Taxes

[John From Detroit]

One can reside in (domicile) and full time from ANY state.  There are many considerations in the choice of domicile, not just taxes and vehicle registration.  For some, their health care program is an overriding consideration.

I was under the impression that most states require you spend 50%+1 time slice in their state to grand residency, thus if you full time from Michigan and spend only 3 months a year there, you are not, really, residing in Michigan.  However there are, I'm told, 4 states, including Texas and Nevada (those two I'm sure of) who only require you be in the state a short period every year.  now, understand, I've almost spent enough time in Nevada to qualify as a resident for 2007 and it's only jan 2 (Alas, I won't be here on Jan-3 as I'm moving to CA for a couple of weeks)

But that's was what I unstood as we chatted around the campfire last Jan in QZ.  Perhaps I heard wrong.

I do know there are things about Michigan I like, and dislike... A "suite" at the "UPS STORE" is not out of the question

 

[Ned]

You have it all backwards.  Some states will require you become a resident if you spend more than a specified amount of time in their borders.  This is particularly true if you are employed in those states, you will be required to get a drivers license and register your vehicles.  In CA, at one time at least, the time period was 10 DAYS.

Texas and Nevada (those two I'm sure of) who only require you be in the state a short period every year

Wrong again.  We have been domiciled in TX for 10 years and have had years where we never set foot in the state.  By taking the positive actions we did, we established our legal domicile there and don't do anything that would allow any other state to try to change that.

 

[Carl L]

This is particularly true if you are employed in those states, you will be required to get a drivers license and register your vehicles.  In CA, at one time at least, the time period was 10 DAYS.

Still true, if you get employed.  Military is exempted.

 

[29er]

Without beating this subject to death, if you will go to Bennett Law Office, P.C. @ WWW.bennettlawofficepc.com.  On their home page there is an article about taxes and Montana written by the NY Times. It pretty much sums it all up. You are not required to get a Montana drivers license to meet these legal requirements.

 

[John From Detroit]

That article does go a long way toward addressing the questions I ask, at least in regards to Montana.

I'm looking for a state with easy RESIDENCE requirements too.  Somewhere where my legal residence can be a mail drop.

I'm seeing states which require you establish residence if you live there more than half the year (I don't plan on being anywhere half of a year save the United States) but what about those who, Like Texas, do not require yo uset foot there from year to year?

 

[Ron]

I'm looking for a state with easy RESIDENCE requirements too.  Somewhere where my legal residence can be a mail drop.

Texas, South Dakota, and I believe Florida meet those requirements.  Many RVers are legal Texas residences.

 

[Pierat]

Arizona's MVD site shows the following definition of "resident," which suggests that Arizona might go after folks who get some things licensed here and avoid others:
>>>>>
State law requires that you obtain a driver license and registration immediately if any one of the following apply.  If you:

    * Work in Arizona (other than for seasonal agricultural work)
    * Place children in school without paying the tuition rate of a nonresident
    * Have a business with an office in Arizona, and that bases and operates vehicles in this state
    * Obtain a state license or pay school tuition fees at the same rate as an Arizona resident
    * Have a business that operates vehicles to transport goods or passengers within Arizona
    * Remain in Arizona for a total of 7 months or more during any calendar year, regardless of your permanent residence

An "out-of-state student" enrolled with 7 or more semester hours is not considered a resident, even if employed.

Military personnel based in Arizona who qualify for exemption under the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act are not considered Arizona residents.
<<<<<
-- http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/azwelcome.asp --

That's just what it says, FYI, I don't have a dog in this fight. I've seen some info from Escapees that makes Texas look awfully good for fulltimers.

 

[Jeff]

Gary:

It is true that some states make it impossible to legally be a resident as a full timer if you cannot meet specific requirements.

Without owning or renting property, being employed, or showing intent to return to Washington within a short period of time (IIIRC it was 90 days) it was not possible for us to legally maintain voting rights or drivers licenses and vehicle registration in Washington two years ago.

The state requires a legal address and does not accept PO Boxes or PMB's. Each time you register a vehicle you are required to sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that the address shown is your residence. I spent several weeks talking to the DMV without finding a way around this as Washington has no income taxes and (at the time) low RV registration fees.

Those that do remain in Washington seem to end up using someone else's address to get around this requirement. I believe Oregon has very similar requirements to obtain a driver's license and register vehicles.

 

[John From Detroit]

Ah, Jeff and I are on the same page.

As I said, at last January's campfire it was mentioned that there were four states where Jeff's statements about his state do not apply... Texas, Nevada, Florida and one other if memory serves.

I'm interested in the tax structures in those four states

 

[2006F350]

Just be careful driving in Dallas

Your statement couldn't be because of the "majority of imigrants - legal or otherwise, that don't know their gearshift from the steering wheel, and 100% believe that they are immune from injury and that rules of the road pertain to everyone except themselves" would you? We travel from Memphis to Austin at least twice a year, and it seems each time we go thru Dallas via 30 down to 20 over to I35 the 'idjists' are becomming more 'idjitier'.

Wish there were a better route that didn't make us go thru either Dallas or Huston to get to Austin. But on the other hand, Austin is getting pretty bad too. Our last trip thru, had some elderly Hispanic guy roll up along side in dense rush hour traffic and asked if this was the road to Houston (and I have TN plates on my truck).
Could have really made a snide comment, but being the kind hearted individual I am, and since I know the area fairly well (retired from the AF after being in Austin for 10 years), told him that I35 would take him to San Antonio where he could get I10 to Houston, or he could turn around and go back 2 miles and take US290 East to Houston.

Traffic is absolutely the pits in Austin - I honestly believe that major requirement to be a highway engineers is to be a high school drop out and do drugs. I mean, you take an 1 interstate with 4 lanes going each direction, now, split it so now you have 2 interstates of 2 lanes each (1 goes over a bridge and the other goes under the bridge) then join up again 2 miles later, and it causes major traffic jams - what am I missing here?

Then again, this is the same state where the folks fought over who gets I35 - Dallas or Ft Worth. So instead of doing something logical like I33 thru Ft. Worth and I35 thru Dallas, nooooooo, they have I35W (which is a North/South Freeway) thru Ft. Worth and I35E (which is the SAME North/South Freeway) thru Dallas. Now to get from Sheveport. LA to Austin,TX on I20 West, in Dallas you exit to I35 East South - huh?, or if you want to go to Oklahoma City, the exit would be I35 East North ...

I'm gonna quit, I have given myself a spliting headache ....

Larry