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Tax Home Help


Don_T

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We are full time RVers that have not been moving around. This will change in the near future. We have joined Escapees and we have a mailing address in Livingston. Our vehicles, including the 5th wheel are registered in Polk County, Livingston, and we have registered to vote there too. We sold our house a year and a half ago so Livingston is our only address. We have been trying to find out if our Livingston address qualifies as a Tax Home to IRS tax filing. As of now, we are staying in an RV park in Houston and we will start moving around the country after the first of the year. Some people we talk to, including a CPA, say our Tax Home is where ever we are staying because we don’t have an actual house any more. Others, including a CPA, have said as long as we have the mailing address, vehicle registration, and voter registration in Livingston, it can be used as our Tax Home no matter where in the country we are during the year. Does anyone here have any experience with this?

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Livingston is your tax home. That's where you vote. You can only vote in your home precinct. We've been doing this 10 yrs, so have 10 yrs worth of Fed taxes, all with Livingston listed as our home address. And we are never there - has been years since we have actually been in Livingston. Why are you trying to make this more complicated? Are you still working? If so, then if you earn money in a state with a state-income tax, you will have to file an out-of-state tax return in each state where you earn money. Is that your case?

 

Barb

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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Yes, your Livingston address can be used as your legal domicile for tax, voting, vehicle registration, etc. That has been established in court. We were physically there only once in all our fulltiming years.

Paul (KE5LXU), former fulltimer, now sometimer...

'03 Winnebago Ultimate Advantage 40E

'05 Honda Odyssey

Escapees, FMCA, WIT, SMART

http://www.pjrider.com

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Some people we talk to, including a CPA, say our Tax Home is where ever we are staying because we don’t have an actual house any more. Others, including a CPA, have said as long as we have the mailing address, vehicle registration, and voter registration in Livingston, it can be used as our Tax Home no matter where in the country we are during the year.

So did the first CPA fully understand that you had a "home" where you established your "domicile". Did that CPA also emphatically state he/she was very familiar with a domicile versus a sticks and bricks home. Then based on that detailed understanding, tell you that your tax home is the RV park in Houston where you were "temporarily" staying. Also did he/she also make the statement that WHEN you move (for example) to another RV Park for the next 3 months that your tax home would move there. How does this CPA address you staying in NY, CO, NJ, CA, etc. each for 1 month at a time. How do you account for all these "tax homes"? Is the advice from the CPA that you must pay income tax from investments and retirement including Social Security, in each state for the time you are in the state?

 

If that 1st CPA didn't consider all the above details, I would ignore his/her advice.

 

As Barb said don't make this overly complicated.

 

Of course as Barb said, if you have employment income from different states then you are subject to the laws of the state for the specific income from that state.

 

There would be another consideration if you were to work in a state for whatever number of months that state requires for them to claim you as a resident. Also some states, I have read, will look at utility bills, such as phone, and electric. If you are registered for and paying for those things, that goes a long ways in establishing you as a resident subject to their tax laws.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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Welcome to the Escapee forums and to the RV club as well! It's great having you as a part of our group and I hope that we get to see you at Escapade in Tucson next March.

 

Escapee members have used their mailing address in Livingston as their tax home for years. We did so for 12 years. Since Texas has no state income tax, it is only a federal issue and they really don't care where the money comes from, so long as you don't mind them reporting your location to your home state, You really don't need any CPA advice, just file as you always have, using the same address used for all other legal documents. That is your tax home.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Livingston is your tax home. That's where you vote. You can only vote in your home precinct. We've been doing this 10 yrs, so have 10 yrs worth of Fed taxes, all with Livingston listed as our home address. And we are never there - has been years since we have actually been in Livingston. Why are you trying to make this more complicated? Are you still working? If so, then if you earn money in a state with a state-income tax, you will have to file an out-of-state tax return in each state where you earn money. Is that your case?

 

Barb

This is what I understood from reading on the internet, and we know everything on the internet is true:)

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So did the first CPA fully understand that you had a "home" where you established your "domicile". Did that CPA also emphatically state he/she was very familiar with a domicile versus a sticks and bricks home. Then based on that detailed understanding, tell you that your tax home is the RV park in Houston where you were "temporarily" staying. Also did he/she also make the statement that WHEN you move (for example) to another RV Park for the next 3 months that your tax home would move there. How does this CPA address you staying in NY, CO, NJ, CA, etc. each for 1 month at a time. How do you account for all these "tax homes"? Is the advice from the CPA that you must pay income tax from investments and retirement including Social Security, in each state for the time you are in the state?

 

If that 1st CPA didn't consider all the above details, I would ignore his/her advice.

 

As Barb said don't make this overly complicated.

 

Of course as Barb said, if you have employment income from different states then you are subject to the laws of the state for the specific income from that state.

 

There would be another consideration if you were to work in a state for whatever number of months that state requires for them to claim you as a resident. Also some states, I have read, will look at utility bills, such as phone, and electric. If you are registered for and paying for those things, that goes a long ways in establishing you as a resident subject to their tax laws.

It was my wife that talked to the CPA and I don't think the CPA is clear on the situation or she is not familiar with this situation. We are trying to get this sorted out because my wife is starting her first contract as a travel nurse. The first three months we are staying in Houston. We expect to be moving every three to six months and use Livingston as our home base. I am going to retire when we start moving. Thanks for the information on state income tax as we travel, that is something else I was going to look into.

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It was my wife that talked to the CPA and I don't think the CPA is clear on the situation or she is not familiar with this situation. We are trying to get this sorted out because my wife is starting her first contract as a travel nurse. The first three months we are staying in Houston. We expect to be moving every three to six months and use Livingston as our home base. I am going to retire when we start moving. Thanks for the information on state income tax as we travel, that is something else I was going to look into.

Here is a link to a section in the RV-Dreams website where he discusses the tax implications of "workcampers".

 

Also you might consider opening an new topic asking if there are any other traveling nurses who would share how they handle their income taxes.

 

As you may be aware of there are quite a few traveling nurses in RV's. We have met several over the years.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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The problem with the Tax Home discussion is shucking your FORMER state. In my case NY. I must abide by NY law and practice to keep them from reclaiming us and our money. Primarily stay away for more than 182 days. Driving from NJ to CT through NY counts as a day in NY!.

 

There are many other things we have done, including changing lawyers and establishing doctor relationships out of NY. If they come after me I will need to decide whether to fight or not. The fight could cost more than the taxes.

 

Struggling to keep it simple

'12 Phaeton 36 QSH hauling '11 4 dr Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Rubicon 4 down. Follow our travels Click here

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Next time we do taxes I will try to locate a CPA familiar with tax laws regarding full time travelers.

Good luck with that! I suggest that you consider Livingston, TX to locate one as they are very rare. Many of them may think that they know the answers but there is a great deal of misinformation given out by "experts." Do remember that your travel expenses are not deductible and keep it simple.

 

If you accept paid employment in other states the income derived in each state will be subject to that state's tax laws but you won't need to be concerned about your federal "tax home." Living in TX where there is no state income tax, you are really making this issue far more complicated than it needs to be. Just file your federal tax forms using your mail service address and if there is a refund, have it direct deposited into your bank. There are many excellent tax preparation programs for the computer that do a very good and easy job and there is no need to pay some CPA or other tax preparation person.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Something else to consider that I discovered.....(you may want to talk to tax expert for your particular situation since you are married) but for me, I am retired, but like to work occasionally but will only do so in states that don't have income taxes. I discovered that in many states, my out of state pension is taxable income in the state I worked. So essentially I could be working just to pay state taxes on my retirement and whatever income I earned in a particular state. Everybody seems to want a piece of the proverbial pie.

Ya just can't RV without a hitch.....!

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Good luck with that! I suggest that you consider Livingston, TX to locate one as they are very rare. Many of them may think that they know the answers but there is a great deal of misinformation given out by "experts." Do remember that your travel expenses are not deductible and keep it simple.

 

If you accept paid employment in other states the income derived in each state will be subject to that state's tax laws but you won't need to be concerned about your federal "tax home." Living in TX where there is no state income tax, you are really making this issue far more complicated than it needs to be. Just file your federal tax forms using your mail service address and if there is a refund, have it direct deposited into your bank. There are many excellent tax preparation programs for the computer that do a very good and easy job and there is no need to pay some CPA or other tax preparation person.

 

I do plan to use a CPA in Livingston at least once to see what happens.

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