We are hoping to get an RV in the next couple of weeks and start living in it full time.  Because of my husband's job we are often only in one place for like 6 months then we move, often to a completely different state.  In the 4 1/2 years I have been married we have moved 7 times.  I grew up moving because my dad does the same thing as my husband, and I love travelling and getting to see new places, but the packing, cleaning, finding a new place to live, unpacking, trying to get organized, then before I have even finished unpacking realizing that I have been taking too long and that I need to start packing again, is just getting old.  So we are going to live in an RV.  I did post in the beginning RVing forum for general advice, but I thought I would come here for more specific advice.

Right now I am trying to figure out our domicile.  I think we are wanting to do Idaho.  We had talked about Texas, but with my husband's job we kind of need an actual physical address, not just a mail forwarding service.  My husband's parents live in Idaho.  They are in the process of buying a piece of land that has a house and a mobile home on it and are going to let us use the mobile home as our address.  So I have two questions about this.  First, has anyone ever used Idaho as their domicile?  I know it has state income tax, but it will just work better for us, so we are willing to pay it.  Second, if we are in a place state for 6 months would we get in trouble for not having our cars registered there and all that?  It seems like we will be living somewhere longer than most other people who do full time RVing, so I am not sure if it will be the same.

If you live in RV parks don't they have a physical address? If I didn't own property in ID I wouldn't pay state income tax there. How about medical insurance as you travel? I would think that your BH's employer provides it for the both of you? How does that work out? Good Luck

You will owe state income tax in whatever state you earn it in.  Of course you will owe Federal Income tax on all your income. If you earn wages in TX you will pay TX State tax on the income earned in TX but no tax due in ID on the income earned in TX. You really need to talk to a Tax Lawyer or CPA in ID. Ask your parents who they use. 

The mailboxes with addresses on Rainbow Drive at Rainbow's End in Livingston, Texas, have been through the courts and are determined to be legal addresses even though they are simply mailboxes. Someone tried to get those people kicked off the voting roles but Escapees won the case. It is my understanding you can get a Real ID driver's license at those addresses. Of course, you have to join Escapees and pay for their mailing service to get that address but then you get all the benefits of living in Texas including their homeschool laws.

Linda Sand

  On 3/6/2019 at 10:54 PM, sholl3 said:

Second, if we are in a place state for 6 months would we get in trouble for not having our cars registered there and all that? 

That depends on the state and how aggressive they are about enforcement. Most states do have laws about those employed fulltime registering vehicles and it often is only 30 days to 90 days. Some states do have exceptions for seasonal or temporary workers. Many states are not very aggressive about enforcement of those laws but some are. I suspect that there may be places that will expect you to register vehicles. 

  On 3/7/2019 at 4:11 AM, Twotoes said:

If you earn wages in TX you will pay TX State tax on the income earned in TX

TX does not have any state income tax. There are 7 others like that. 

You said there are others doing this work and living in RVs--have you asked any of them about where they legally live? They might well know best how to cope with that issue when you move frequently and work in each location. Sometimes just walking through the RV park and checking out license plates will give you a fair answer.

Linda

Sorry Kirk. I never lived in TX so didn't know they have no income tax. just picked a State other than Idaho.

  On 3/7/2019 at 1:59 PM, Twotoes said:

I never lived in TX so didn't know they have no income tax.

☺️  States with no state income tax are TX, WY, FL, TN, NH, AK, SD, NV, & WA

My husband's work does provide insurance so that is not an issue for us.  

At my husband's work they have traveling workers and local workers.  The traveling workers get paid extra, but you have to have a permanent address to show that you are not actually local to the job site.  This cannot be a mail forwarding service, my husband checked because we were wanting to go with Texas after having it recommended by several people on here and other places.  Idaho does have a state income tax, but they also give you credit for income tax you pay in the state you made the money, so that will reduce the tax.  

Honestly, most of the people who work with my husband live differently than we do.  Most of them have a home and that is where their families live.  They travel in the RVs and go back to visit their families when they can, or their families come to visit them.  This might change things legally for them.  Although we would also have an actual house.  We would keep our stuff that we didn't need on a daily basis there, go there a few times a year, probably have our doctors there, and all that stuff.

  On 3/7/2019 at 10:26 PM, sholl3 said:

we would also have an actual house.  We would keep our stuff that we didn't need on a daily basis there, go there a few times a year, probably have our doctors there, and all that stuff.

Wouldn't that, then, be your domicile?

You can have a mail forwarding service that is NOT your domicile.

Linda

Edited March 8 by sandsys

Thanks for all the information guy, I think we have figured it out.