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JimM68's avatar
JimM68
Explorer
Jun 04, 2015

Counting down and domicile questions

We have a solid contract on our house, and will be full time on July 24!

(Yeah!!!)

I have some serious wondering about this whole domicile question?

I know that the most popular states are Texas, Florida, and South Dakota, but why?
Info is hard to find, other than "we don't give legal advice" and (from Escapee's) "we now offer services in all three of those states, so send us money..."

We are currently residents of Illinois. Our income tax rate is 3%, and it costs $100/year to renew the plates on our motorhome.

My company is a Montana LLC. We have had a mail forwarding company in Montana for years, sending our personal mail there will cost me nothing.

The company's physical Location will remain Illinois, and as long as that is true, we will have to file and pay personal taxes in Illinois. We do split the income between Illinois and Montana.

Our current health plan (Illinois bcbs bronze 006) cost is very low and nationwide network.

So my questions are:
Do we have much to gain by moving out of Illinois?
Why don't RVers domicile in Montana anymore?
Is there anything to gain by "moving to Texas"?

And what does mail forwarding have to do with any of this?
When I go on Escapee's website, step one is "pick one of these three states"
and step two is "send escapee's money for mail forwarding in your choice of those 3 states"

What does mail forwarding have to do with domicile and address?
(south Dakota will accept a campground receipt, no mention of where you get your mail...)

Am I overcomplicating this?

and please don't say "hire a lawyer", I'm one who believes that the world would be a better place if all lawyers (and politicians, who are all just failed lawyers anyway) had died on the Titanic.
  • jrp's avatar
    jrp
    Explorer
    Jun 04, 2015
    congrats and your smile will only get bigger.

    1) why Fl,SD,Tx - primarily because these 3 meet all the major concerns of most fulltimers - no state income tax, they are fulltimer friendly, they accept a mail forwarding address as your official address (not all states will), and they have existing professional mail forwarders.

    2)will you gain much by moving - for your unique circumstances, other than a personal income tax reduction, it doesn't sound like it

    3)why not Mt - Mt requires its residents to have a physical street address

    4) any advantage to Tx - depends on individual circumstances - for those who have no preference to other states, & not already covered by health insur elsewhere, Tx has more acceptable options for private individual health plans than SD. and some see the Escapees organization as an advantage to TX

    5) what does mail forwarding have to do with domicile - as a fulltimer with no real home, and constantly on the move, your mail forwarding address acts as your official home address; for license, registration, insurance, taxes, etc

    6) (south Dakota will accept a campground receipt, no mention of where you get your mail...) -
    2 separate issues, the campground receipt is part of SD's exception for fulltimers to comply with the Federal Real ID Law, where you have to show documentation to prove who you are and where you live. It has nothing to do with your official address, which is provided by your mail forwarder.

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