On 15 October 2026, Legalley+ participated in the 4th Annual Understanding Superyachts and Business Aviation Tax conference, organised by Quaynote Communications in Barcelona. Our Founding Partner, Miguel Ángel Serra, joined the first panel of the day, entitled “VAT Paid Status in Superyachts: Lessons from Case C-280/04 (Jyske Finans)”, which examined the implications of the Court of Justice of the European Union’s judgment and the European Commission’s latest Guidance Note for Pleasure Craft, published on 30 April 2026.
The discussion addressed key VAT and customs issues affecting the international superyacht industry, highlighting the important distinction between VAT-paid status, Union customs status and the VAT treatment of a subsequent yacht sale. The panel also explored the practical implications of these rules for yacht transactions, importation and reimportation, Temporary Admission and changes between commercial and private use, underlining the importance of thorough VAT and customs due diligence. We would like to thank Christine Cassar Naudi of Ganado Advocates for moderating the panel, as well as our fellow panellists Ganna Shama yeva of SOS Yachting France, Jennifer Timinis of Sea Greece and Joe Francis of PKF Francis Clark for such a valuable exchange of views. We also thank Quaynote Communications for the excellent organisation of the event, and Alex Chumillas Amat and Jean-Philippe Maslin for their support in bringing together professionals from across the international superyacht industry.