Steps to Use a Montana LLC to Buy a Yacht or Boat Tax Free:
We operate here in Montana. More specifically, we’re in Flathead County, which is the main county in Montana that does not have an excise tax on titled property. We provide you the office address, registered agent services, and act as a liason with the state to register your boat and LLC. Your Montana LLC will be at our address, and your boat will be registered to our address.
Here’s the step by step process to purchase a boat without paying sales tax to Montana:
- Form a Montana Limited Liability Company (A Montana LLC).
- We will provide you the filed LLC papers, operating agreement, and resolutions documenting you, the members, sole authority to make decisions for the LLC.
- You now purchase the boat or yacht as the Montana LLC, and you’ll have the authority to act for the Montana LLC as the members.
- The boat dealer or you will mail us the boat’s title work. We’ll register your vehicle with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) immediately.
- Once we receive your registration and decal from the state, we will overnight these to you.
Long-term LLC Maintenance
To maintain your boat LLC long-term, you will need to keep your LLC active and you will need to display your boat decal.
- Registered Agent. Maintain a Montana registered agent to provide you a physical address in MT at all times. Our service is only $49 a year—our competitors often charge hundreds of dollars.
- Annual Report. Maintain your Montana LLC with the Secretary of State by filing an annual report. We file your annual report for you to ensure that your LLC remains compliant ($70 total, which includes the state filing fee).
- Boat Decal. When you first register, you will receive a registration card and a boat decal. The decal must be displayed on the port (left) side of the boat’s bow, as per Montana regulations. You must renew this decal every 3rd year. That means if you registered in 2020, then you would need to register for a new decal 2023, 2026, and so on. These decals can be obtained for free directly from the Montana FWP.
Montana Boat and Yacht FAQs
What it Costs to Form a Montana LLC for a Yacht or Boat?
For $1,049 total, we will form your Montana LLC the same day and complete the registration paperwork for your boat in Montana. Your information will not be listed in the public record with the Montana Secretary of State. The $1,049 total includes everything. All state fees and our service fees.
Why Can’t You Register a Boat That is Documented With the Coast Guard?
If you purchased a boat that has been or is currently registered with the Coast Guard, the State of Montana does not require new registration or titling in order for you to take it out on state waterways. All you need when taking your boat out is the Certificate of Documentation that shows it has been registered with the Coast Guard.
We have tried in the past to register these boats with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), but since it is not technically necessary for use of the boat, the FWP won’t do it.
What Will it Cost to Maintain a Boat or Yacht Registration in Montana?
Because boats are permanently registered in Montana, there will be no registration fee. Once you’ve registered, it’s a permanent registration. The only fees you will pay will be for maintaining your asset-holding LLC (which is the legal resident and owner of the boat or yacht). Here’s the cost of those:
- Registered Agent Fee. You’ll need a Montana registered agent with a real Montana address in order for your LLC to remain active. We include registered agent service for your first year, and we only charge $49 a year after that.
- Annual Report Fee. All LLCs must submit an annual report to the Montana Secretary of State in order to remain active. This fee is do every April 15th. We file your annual report for you to ensure that your LLC remains compliant ($70 total, which includes the state filing fee).
In total, that brings the cost to $119 per year to maintain your boat LLC.
How Do I Renew my Boat Registration?
Your boat registration is permanent! The only thing you need to renew with the Montana Department of FWP will be your boat decal every 3rd year (2023, 2026, 2029, and so on).
Decals can be obtained for free with the Montana Department of FWP.
What Are The Benefits of Using a Montana LLC to Own a Boat or Yacht?
- Anonymous. We file LLCs the right way. We keep your information off of the public record.
- Your boat registration is prominently displayed on your boat. There’s no need to have it in your personal name for anyone to look up.
- Start playing smart. The worlds richest don’t own things in their personal names. They personally control business entities that own assets.
- Data. How many times this year, will our personal identities get hacked and stolen. Having assets in your personal names, creates data trails of endless data that will get sold and sold and sold. Assigning asset profiles for you personally that will allow big marketers to target you with all kinds of endless offers. With putting a boat asset in a Montana LLC, you can start to control who knows what you own.
Why Is our Montana boat LLC different?
- We form your MT LLC without getting your personal names on record with the MT SOS.
- We register your boat or yacht with the Montana FWP without you having to sign documentation.
- We don’t charge you extra for any of this.
- You will never be sold a bunch of extra stuff you don’t need.
- We understand Montana LLCs. This is all we do.
- Every order is automatically processed the same day.
- Operating agreement, resolutions, membership certificates. It’s all there. We don’t charge extra.
- Commercial Montana LLC address. Don’t get stuck with a residential home address for your boat LLC.
Will my personal name get on public records?
Not if you use our service. Almost all the other Montana Yacht LLC and Montana boat LLC services will not form your LLC properly or get the registration done properly to keep your personal names off of the record books.
I already bought the boat in my personal name. Can I still do this?
Yes, but you already bought something in your personal name and made a permanent personal record. We can often fix this for you, though. You’ll place an order for the LLC, and then overnight or courier all your purchase papers to us. We’ll have to draft a couple documents. We’ll email them to you, you sign them and mail them back to us, and we’ll work to get your boat or yacht registered in your new Montana LLC. This slows down the process by a couple days, but not that bad considering many people save tens of thousands of dollars in sales tax by registering in Montana.
So How Do You Get Started?
- Fill out the sign up form, pay, and we’ll call or email you with any questions.
- We’ll have your MT Boat LLC formed in one day.
- We’ll be emailing you instructions on how to handle buying a boat with your LLC.
- Get us the boat or yacht purchase papers.
- We register your boat with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
- Once we receive your registration and decal from the state, we will overnight these to you.
Additional Vehicle REgistration Services
