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This is not legal advice.
This article is focused on United States definitions and usage; other countries may differ. You can help by editing this wiki!
TLDR
For those who live in conventional homes and apartments, these three are usually all the same, though some people have their mail delivered to a PO Box or elsewhere.
For nomads, things are more complex. Society is set up for conventional living situations, so a little extra work is required for those who wish to live on the road.
Residence
Your residence (aka physical address) is the place you would call home if you lived there full time. It is important that all your contacts know that you do not receive mail at this address, unless the person who lives there is your de facto mail forwarder; you receive mail at your mailing address instead.
Domicile
Your domicile is the state where the legal residence is1). Your domicile will be:
where your drivers and concealed carry licenses are issued
where you can be registered to vote
where your vehicles are titled
where you pay state income tax, if applicable
used to calculate base sales tax for online or mail order transactions, if applicable
Domicile is a combination of two factors namely, residence and intent to remain… An individual may have several residences whereas; s/he will have only one domicile. Domicile is more used in reference to personal rights, duties and obligations[ii].
2)
Income Tax by State
State income taxes range from 0% to 7% or more. If you have high earnings, this variation could make a significant difference in your tax expenses.
Wikipedia: Income tax by state
Alaska - None
-
Florida - None
Montana - 6.90% max. MT taxes social security payments
Nevada - None
New Hampshire - None. Interest and dividends: 5.00%
New Mexico - 4.90% max
South Dakota - None
Tennessee - None. Interest and dividends: 6.00%
Texas - None
Washington - None. Estate tax.
4)
Wyoming - None
Sales Tax by State
State sales taxes vary from 0% to 8% or more. If you spend a lot, or purchase a vehicle in these states, this variation could make a significant difference in your tax expenses.
Tax-Rates.org: Sales Tax by State
Alaska - None
Arizona - 5.60%
Florida - 6.00%. Florida charges 6% sales tax on vehicle registrations and has inter-state tax reciprocity.
5)
Montana - None
Nevada - 6.85%. Nevada does not collect sales taxes on private party vehicle sales.
6)
New Hampshire - None
New Mexico - 5.13%
South Dakota - 4.00%. The state excise tax paid on new registrations for vehicles is 4%.
7) Local sales tax does not apply to sales of motor vehicles.
8) Some SD counties charge a nominal “wheel tax” when registering vehicles.
9) 2012 figures showed a range from $0/wheel to $4/wheel.
10)
Tennessee - 7.00%
Texas - 6.25%. Texas charges 6.25% state sales tax on vehicle registrations.
11) Private sale taxes will be based on the
Standard Presumptive Value.
Washington - 6.50%
Wyoming - 4.00%
Vehicle Inspections by State
Wikipedia: Vehicle inspection in the U.S.
Alaska - None
Arizona - None. Some emission testing.
Florida - None
Montana - None
Nevada - None. Vehicles registered in urban areas in Clark county (Las Vegas) and Washoe county (Reno) require emission testing.
12)
New Hampshire - Annual
New Mexico - None. Some emission testing.
South Dakota - None
Tennessee - None. Some emission testing.
Texas - Annual
13). Some counties in Texas require emission testing during annual inspection:
14) Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Program Area: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties.
Dallas-Fort Worth Program Area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties.
Austin Area: Travis and Williamson counties.
El Paso Area: El Paso County.
Washington - None. Some emission testing.
Wyoming - None
Handgun Carry by State
Wikipedia: Concealed carry in the U.S.
USACarry.com: CC permit reciprocity
Alaska - Unrestricted. Shall issue.
Arizona - Unrestricted. Shall issue.
Florida - Shall issue.
Montana - Shall issue.
Nevada - Shall issue.
New Hampshire - Shall issue.
New Mexico - Shall issue.
South Dakota - Shall issue regular and “enhanced” permits. Some reciprocity limitations.
15)
Tennessee - Shall issue.
Texas - Shall issue.
Washington - Shall issue.
Wyoming - Unrestricted. Shall issue.
Residency Requirements by State
Domiciling Resources
Mailing Address
Your mailing address is the place your mail should be sent. This is usually a mail forwarding service for most nomads, but may also be the home of a trusted relative or friend who does not expect to move for a long time.
Making the Residence/Domicile/Mailing decision
Approaching these choices methodically will keep mistakes and distress to a minimum. If your sticks-and-bricks address was acceptable from a domicile/residence point of view it is probably best to keep them. You already have official ID, etc. Mail forwarding can be anywhere.
Pick your domicile state first. Common criteria: income tax, health insurance, auto registration costs, auto insurance costs, auto inspection requirements, sales tax, absentee voting.
Then
pick your legal residence. Commmon criteria: local sales tax
16), emissions testing in particular metro areas.
Then pick a mail forwarder. Common criteria: same state as domicile, pricing, reputation, etc.
See also: suggested timeline for hitting the road