based on documented time outside EU waters
Japan	Consumption tax	10%	10% consumption tax
Kuwait	Charter tax	None	No VAT currently in Kuwait
Macau	Charter tax	None	No VAT/GST
Madagascar	TVA	20%	20% TVA
Malaysia	Charter tax	None
Maldives	T-GST	17%	17% Tourism GST ; plus green tax ~$6/person/night
Malta	VAT	12%	12% standard VAT
Martinique	TVA	8.5%	8.5% reduced TVA as French overseas territory
Mauritius	VAT	15%	15% VAT; luxury charter operators often include in rate
Mexico	IVA	16%	Standard VAT (IVA)
Monaco	TVA	20%	20% TVA (applies French tax regime)
Montenegro	Charter tax	None	No VAT on yacht charters; standard country VAT is 21% but charter exemption applies.
Myanmar	VAT	7%	7% levied on the base charter fee
New Caledonia	TGC	6%	TGC (Taxe Générale sur la Consommation)
New Zealand	GST	15%	15% GST on domestic charters
Norway	VAT	25%	25% across the board for all base fees, provisions, and yacht-related services.
Oman	VAT	5%	Standard 5% Value Added Tax (VAT)
Panama	ITBMS	7%	7% Impuesto de Transferencia de Bienes Muebles y Servicios
Philippines	VAT	12%	Standard 12% Value Added Tax (VAT)
Puerto Rico	Charter tax	None	US territory; no specific yacht charter VAT
Qatar	Charter tax	None	No VAT currently in Qatar
Saudi Arabia	VAT	15%	Standard Value Added Tax
Seychelles	VAT	15%	15% VAT; some operators include in rate
Singapore	GST	9%	Standard 9% Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Slovenia	VAT	22%	standard 22% VAT
Spain	IVA	21%	21% IVA; Balearic Islands same rate; Canary Islands 7% IGIC
St Barths	Charter tax	None	Collectivity status; no VAT on yacht charters
St Kitts and Nevis	Charter tax	None	No VAT on yacht charters
St Lucia	Charter tax	None	No VAT on yacht charters
St Martin	Charter tax	None	No VAT on yacht charters (Dutch/French sides)
St Vincent	Charter tax	None	No VAT on yacht charters
Tanzania	VAT	15%	Mainland Tanzania levies a 18% standard VAT; Zanzibar operates under its own distinct fiscal framework where the local VAT rate is 15%.
Thailand	VAT	7%	7% VAT; foreign-flagged superyachts may qualify for exemption on hull value
Turkey	KDV	20%	20% KDV for Turkish-flagged vessels; Foreign-flagged commercial yachts may be subject to different local treatment or cruising taxes.
Turks and Caicos	VAT	12%	12% VAT
USA	Sales tax	7%	Varies by state: Florida ~7%, no federal yacht charter tax
USVI	Charter tax	None	No VAT in US Virgin Islands
United Arab Emirates	VAT	5%	5% VAT

This table is our own reference data, kept per country and updated as rates change. It is a guide rather than tax advice, and the rate that applies to your charter is the one confirmed on your quote.

Where the figures come from

Every figure on this page is read from the same nightly data our destination pages use. Nothing here is a market average or a rule of thumb, and where a destination publishes no figure it is left out rather than filled in.

How charter pricing works, in full →

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