Many skippers and crew receive cash payments for their deliveries.
This can have a big impact on fiscal and legal responsibilities, not only for the skipper and crew, but also for the customer.
In the EU and the US, tax authorities and banks asking more and more questions about payments and payment transfers to individuals. Certainly when it comes to international payments.
Everybody is subject to pay taxes and tax levels are very different depending on the skippers' residency.
In case the skipper owns a company, there should not be a problem but all depends on the stipulations in contract between parties.
In case the skipper acts in his/her own name, often the skipper will be seen by the tax authorities as employed by the customer. And the customer becomes liable for payments for social security.
In case the customer hires the skipper and pays the skipper based on expenses, this waives the responsibility of the skipper and his liability. Unless the payments are a few 100 $ or €, the payment to the skipper will still be seen as a taxable income.
The fees delivery skippers get paid are one of the lowest in the market. With an average of 150 £ or €, this makes a pay/hour even much lower than any low qualified person makes in the EU, UK or US.
And this with a huge responsibility, intense work and expensive training and qualification procedures.
If that skipper needs to pay taxes between 40 % and 50% on that skipper fee, not many delivery skippers will still be in the yachting business.
It all comes about liability. As well for the customer as for the skipper and crew.
Therefor we apply within our organisation strict procedures regarding hiring and contracts between skipper, crew and customer.
That is also why we pay our skippers more than industry standards and we support our skippers to set-up a legal framework which is fully compliant with local tax legislation.
This tax and legal framework will save the skipper a lot of money and worries.
More information how we are organized and pay our skippers will be responded by email