Dear Fellow NYBA Members,
As the chair of the Government Affairs Committee, it has been a busy 7 days since the news broke about the proposed Luxury Tax. Both Paul and I have been receiving an overwhelming response from our membership regarding the SB5801 - Luxury Tax. As an association that works and advocates for you and the membership, we are taking ALL recommendations and comments with the utmost care, consideration and action. The ideas and connections that have been put forth by all of you have been very heartfelt & meaningful, which reminds us of why we belong to the Northwest Yacht Brokers Association.
Since Monday's update, Governor Ferguson stated yesterday he will not sign either bill that includes wealth taxes. At this point, it is very unclear if that includes the luxury tax & we continue to seek clarification. With that said, this issue is very much alive and ongoing. Our association has reached out to many news publications, radio stations, social media platforms and other organizations to gain as much traction as possible. I have personally been speaking with David Campbell, the current President of the British Columbia Yacht Brokers Association. We have had great conversations about their current luxury tax and the devastating impact it has taken on their boating industry. It has been a great advantage to strategize and exchange ideas with an organization whom is currently living through a disaster similar to what is being proposed on our State. We continue to seek out collaborations and strategies collectively with other organizations daily. Our Industry has a voice, and it is being heard!
This includes the following:
PRINT/ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
- 48 North
- Pacific Yachting
- Soundings Trade Only
- Boating Industry Canada
- Powerboat
- Superyacht Times
- Boat Geeks
- Boat Test
- Boat International
RADIO
ORGANIZATIONS/ASSOCIATIONS
- NFIB - National Federation of Independent Businesses
- Pat Heely of Viking Yachts - A big marine advocate and a strong following
- Mike Joyce of Hargrave Yachts - A large following in the Superyacht industry an a weekly newsletter
- NMTA - National Marine trade Association
- RBAW - Recreational Boating Association of Washington
- IYBA - International Yacht Brokers Association
- YBAA - Yacht Brokers Association of America
- BCYBA - British Columbia Yacht Brokers Association
SOCIAL MEDIA
- NYBA Facebook
- NYBA Instagram
- Newly formed NYBA Twitter/X
Furthermore, as another avenue to help our cause we have coordinated our efforts with Anacortes Marine Trades Committee, Northwest Marine Trade Association, Recreational Boating Association of Washington, Marine Retailers Association of Americas and National Marine Manufacturers of Canada in a joint letter opposing this bill with backing information. It was a joint effort, and we feel that the coordinated efforts with all of the associations will push our message even further. The letter can be read here: Combined Letter to Legislature
VERY IMPORTANT: NYBA sent out a survey/poll to our membership that specifically addresses this Luxury Tax Bill. Please take this survey/poll, link here (must be logged in to respond) and answer as you wish. We are hoping to have the survey completed by the end of the week. This information is confidential and will be used to further our voice as an association. We are in communications with representatives and leaders that can make a difference, and this survey/poll will make us united in our fight.
As this bill comes to head here in the near future, we all need to keep moving forward with efforts to raise awareness. Refer back to our original email and call the people that can make a difference, the transportation committee members. Use your business database and your social media platforms to help raise awareness as time is of the essence!
Lastly, we have received some very heartfelt stories about how the 1991 Luxury Tax personally injured our members' businesses & livelihood. The stories that Paul and I have been hearing are absolutely heartbreaking. Our fellow board member, Amy Ripley Thornton, cited the negative impact on Banana Belt Boats when her father was running the business, and it was devastating. Another story that really hits home for our brokerage industry is from the former VenWest Yachts. The link to the letter is below for your kind attention. We want to give a heartfelt thank you to Randy and Maureen Cowley for proving the letter as an effort to raise awareness of how these taxes can negatively impacted other businesses. Please let this be motivation to us all to raise awareness to others of SB5801!
Randy Cowley Yacht Consultants - Testimonial.pdf
Please feel free to contact Paul, myself or any other NYBA Board Members with comments, suggestions or ideas. We are here for you.
Sincerely,
Paul Groesbeck
NYBA Board President
(425) 829-3551
Kevin Blake
NYBA Board Member - Chairman of Government Affairs
(360) 808-7120
Northwest