Suppose I was to purchase one of these container ships. Then suppose I was to anchor it off shore somewhere warm. Then I built a house on there, making boat trips to shore for supplies. Would I have to pay any taxes on my houseboat?
Could bring in loads of dirt, start a garden, more dirt, plant some trees…
I’ll maybe let a couple chill people also come aboard, to build houses of their own… maybe.
People have tried that, and failed for various reasons:
You can’t move the ship out of any port without insurance
Insurance for a rusting hulk isn’t cheap
No nation on earth will let you park your uninsured rusting hulk offshore, as it will pose an environmental and navigational threat to the area
Even if you anchored outside a country’s 12 nautical mile economic exclusion zone doesn’t mean their navy/coast guard won’t bother you. They have maritime rights outside that area nonetheless.
You’d still need to take the ship in for maintenance somewhere, and now all your regulatory problems begin again.
The maintenance on the steel hull would require a return to territorial waters, at which point you’ll need registration (read: taxes). The tender you use to resupply would also require registration and often insurance to enter into marinas.
Suppose I was to purchase one of these container ships. Then suppose I was to anchor it off shore somewhere warm. Then I built a house on there, making boat trips to shore for supplies. Would I have to pay any taxes on my houseboat?
Could bring in loads of dirt, start a garden, more dirt, plant some trees…
I’ll maybe let a couple chill people also come aboard, to build houses of their own… maybe.
People have tried that, and failed for various reasons:
The maintenance on the steel hull would require a return to territorial waters, at which point you’ll need registration (read: taxes). The tender you use to resupply would also require registration and often insurance to enter into marinas.
dang. I just want a cheap private island