The Sales Tax Bill Most Buyers Don’t See ComingThis is where a lot of first-time buyers get caught. The part almost nobody mentions: buying from a private individual instead of a dealer can mean paying zero state sales tax. That’s a real, legal way to save thousands on a used boat, and it’s the main reason private-party boat sales stay so common along the bayous. Louisiana Doesn’t Require Boat Insurance. That’s a rough estimate rather than a quote, and it moves a lot depending on how the boat gets stored and financed, but it’s typical for boat ownership anywhere in the Gulf South.