SOS Yachting
SOS Yachting is a privately-held Italian firm providing fiscal representation, VAT compliance, and charter licensing services for 600+ commercial yacht owners across the Mediterranean via six country offices, now operating as a BWA Yachting subsidiary.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersRijeka, Croatia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SOS Yachting does
SOS Yachting is an Italian-headquartered, privately-held fiscal representation and VAT compliance specialist serving commercial yacht owners and operators across the Mediterranean. Founded in 2012 in Viareggio, the firm operates through six dedicated country offices in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, and Spain with a team of 19, providing VAT registration, charter contract processing, compliance monitoring, charter licensing assistance, and regulatory reporting for both EU and non-EU flagged yachts. The company manages over 700 active VAT positions, processes more than 1,700 charter contracts annually, and represents 600+ yacht owners. Its product suite combines recurring fiscal agency services with proprietary offerings, including the VAT Smartbook (now in its 10th edition), the VAT SmartApp mobile companion, and integration with the FLYN AIS-based tracking system that calculates time and distance in EU fiscal versus international waters for VAT compliance and French 70% rule verification.
Revenue is generated primarily through recurring fiscal representation subscriptions, transactional fees on charter contract processing (which bundle FLYN tracking for taxable operations in France and Italy), professional services for charter licensing (notably Greek e-Charter permissions and Spanish charter licenses), VAT recovery, and annual fiscal training seminars. Distribution is exclusively direct via regional operations managers in each office; there are no resellers or self-serve digital channels, and go-to-market is anchored by attendance at major yachting events (Monaco Yacht Show, MYBA Charter Show, MEDYS, Palma International Boat Show, Cannes Yachting Festival, Palm Beach International Boat Show) and by referral relationships with charter brokers such as Burgess and IYC.
Since January 2023, SOS Yachting has operated as a subsidiary of BWA Yachting, the strategic acquirer that installed a new CEO at the time and supported the 2023 Athens office launch. In September 2025, the firm signed an exclusive partnership with Verventia to extend fiscal representation into Thailand, marking its first move outside the Mediterranean. In October 2025, the long-tenured CEO departed and Alexander von Stein was appointed as the new CEO, signaling a strategic refresh under BWA Yachting ownership.
SOS Yachting firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SOS Yachting
- Legal name
- SOS Yachting
- Website
- https://sosyachting.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SOS Yachting is a privately-held Italian firm providing fiscal representation, VAT compliance, and charter licensing services for 600+ commercial yacht owners across the Mediterranean via six country offices, now operating as a BWA Yachting subsidiary.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SOS Yachting industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Fiscal Compliance Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Navigational Services to Shipping (488330)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ultra-Luxury Ocean Cruise Lines (THAEABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Marine & Boat Finance (FSAKADAH)
Keywords
Where SOS Yachting is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rijeka
- HQ country
- Croatia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
SOS Yachting business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fiscal Representation Services: Ongoing fiscal agency and VAT representation services for commercial yachts operating in EU waters. Services include VAT registration, charter contract processing, compliance monitoring, and regulatory reporting across Croatia, France, Monaco, Greece, Italy, and Spain.
- Charter Licensing Services: Assistance with obtaining and maintaining commercial charter licenses in Greece and Spain, including the e-Charter permission platform processing for Greek operations.
- FLYN Tracking Services: AIS-based tracking services included within charter contract processing fees for taxable operations in France and Italy, calculating VAT liability based on actual territorial waters navigation.
- Fiscal Training: Annual fiscal training seminars and webinars for yacht captains and industry professionals on VAT regulations across Mediterranean jurisdictions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
SOS Yachting product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SOS Yachting provides fiscal representation and VAT compliance services to commercial yacht owners and operators operating in the European Union, particularly across the Mediterranean. The company acts as a local fiscal intermediary between yacht-owning entities and EU tax authorities, handling VAT registration, charter licensing, YET scheme enrolment, ongoing compliance, and VAT recovery filings.
Product overview
SOS Yachting provides a unified fiscal representation service for commercial yachts operating in the Mediterranean, with dedicated country offices in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, and Spain. The core product is fiscal agency and VAT representation services, supported by the VAT Smartbook (annual comprehensive guide now in its 10th edition) and the newly launched VAT SmartApp for mobile access. The product suite includes compliance services for charter operations, charter license assistance, the FLYN AIS-based tracking system for VAT calculation and 70% rule verification, VAT recovery, and annual fiscal training programs. The company manages over 700 yachts and processes more than 1,700 charter contracts annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VAT Smartbook: Comprehensive guide to fiscal rules and regulations governing yacht charter in the Mediterranean, now in its 10th edition.
- VAT SmartApp
Products and services
- Fiscal Representation Services End-to-end fiscal representation under which SOS Yachting acts as the local EU tax intermediary for yacht-owning companies, managing VAT registration, recurring filings, and authority correspondence on the client's behalf.
- Charter Licenses Service to obtain and manage charter licenses required for commercial yachts to operate legally in EU charter grounds, including license preparation and renewals.
- YET Scheme (Yacht Engaged in Trade) Registration and ongoing compliance support for yachts opting into the Yacht Engaged in Trade (YET) scheme, which allows temporary importation and charter of non-EU yachts under specific VAT treatment.
- VAT Recovery Reclaims of VAT paid on qualifying operating expenses (fuel, berth fees, supplies, repairs) incurred by commercial yachts operating in EU jurisdictions.
- Fiscal Training Educational programs delivered to yacht crews, managers, and owning companies covering EU VAT obligations, charter licensing requirements, and onboard fiscal compliance procedures.
- VAT SmartBook Proprietary digital reference tool that consolidates VAT compliance rules, procedures, and country-by-country guidance for yacht operators and managers.
- VAT SmartApp Proprietary mobile application that supports yacht VAT compliance workflows for crews, managers, and owners, including documentation and reporting functions.
- FLYN Tracking System Proprietary tracking system used to monitor yacht movements and support compliance evidence across Mediterranean jurisdictions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,700 charter contracts processed annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SOS Yachting
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
SOS Yachting technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
SOS Yachting partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- VerventiacoreExclusive partnership with Thailand's first officially recognized fiscal representation company. Verventia provides SOS Yachting clients with access to fiscal representation services in Thailand, extending SOS Yachting's Mediterranean expertise to the Asian yachting market.
- BWA YachtingflagshipBWA Yachting acquired SOS Yachting in January 2023. The acquisition enabled the opening of the Greece office and supported continued growth as market leader in Mediterranean fiscal representation.
- Water Revolution FoundationminorProject partner of the Ocean Assist program, supporting ocean conservation through the identification of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs). SOS Yachting supports the Water Revolution Foundation's initiatives to promote sustainability in the yachting industry.
- FLYN (SOS Group)coreOfficial distributor of FLYN AIS-based tracking systems. The FLYN system tracks yacht movements and calculates time spent in fiscal versus non-fiscal waters, reducing VAT liability for clients. Included in charter contract processing fees for taxable operations in France and Italy.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SOS Yachting competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Burgess: Burgess is a leading luxury yacht brokerage and charter firm that refers clients to SOS Yachting for fiscal representation. As a high-end yacht services incumbent, it is a comparable peer in the broader luxury yacht ecosystem and a key referral channel.
- BWA Yachting: BWA Yachting is the parent company of SOS Yachting (acquired in January 2023) and offers a broader portfolio of yacht agency, crew, and management services across the Mediterranean. It is the most directly comparable strategic peer given ownership and overlapping service overlap with yachts in the same geographies.
- IYC (International Yacht Corporation): IYC is a global yacht brokerage, charter, and management firm. It is a comparable peer in the luxury yacht services space and, like Burgess, actively refers clients to SOS Yachting for VAT compliance services.
- Y.CO: Y.CO is a global yacht brokerage, management, and charter firm. While broader than SOS Yachting, it overlaps in providing operational and compliance support to yacht owners and charter clients across the Mediterranean.
- Camper & Nicholsons: Camper & Nicholsons is an established global yacht brokerage and management house with a strong Mediterranean presence. It competes with SOS Yachting indirectly through yacht management services that touch on charter operations and compliance.
Direct peers
- FYBA (Fiscal & Yacht Brokers Association): FYBA is a Monaco-based association representing fiscal brokers and yacht agents; member firms compete head-to-head with SOS Yachting in Mediterranean fiscal representation for commercial yachts. Overlap with SOS Yachting is direct in the most important yachting jurisdictions (Monaco, France, Italy).
- Hill Robinson: Hill Robinson is a large yacht management, agency, and fiscal services firm operating across the Mediterranean. It competes with SOS Yachting in charter operations support and overlaps in fiscal/administrative services for superyachts.
- Döhle Yachts: Döhle Yachts provides yacht management, agency, and crew services across European yachting hubs including the Mediterranean. It is a comparable full-service yacht management peer with similar fiscal/administrative support offerings.
Regional players
- Verventia: Thailand's first officially recognized fiscal representation company for yachts, partnered exclusively with SOS Yachting from 2025. Comparable in scope and service model but focused exclusively on the Southeast Asian charter market rather than the Mediterranean.
Emerging players
- Moore Yachting (MGMT): Moore Yachting is a Mediterranean yacht management firm providing charter administration and crew services. It addresses an overlapping clientele to SOS Yachting, though typically at smaller vessel sizes and with a less specialized fiscal compliance offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SOS Yachting social profiles
Digital presenceSOS Yachting financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SOS Yachting leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SOS Yachting subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
SOS Yachting funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SOS Yachting M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SOS Yachting
What does SOS Yachting do?
SOS Yachting provides fiscal representation and VAT compliance services to commercial yacht owners and operators operating in the European Union, particularly across the Mediterranean. The company acts as a local fiscal intermediary between yacht-owning entities and EU tax authorities, handling VAT registration, charter licensing, YET scheme enrolment, ongoing compliance, and VAT recovery filings.
Is SOS Yachting a public or private company?
SOS Yachting is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SOS Yachting founded?
SOS Yachting was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SOS Yachting based?
SOS Yachting is headquartered in Rijeka, Croatia, in the Europe region.
How does SOS Yachting make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Fiscal Representation Services are the primary driver. The others are charter Licensing Services, FLYN Tracking Services and fiscal Training.
Who are SOS Yachting's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Burgess, BWA Yachting, IYC (International Yacht Corporation), Y.CO and Camper & Nicholsons. Direct peers are FYBA (Fiscal & Yacht Brokers Association), Hill Robinson and Döhle Yachts. Verventia is listed as a regional player. Moore Yachting (MGMT) is listed as an emerging player.
Does SOS Yachting have an API?
No public API is recorded for SOS Yachting.
What industry is SOS Yachting in?
SOS Yachting's product category is Maritime Fiscal Compliance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAEABAA, Ultra-Luxury Ocean Cruise Lines, with a secondary code of FSAKADAH, Marine & Boat Finance. Its NAICS code is 4883 and its SIC code is 4400.