How do you stay legal?

[dreamwalking]

We have been RVing for over 10 years and sold our home in 2004. Our stay in each location has been being a year or more up until now. We are doing more short term jobs which leads us to have to find an answer to these questions: 1. Vehicle registrations 2. Voting 3. Mail

There are so many of us out here traveling that I am sure some of you can help me with this hair pulling problem.

Dreamwalking

[whodo]

Here is a copy of a post that I found posted on another forum.
Although this does not completly cover your questions, it at least offers some insight to some of them.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing a state for residence as a full time Rv’er.
Many people make that choice based only on SALES TAX and INCOME TAX and then regret having failed to consider other very important things.
(State Tax Rate Burden listed by # at bottom of this page)
Some other things to consider are, motor vehicle registration cost, inspections (smog, etc. if required) how it is handled when traveling, insurance rates for vehicle as well as Health insurance, life insurance, personal property tax, estate tax/laws and wills, inheritance tax, drivers license (Continuous Traveler drivers license like Oregon #37), real property tax, stocks/bonds taxes, jury duty (does the state offer a waiver, when you notify courts that you travel full time?) are vehicle registration fees the same in all counties of the state, and this is just a few of the many things to consider.

The three states that are most popular for full timers are Florida #38, South Dakota #44 and Texas #43. A few of the reasons is that none of these states have an income tax. They are very easy to qualify for residence. None of them require any physical time in the state, while many other states do.
Florida is popular, partly because they are home to Good Sam mail service, located in Pensacola.
South Dakota is the lowest of the three for sales tax and very easy to set up a mail forwarding system address.
Texas is popular partly because they are home to Escapees RV Club and there support service. Please remember that Texas sales tax varies by location determined by what you buy, example cars, Rv’s.

Go to this web site for a list of state income tax rates. http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html you will find that Alaska #50, Florida #38, Nevada #36, South Dakota #44, Texas #43, Washington #16, Wyoming #42, have no income tax, an New Hampshire #49, & Tennessee #48, are limited to dividend income tax only.
Montana #41 is very easy to set up and use a Montana LLC to own/register the RV there and thus avoid all sales tax since Montana #41 has none, but one must weigh the cost of the LLC (yearly cost) and setup cost versus what you save on sales tax.

I strongly suggest that everyone give a lot more thought to what state you will use as your legal residence when you go fulltime and not just the issue of income tax and sales tax. Look at all the aspects that will affect you, not just the obvious.

Now here is some info from Fortune Magazine

State and Local Tax Burdens Ranked, Highest to Lowest, Calendar Year 2007
State Tax Burden as
Percent of Income Rank Per Capita
Tax Burden Per Capita Income

1) Vermont 14.1% $5,387 $38,306

2) Maine 14.0% $5,045 $36,117
3) New York 13.8% $6,522 $47,176
4)RhodeIsland12.7% $5,291$41,809
District of Columbia 12.5% $7,873
5) Ohio 12.4% $4,597 $37,020
6) Hawaii 12.4% $5,014 $40,455
7) Wisconsin 12.3% $4,736 $38,639
8)Connecticut12.2% $6,756 $55,536
9) Nebraska 11.9% $4,549 $38,373
10)NewJersey11.6% $5,991 $51,605
11)Minnesota 11.5% $4,971 $43,121
12) California 11.5% $4,965 $43,338
13) Arkansas 11.3% $3,514 $31,145
14) Michigan 11.2% $4,202 $37,538
15) Kansas 11.2% $4,330 $38,732
16)Washington11.1%$4,604$41,530
17) Louisiana 11.0% $3,808 $34,501
18) Iowa 11.0% $4,085 $37,068
19)NCarolina 11.0% $3,933 $35,705
20) Kentucky 10.9% $3,568 $32,673
21)W.Virginia 10.9% $3,401 $31,198
22) Illinois 10.8% $4,594 $42,428
23) Maryland 10.8% $5,341 $49,324
24) Penns 10.8% $4,405 $40,942
25) Indiana 10.7% $3,887 $36,169
26) SCarolina 10.7% $3,520 $32,790
27) Utah 10.7% $3,452 $32,249
28) Mass. 10.6% $5,419 $51,297
29) Miss. 10.5% $3,103 $29,582
30) Colorado 10.4% $4,509 $43,512
31) Arizona 10.3% $3,603 $34,836
32) Georgia 10.3% $3,615 $35,210
33) Virginia 10.2% $4,460 $43,710
34) Missouri 10.1% $3,678 $36,341
35)Idaho 10.1% $3,367 $33,274
36) Nevada 10.1% $4,127 $40,916
37) Oregon 10.0% $3,747 $37,356
38) Florida 10.0% $3,962 $39,782
39) N.Dakota 9.9% $3,626 $36,635
40) N. Mexico 9.8% $3,251 $33,163
41) Montana 9.7% $3,353 $34,415
42) Wyoming 9.5% $4,340 $45,881
43) Texas 9.3% $3,533 $38,005
44) S. Dakota 9.0% $3,435 $38,072
45) Oklahoma 9.0% $3,248 $36,077
46) Alabama 8.8% $3,090 $35,007
47) Delaware 8.8% $3,804 $43,471
48) Tennessee 8.5% $3,054 $35,960
49) Hampshire 8.0% $3,504 $43,745
50) Alaska 6.6% $2,729 $41,469

[dreamwalking]

Thanks for this information. I am checking this out as I type. Anyone else with information or advice please respond. We are at the "rock and hard place" stage.

We are new to this site but only because we were unaware of its existance. We look forward to making many new friends.

Dreamwalking