License for my Beaver

[johnlynn]

How do I license my Beaver as we are going to full time status 1st November 2010.  Our son will receive our mail, but we have no permanent address.  We met a full timer in Az who said he registered and licensed through a lawyer in Texas along with many other full timers but I have no name or address.  I am Canadian so we have the 183 day rule to contend with and will spend out summers travelling Canada.  We will pickup our Beaver at Fargo and continue on to AZ in late Oct with a permit, I hope, and sell out 5th wheel in Az when we get there.
Need some advice!  JOHNLYNN

[Bruce Benson]

Contact Escapees and have them put you in contact with Carol Richards SKP #2494.  She is a lawyer who has done a lot of work on domicile for full timers.  

If you register in Texas, or almost any other state, you will incur a rather large sales tax liability.  There are law firms in Montana that set up holding companies for coach owners.  There is no sales tax there.  Another possibility is Alaska.  They have no sales or income tax and really don't seem to be bothered when full timers register there.

The fact that you are Canadian and intend to return to Canada makes your situation a slippery slope.  Good luck.

[johnlynn]

Thanx Bruce - I am on it.  JOHNLYNN

[Bill Sprague]

There is a book called "Choosing Your Home Base".  You can buy it at RVBookstore.com ( http://rvbookstore.com/shop/detail.aspx?p=460&m=2.  The current version is for 2010.  I bought and read it a few years ago.  It goes state by state and lists the advantages and disadvantages.  Generally, you will be taxed based on where you "live".  In the US, that can be where you register to vote, license your vehicles and get a driver's license.  The three addresses should match.  

If you read the book, you will probably draw the conclusion that Florida, South Dakota and Texas are the favorite states.  And, indeed, the Escapees choose Texas as their headquarters.  In each of those states, businesses have been started that service the estimated half million that choose an RV as their only home.  My personal favorite is My Home Address, Inc in South Dakota. (http://myhomeaddressinc.com/.  

The mail forwarding service at My Home Address is excellent.  You permanently change the address for all your important mail so that it goes to your new “home” in SD.  As they get it, it goes into your personal file folder.  Then you email or phone them and they will send it where you want.  If you are parked for awhile, you can have it forwarded on a regular basis.  

Being a Canadian citizen may make it much more complicated.

[johnlynn]

Thanks - I was in touch with Escapees in Texas and read a blog by Carol Richard.  I have decided to license in Manitoba as there are too many loose ends to do otherwise.  JohnLynn