Stop the New York Luxury Tax on Boats

Stop the New York Luxury Tax on Boats

Time is Short; Act Now

The proposed five percent luxury tax on sales of boats costing more than $200,000 is fully alive in the New York Senate and Assembly. The Governor and the legislature did cut a deal this week to drop a number of taxes from the proposed 2009-10 budget, however the Luxury Tax on boats was not one of them.

NMMA has two lobbyists on the ground fighting against the tax. Likewise, the New York Marine Trades Association has its lobbyists working hard on your behalf. Yet, it is marine dealers like you who are our best hope for stopping this tax.

To make your voice heard, go to http://capwiz.com/nmma/issues/alert/?alertid=12903896

There are three steps to being as effective as you can be in protecting your business from this tax:

1. Scroll to the bottom of this page to send an email to your Senator, Assembly member, Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate President. BE SURE TO ADD YOUR BUSINESS NAME AND MTA AFFILIATE WITHIN THE PARENTHESES IN THE BODY OF THE LETTER

2. Call your Senator and Assembly member. Talk to them directly about the damage this tax will have on your business at a time when floor-plan credit is shaky at best, sales are down 40% or more, and you have had to cut jobs and personnel just to stay in business.

3. Call and leave messages with the Speaker and Senate President. You are unlikely to be able to talk to them directly, but leaving a message is more effective than you might imagine. This is, to a certain extent, a numbers game. The more objections that legislators receive, the more effective we will be.

There is little time left before the Assembly and Senate pass their separate budget proposals and the horse trading begins with the Governor. Please act as soon possible.