Need advice.... how do we handle??? when we go full time

[jayandhisgals]

We are preparing to go full time. Selling our home so no home base, retired won't be working. Need some advice from those out there who have experience.
Should we registure everything in a state w/ no property tax?
Do we get our drivers lic from the same state?
And insurance, because it will cost less in a state like Montana, S. Dakota?
Do we need to have an LLC or own property to do the above mentioned?
What do we do about our mail? Get a mail forwarding company?
How about insurance? What type of insurance do we need on the rig and TV?

I know I am asking a lot of ??, Sorry just don't even know where to start. Thanks for your advice.

 

[jjriker]

Have you looked at the website http://www.rv-dreams.com/ ? It is a great site with lots of info. You will find the answers to a lot of your questions there.

We set up our address with a place called Alternative Resources in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They send us our mail twice a month.

 

[Invizatu]

You might also want to look into joining "escapees" out of Livingston, Texas. They offer a lot of what you are interested in or in need of.
www.escapees.com

Good Luck!

 

[2psnapod1]

We are full-time, no home base, not working. We use a mail forwarding service (mydakotaaddress.com) out of South Dakota for mail. We are currently working with the owner of the business to get our tags for the truck and coach switched over to South Dakota (she will do it for you and mail you the tags - you need not be there to have it done). We will stop in South Dakota in June to have our drivers licenses changed to South Dakota (you have a year to change them). From what we've found with our research taxes & insurance are both cheaper in SD and they do not tax a military retirement (we we are living on).

Don't hesitate to contact us if you have more questions. Good luck!

 

[jayandhisgals]

We are full-time, no home base, not working. We use a mail forwarding service (mydakotaaddress.com) out of South Dakota for mail. We are currently working with the owner of the business to get our tags for the truck and coach switched over to South Dakota (she will do it for you and mail you the tags - you need not be there to have it done). We will stop in South Dakota in June to have our drivers licenses changed to South Dakota (you have a year to change them). From what we've found with our research taxes & insurance are both cheaper in SD and they do not tax a military retirement (we we are living on).

Don't hesitate to contact us if you have more questions. Good luck!

Thank you. We will look into that. Don't you have to show proof of address to get your drivers Lic.? If so what kind of proof are you goning to use. We are in a similar situation. We will not be working at least not getting paid to work our first season. We have a offer to workamp in N. California. Don't want to be residence of CA or pay taxes, ins. ect. there since we will only be there 5 months then who knows where we will decide to go. Again thanks for the info.

 

[FJRogers]

Congratulations on your decision on going full time and welcome to the club. We have found Americas Mailboxes to be an excellent service based out of Rapid City SD. They have an excellent helpful staff and the owner is a full-timer. There is a RV park located adjoining the mail process center that you can stay at while getting your drivers license, Americas Mailbox will give you the needed paperwork for the DMV. The whole process was painless. There are many insurance agents that know how to handle full-timers I also carry a policy that covers our fifth wheel when parked as well as well as when it is being pulled, you may want to look into this due to most auto policies only covering your rig when on the road. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions, I will be happy to help where I can. trey.rogers@aol.com

 

[DW_Gray]

When you sign up for a mail forwarding service, that becomes your legal home address. Therefore that allows you to get your license and register all your property in that state.

We use My RV Mail out of Florida. We severed ties from California and saved a ton of money. My disabled vet tag for my truck is 10 dollars a year.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[danemayer]

Congratulations on your decision on going full time and welcome to the club. We have found Americas Mailboxes to be an excellent service based out of Rapid City SD. They have an excellent helpful staff and the owner is a full-timer. There is a RV park located adjoining the mail process center that you can stay at while getting your drivers license, Americas Mailbox will give you the needed paperwork for the DMV. The whole process was painless. There are many insurance agents that know how to handle full-timers I also carry a policy that covers our fifth wheel when parked as well as well as when it is being pulled, you may want to look into this due to most auto policies only covering your rig when on the road. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions, I will be happy to help where I can. trey.rogers@aol.com

Hi FJRogers,

Let me give you a belated welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. Always good to have another helpful person joining in the discussions.

 

[2psnapod1]

Thank you. We will look into that. Don't you have to show proof of address to get your drivers Lic.? If so what kind of proof are you goning to use. We are in a similar situation. We will not be working at least not getting paid to work our first season. We have a offer to workamp in N. California. Don't want to be residence of CA or pay taxes, ins. ect. there since we will only be there 5 months then who knows where we will decide to go. Again thanks for the info.

We have been using our SD mailing address since August of last year. Plus when we go to get our drivers license we just need a receipt from a campground or hotel for at least one nights stay.

 

[jayandhisgals]

We just have to say we LOVE this fourm!!! Everyone on here is great. So helpful and full of such great advice. It really makes owning a Heartland even more enjoyable. Thanks you everyone for the advice and info. It's not going to be as complicated as I had anticipated. Wheew! What a relief! I had read some web pages and it made it sound really intensive. I thought I was going to have hours and hours or research to do.
One question??? Why have most of you decided to use SD?

 

[2psnapod1]

Our biggest reason was cost...cheaper to register the vehicles, insurance, drivers license, no tax on military retirement pay. Also do not have to be there in person to register or renew your vehicle tags each year. Only have renew drivers license every 4 or 5 years (can't remember which).

 

[jjriker]

Cost was a big one for us as well. Low insurance costs and only 3% sales tax. No income tax and SD makes it very simple to establish residency since they only require a receipt showing one night's stay.

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[TXTiger]

You mentioned that you would be working in Calif for 5 months. No matter where you actual residence is, I believe, if you earn income in a State, you must file an income tax return in that State. So If your address is in South Dakota and you earn income in Calif you will file a Federal return and a SD return and a Calif return for the Calif income for that year earned.

 

[jayandhisgals]

You mentioned that you would be working in Calif for 5 months. No matter where you actual residence is, I believe, if you earn income in a State, you must file an income tax return in that State. So If your address is in South Dakota and you earn income in Calif you will file a Federal return and a SD return and a Calif return for the Calif income for that year earned.

We will be workamping in California, but not for pay. Getting free stay/ hookups. We have a monthly income from SSDI we don't have to file fed taxes unless I make over $36k per yr.

 

[jjriker]

South Dakota doesn't have state income tax so you wouldn't have to file anything for South Dakota.

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[aatauses]

You will enjoy the lifestyle. You are getting good advice. We have our "home base' as FL, they are another state that treats you real well when it comes to taxes, registration, voting, etc. We have a mail service from Pensacola that sends mail whenever we ask (usually one/mo).
Here are a few things I did not hear in the previous post:
Insurance----since you no longer have a house, make sure the person (agent)is aware of full time RV ins----you cannot "tack on" your rv to your house!!--shop around
Banking--most of your banking, credit, bills, phone will be completed by internet---make sure your current bank has all that capability---shop around--check their availability of ATM's and the rate if not in their system
Phone--check your phone coverage throughout the US and CN and different plans---shop around
Computer---upgrade may be necessary to ensure good WIFI connections---consider a mobile card or a tether to your phone system
Feel free to keep asking questions and I'm sure you will get good advice
al
currently in Kenai, AK

 

[For20hunter]

You mentioned that you would be working in Calif for 5 months. No matter where you actual residence is, I believe, if you earn income in a State, you must file an income tax return in that State. So If your address is in South Dakota and you earn income in Calif you will file a Federal return and a SD return and a Calif return for the Calif income for that year earned.

I don't believe this is completely true. And I need to prefice this with the fact that I am not a tax attorney or have any education in this, however after 10 years in the military and having dealt with this exact issue, I think I have a good grasp on it.

You pay taxes based on the residence where you live. For example, if you are in the military or going to school and your home state is Oregon, but you are stationed or going to school in Colorado, then you pay taxes as they pertain to Oregon and not in Colorado. Same with disability and retirement. So as long as you don't do something that changes your residency status (stay in a particular state too long, register to vote, change your address to that state, etc...) then your residency will stay where your home state is and you pay taxes according to that states tax code and laws.

 

[TXTiger]

I too am not a tax lawyer and only know Calif law. If you are in the military you keep your home state of residence as the state where you enlisted unless you do something to change your residence like getting a CA drivers license or register to vote in CA. Your military income is taxed by your home state. However, I believe that any non military income earned in CA is subject to CA state tax. If you are not in the military, not matter what state you are a resident of, any income earned in CA is subject to CA income.

 

[recumbent615]

Two toes is correct. We deal with that a lot here in New England where our state lines are close. In you live in NH and work in MA. You still get the privilege of paying MA income tax.

 

[readytohitheroad]

It used to be the case that your income was taxed in the state you lived in. This was changed many years ago so that you are now taxed in the state you earn your income in.