Full Timers.... How do you handle your mail?

[Honair]

What solutions are being used to handle hard copy mail while full timing?

My wife and I will be full timing without an home (selling the house and then picking up our 5.0TA) for however long we choose. (2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months.... or 2 years... only time will tell.)

While we are going paper less on all we can.... some hard copy mail will keep coming.

What solutions have been and or are being used?

[float5]

Are you members of the Escapees organization? (Not related to Escape trailers.) They have a huge mail service.

Depending upon your domicile, you would likely want a service in the same state although some use another state. Escapees forums have threads on this and people use many different services in a number of states but usually Fl, TX or SD because that is often their domicile.

Are you using Tennessee? Some point to TN for a domicile because of no state taxes but they tax capital gains so depends upon your situation. But probably have to have a fixed address for legal work so you may need another state. Expect you have looked at that.

[Honair]

Originally Posted by float5

Are you members of the Escapees organization? (Not related to Escape trailers.) They have a huge mail service.

Depending upon your domicile, you would likely want a service in the same state although some use another state. Escapees forums have threads on this and people use many different services in a number of states but usually Fl, TX or SD because that is often their domicile.

Are you using Tennessee? Some point to TN for a domicile because of no state taxes but they tax capital gains so depends upon your situation. But probably have to have a fixed address for legal work so you may need another state. Expect you have looked at that.

Thank you.

We will stay domicile in Tennessee.

To my understanding Tennessee has no income tax on wages and earned income and also no tax on Capital Gains. https://files.taxfoundation.org/lega...4-(large)2.png https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en...ll-Income-Tax-

But Tennessee does have tax on passive income such as dividends.

Thank you for the lead to the non ETI organization. We will check it out.

Merry Christmas!

[padlin]

As a part timer I have my mail forwarded to my son, anything worth knowing about he drops me a text. If I need it he'll scan and send me whatever. As far as bills go, I can pay anything on the bank website. Anything they have to send a check for just takes 8 or so days, electronic xfers are a day or 2 usually. I have all my regular bills on autopay on my Visa card, the Visa is autopay from my checking.

Only going for 3 months at a time I have yet to need something like drugs sent to me.

[float5]

Originally Posted by Honair

Thank you.

We will stay domicile in Tennessee.

To my understanding Tennessee has no income tax on wages and earned income and also no tax on Capital Gains. https://files.taxfoundation.org/lega...4-(large)2.png https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en...ll-Income-Tax-

But Tennessee does have tax on passive income such as dividends.

Thank you for the lead to the non ETI organization. We will check it out.

Merry Christmas!

Okay, then that tax on capital gains may have changed or it was reported wrong by some place, as perhaps it was dividends only all along.

Escapees covers every kind of problem you can have on their forum and you can also call their office about legal problems with regard to your address, mailing, etc. A good place for you to join and their magazine is very good.

Merry Christmas to you also! And good luck with the full timing and report back, so we know how it is going. So exciting for you!

[Mike Lewis]

There is another mail forwarding service for RV'ers: MyRVMail in Crestview, FL. I've used it on my long trips, but I believe most of their customers are fulltimers. I used their website to forward mail to me about once a month or so, and I've been pretty happy with their service. They are associated with Passport America. "myrvmail.com".

[Honair]

Thank you Cathy, Bob and Mike...... Great leads and ideas.



Thank you.

[float5]

You're welcome!

[Jeff and Karen]

We domiciled in South Dakota and chose Dakota Post in Sioux Falls for our mail service. We're very happy with both choices.

Dakota Post sends their customers pictures of each piece of mail that arrives, the day it arrives. Customers then choose to save it for future delivery, shred it, or have Dakota Post open and scan it. Dakota Post also handles all vehicle registration via mail and phone discussion, but other services do the same.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Jeff and Karen

We domiciled in South Dakota and chose Dakota Post in Sioux Falls for our mail service. We're very happy with both choices.

As others have reported. The general consensus is that SD, NV and TX offer the best tax advantages for full timers. The map posted earlier in this thread is revealing, although it deals with capital gains and not the overall tax burden. But, a map showing total tax burden would probably be similar.

[float5]

FL is one of the big three for fulltimers' domicile but taxes are not the determining factor for that. Fulltimers cannot domicile in most states with no income tax because those states require a fixed address for legal matters such as voting or driver's licenses. FL, SD and TX do not.

[alanmalk]

Something new that perhaps some folks have yet to discover.
The USPS will email you daily images of your mail. This
may, or may not, be useful. I am finding that they don't image
packages or even identify them with this service so it may not
be ready for prime time.

--
Alan

[Red Dog]

We also use Escapees RV Club. Our official address is in Livingston, TX. Our mail is forwarded to “general delivery” whenever we request it. Usually every two weeks. It works great for us.


Fred M.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Something new that perhaps some folks have yet to discover.
The USPS will email you daily images of your mail. This
may, or may not, be useful. I am finding that they don't image
packages or even identify them with this service so it may not
be ready for prime time.

--
Alan

Not only that Allan lately they say I have no mail and then I get 6 letters or they say I have 5 coming and there is no mail delivery . It hasn't been working very well . And yes does not scan packages . Pat

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by padlin

As a part timer I have my mail forwarded to my son, anything worth knowing about he drops me a text. If I need it he'll scan and send me whatever. As far as bills go, I can pay anything on the bank website. Anything they have to send a check for just takes 8 or so days, electronic xfers are a day or 2 usually. I have all my regular bills on autopay on my Visa card, the Visa is autopay from my checking.

Only going for 3 months at a time I have yet to need something like drugs sent to me.

Whether we go for a long time or a short time in the future, we are not going to give up our home. We will either forward mail like this to one of our kids, or just have them (or brothers or friends or neighbours) do it. Scan and forward anything that looks important. Most of our banking stuff is done online now anyway.

Another thing we might do too, is to have someone stay at our house to house sit. They could take care of all this stuff too.

We had considered putting everything in storage while we travel for a while too, and may yet do that, who knows. Regardless, if you still own property someone has to be at least checking it regularly for insurance purposes.

[Honair]

Jim:

I see you have a 2017 Escape 5.0 TA.

If you have time .... could you give me the dimensions of the interior in the stairs compartments in your 5.0TA? I am considering storing portable solar in the stair compartment(s)..... but have no clue if portable solar will fit.

Also.... it appears that you do not enough posts in this forum.... so another post will not hurt.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by float5

Fulltimers cannot domicile in most states with no income tax because those states require a fixed address for legal matters such as voting or driver's licenses. FL, SD and TX do not.

I've wondered how that works in terms of voting, licenses and passports, once you give up your fixed address. Are you now considered a permanent resident of that particular state and you vote in their elections? And your vehicle plates are from there as well? When crossing the border, when they ask where you live, do you rattle off that particular state even though you're full timing?

[jking1224]

Laura,

The proper term is "domicile". That refers to your "legal" state for all matters. It has little to do with your "residence". Well, it does. If you have a sticks and bricks home and that is your primary residence, it will be quite sticky to obtain legal domicile in another state.

However, if you have no home, are a nomad, you can obtain legal domicile in a state. Once this legal domicile is established, that is where you vote, file tax returns, usually establish a mail service as your "address", likely base your healthcare, register cars and drivers license, etc.

Some states, such as South Dakota, make it very easy and very attractive to domicile in their state. They have low requirements to establish domicile, have low or none income tax, do not require annual vehicle inspections, etc. However, it is usually not wise to establish domicile in a state that you never intend to return to, or it would way out of your way to go to if you did have to deal with a matter in person. Other popular states for Domicile are FL and TX for many of the same reasons.

[float5]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

I've wondered how that works in terms of voting, licenses and passports, once you give up your fixed address. Are you now considered a permanent resident of that particular state and you vote in their elections? And your vehicle plates are from there as well? When crossing the border, when they ask where you live, do you rattle off that particular state even though you're full timing?

On your passport, it does not have your address. If you want to put it, you should write it in pencil. Your passport is only for citizenship. No address used for it. I am pretty certain that it gives your birthplace, however.

You choose a domicile for voting and driver's license and car registrations. The time you spend can be important as many states go by 183 days. So if snowbirds spend more than that, say, in Florida, Florida may claim them as residents even if they say that their domicile is elsewhere.

You can only have one domicile and that is where you should have your business based. You have to look at the requirements of the state where you want your domicile and look at the state you are leaving. It is the one you are leaving likeliest to claim that you are still a resident there. So you need to get everything changed to your new or main residence. You can call the state offices that deal with it to get it all straight.

Yes, a fulltimer, if asked where from at the border, has a domicile the same as you and would give that, even if they are rarely there. That is why FL, TX and SD are used so much: The person does not have to be present to use them as a domicile after obtaining license, voting, registrations, etc. SD asks people to sign that they will live in SD when they get off of the road, so I understand.

And again, you cannot just pick any state and say it is your domicile if on the road with no fixed address. Almost no states will let you do that. That is why people use FL, TX, SD.

[Greg A]

One item has caused some issues for full timers with no residence. Banks will require a fixed residence address per the Patriot Act and will not accept mail forwarders or boxes. Many have used friends or relatives that are in the domicile state to satisfy this requirement or as mentioned above Escapees will provide one with an acceptable permanent residence address in FL, SD, and TX to meet the requirement.