To: Honorable Governor John E. Baldacci

Dear Sir:

 I am writing to you from the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, a national organization of eighteen thousand recreational pilots and personal aircraft owners.  Our members are Canadians who are based in Canada but use their Canadian registered aircraft to travel throughout Canada and the United States. COPA publishes our national association newspaper monthly and distributes it to our members worldwide and our membership represents over one quarter of all Canadian Pilots flying today.

 Recently we became aware of the following from General Information Bulletin No. 96 dated August 23, 2006 (referring to Chapter 519, Part EE) regarding an Aircraft Use Tax in the State of Maine:

 "Also effective on January 1, 2007, an aircraft purchased and used outside of Maine but subsequently used in Maine will be exempt from use tax provided the aircraft is not present in Maine for more than 20 days during the 12 months following its purchase. Any time during which the aircraft is present in Maine for major alterations, major repairs or preventive maintenance is not counted against those 20 days." 

From a telephone call we made to the Maine Revenue Services on December 12, 2007, we understand this rule applies to visiting Canadians as well, even their Canadian (foreign to US) registered aircraft. 

Sir, as foreign visitors we have no right to question any taxation measure you impose on your own citizens but we are of course less likely to visit your state and spend tourist dollars in the process if we are subject to an onerous and unfair tax. 

Canadians spend more money and visit more frequently in the United States than any other country in the world. We look on Americans as our friends and welcome your visits to our country.  As Canadian Aviators, we visit the United States in our aircraft far more regularly than any other country. The effect of this tax, if it applies to Canadians, will be to place a chill on any and all visits to the state of Maine by Canadians doing business or vacationing by personal aircraft. 

Sir, we would be pleased to hear that as Canadians our Canadian registered aircraft are exempt from Maine Use Taxes and that you welcome our members’ continued travel to Maine and the tourism and business that we bring to you. If that is the case we will hasten to reassure our members through our newspaper and electronic media distribution "that Canadians can continue to travel to the State of Maine for pleasure or to do business".  

Sir, I urgently await your reply, so that we may deal adequately and speedily with this issue. 

Yours Truly

John Quarterman
Manager, Member Assistance & Programs
Canadian Owners and Pilots Association
207-75 Albert Street, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5E7
Phone: (613) 236-4901 x107
Fax:     (613) 236-8646
Email:  JQuarterman@copanational.org
www.copanational.org