Changing Domicile

[shovelhead86]

I wish that someone could run me through the basics of moving my place of residence from Mn to S. Dakota. Also I heard some bad stuff about medical insurance. What's all that about?
thanks
John

[1retired06]

Dakotapost.com has a webpage and folks who can explain the legalities. SD has been our legal residence since 2002. Not hard if you are a full timer. Can't speak to any medical insurance issues, as ours is good everywhere.

[stengels]

You are required to get your drivers license in the state (mandatory physical presence there) and renew in person every 5 years, but as indicated here, dakotapost will basically take care of everything else for you.

[mazboy]

simple. spend one night in SD and file. use a mail service like www.mydakotaaddress.com. talk to terri about your questions.

also, like above, can't speak on medical insurance.

[TLightning]

Saw in your profile you are over 65. Therefore you automatically have medical insurance...Medicare. As for a supplemental coverage...you're on your own.

[1retired06]

One key factor, you cannot live in another location (Same)out of state for more than 179 days. We have a lake house on Lake Gaston, in NC and carry it as a vacation home, taxes on it sent to SD, and we are careful to adhere to that 179 day requirement.

[PackerFan]

1retired06: Are there people who go around and count the days you are there? How would anyone ever track that?

[JandC]

I agree with Scott, unless you are full time and trying to run a multi million dollar corporation the IRS won't be in your rear view mirror or taking your pic at the truck stop when you get fuel.

The most difficult issues have to do with insurance. Another problem could come up if you change your domicile in the middle of a tax year.

[1retired06]

quote:Originally posted by PackerFan

1retired06: Are there people who go around and count the days you are there? How would anyone ever track that?

NC does. 181 days, and we get to register cars and pay state tax to NC. Pays to play it safe. We keep all our receipts for our 5 Months in Florida each winter plus travel

[phillyg]

quote:Originally posted by PackerFan

1retired06: Are there people who go around and count the days you are there? How would anyone ever track that?

Do you use a cell phone or use the internet? If your calls are bouncing off towers located in one state for, let's say 200 days, and push comes to shove, you're challenged by a state that wants your money, those calls could be used as evidence against you. Now, I'm not saying that's ever going to happen, but it's extremely difficult to go off the grid, so to speak,and a determined govt. jurisdiction has tools available to it to capture all its residents.

[JandC]

You have to apply a little common sense. If you are actually full time in an RV and traveling then the federal government would not expect you to spend half your time in your home state. The whole time we were full time we only spent about 3 or 4 months total in our home state, does that mean I wasn't a resident of that state anymore?

The whole issue of proving you are in a certain state for at least 6 months generally has to do with some type of homestead on property taxes. It can also come into play when other states have their own income taxes, but if you don't have earned income and you do not currently own a home, then how can the federal government, or any type of authority, tell you to stay home 6 months out of the year?

If that was the case then most of us could only have experienced full time RVing for 6 months out of the year.

When we got our Florida driver's license and Florida registrations in 2015 there were 1,000 folks per day moving to the state of Florida. There are millions of people moving all over. I hope we are not the ones the Feds are paying attention to.

[1retired06]

As fulltimers we retired out of Virgina. Fairly high taxes. Huge personal property tax bills on our vehicles and RVs. We picked a new homestate, like most fulltimers do, a state which has no state income tax and/or other tax benefits. That is why you see lots of Texas, Florida, SD, plates. When we came off the road, and bought the house in NC, NC and SD state law allowed us to maintain SD legal residence . We do pay property tax on the house, and personal property tax on our boat, to NC regardless of time spent in NC. Tax is paid by whoever holds the deed or title. Because most of the homes on the lake are vacation homes owned by out of state folks, many from VA,PA,and NJ, you see a myriad of state plates in every neighborhood. Each state is different so a careful analysis of state law is necessary to ensure you can be in compliance with both sates, based on your particular lifestyle schedule. Does not work for everybody.

[prfcdoc]

quote:Originally posted by shovelhead86

I wish that someone could run me through the basics of moving my place of residence from Mn to S. Dakota. Also I heard some bad stuff about medical insurance. What's all that about?
thanks
John

Traditional Medicare with a supplemental (for example plan F) from a large National company should be little or no problem but read the policy. A Medicare HMO would be a nightmare, though. You must have everything, (all of your tests, labs, referrals, etc.) done through your primary care doctor and you can only see physicians within the HMO except in an emergency. Although you might think that you would be covered when out of state, I have seen multiple issues where reimbursement was denied, either due to the allegation that the patient should have traveled back to their primary care doctor or only the immediate issue was reimbursed and the patient had to return to the fold for any followup. HMOs tend to be very regional so their physicians aren't generally available all over the US.

Bob