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Which US state should I set up residency in?


by @simplgy 9yr  | 13 comments

I’m trying to decide which US state to set up residence in.

This is a complicated question. For one thing, deciding where you want to reside depends on things like:

  • Income Tax (None in FL, TX, NV, WA, SD, TN (excpt dvnds)
  • Sales Tax (especially for vehicles)
  • Property Tax
  • Health Insurance rules for those who aren’t in-state much

And requirements like:

  • How long do you have to be in-state?
  • How often do you have to renew Driver’s License and Registration?
  • Can you get out of jury duty because you’re gone?

RVers have been doing this for a while:

And there are some new complications:

The Patriot Act now requires that financial institutions have a residential address on file for each of their customers, and it explicitly excludes the use of mail forwarding addresses for this purpose.

So I wanted to start a thread that gathers some good information on how people make this decision, problems they’ve had, and things they’ve learned.

For me it might make sense to stay in FL because it’s tax-free, I have the license already, and they have no in-state requirement. But I have no family or real address there if it’s ever required, and I don’t see myself owning land there because it’s too far from a major airport.

Nevada or TX makes sense if I’m going to buy some land and stay in the winters–both are by good airports and have strong tech communities.

Maybe folks want to contribute to a spreadsheet that has some of this data filled in? Or we can keep it in this thread?

For most of us that are earning right now, the short list is probably the states with no income tax, but there are other considerations and I want to make sure we know what we’re getting in to.

How have you all made this decision?

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I did some research on Puerto Rico and went there… I was thinking about moving there for tax reasons. If you have investments in the US it won’t really count… you’ll need investments in other parts of the world or puerto rico to get the zero tax on capital gains and dividends… and as far as income… if you are in puerto rico and most of your clients are in the US… this won’t count ( I believe… not completely sure on this one) … I know for sure if you have any form of address in the US it won’t count. Honestly… the tax incentive are huge… but living in puerto rico is not what I want to do… you can still save a lot but in a different way by going to places with low coast of living… yea, you’ll still get taxed wherever you are in the world as an American citizen… but if your cost of living is so ridiculously low it won’t matter…

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@mwp 9yr

One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is the link between state residency and business franchise fee structure. Especially if you plan to operate several businesses, this can get very expensive. From experience I know that California has things set up where it is very difficult to avoid their yearly franchise tax fees ($800 minimum) for both LLCs and Corporations, whether your entity is formed in state or out of state if you are a resident. I imagine a similar situation exists in other high tax states, but possibly even in no income tax states with high franchise fees.

Actually, Washington state has no tax on individuals but does have a tax on businesses. It is called the B&O tax which is a gross receipts tax and is the reason I chose not to form a business there.

BTW, California does have a similar deal to the FEIE which is called “safe harbor”. Major difference is they have a 546 day time window to be out of the USA vs the FEIE which operates on a 365 day window. There is also a 200K limit on intangible income which might nail you if you have lots of investments or certain royalties, etc.

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I set up a Seattle mailbox with Traveling Mailbox. It is a real address, not a PO box, so I haven’t had any issues plus WA state doesn’t have income tax or businesses or individuals. Was even able to get a drivers licenses with my mailbox.

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Curious to hear about peoples’ experiences with Patriot Act address verification.

We’ve had residency in TX for some time now with our only address being a mail forwarding address and are starting to run into problems with our banks.

Has anyone figured out a way to get around this, or had experience dealing with financial institutions regarding the Patriot Act?

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@nomadicme 9yr

Yes, I too have been receiving notices from banks recently re address verification. Quite annoying. I have been with these banks many years too - so not sure what triggered the need for new verification. They are requesting a utility bill. Causing a huge headache… likely to lose that account. Sucks that the Patriot Act is causing legitimate US citizens who pay US Federal & State taxes to lose bank accounts. We aren’t doing anything wrong but are caught up in their net. Very annoying.

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Let me know how the situation progresses on your end. Curious to know your experiences as things unfold.

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maybe you don’t want to pick a state, but the common wealth of Puerto Rico… if you are a US resident already you can go to PR for amazing tax breaks…

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@simplgy 9yr

Sounds interesting. Have you done this? Know an article that’s a first-person account of the process? I see a lot of “Puerto Rico is a Tax Haven” summary articles, but nothing practical.

It also looks like a break on income derived from Puerto Rican sources, as well as capital gains and dividends earned after being a resident. Residents must live in the territory 50% of the year. Am I missing something useful?

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I don’t believe that to be true. Tax liability varies by state and not all states recognize FEIE, it’s at the federal level.

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Yeah, Simple mentioned that above.

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if you qualify for the FEIE it doesn’t matter what state you’re in. My mail gets sent to my mom in Indiana. My DL is from AZ because that’s where I lived when I last owned a car. I’ve not changed it because I’ve not owned a car since 2001 (haven’t lived in AZ since then either) and it doesn’t expire until I’m 65.

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@simplgy 9yr

I didn’t realize that this is probably true. For most people, your state of residence doesn’t matter. For California though (and maybe others), it is very difficult to move away, and the Foreign Earned Income Exemption is irrelevant. Don’t want this to take anyone by surprise. It’s a shady move on California’s Franchise Tax Board’s part and they don’t deserve extra money for it.

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@simplgy 9yr

I started a spreadsheet for this, if you’d like to contribute:

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Read and participate in 14,117 discussions on Nomad List

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What features would you like to see on Nomad List?


by @levelsio 3yr 3 years ago  | 3 comments

Hi everyone,

I would love to hear what you'd like me to build next on Nomad List, or any other product/feature feedback ideas you have.

It's been 6+ years now but I'm in this for the long term and with the boost remote work got last year it's even more exciting to work on Nomad List than ever.

Current roadmap is here: twitter.com/levelsio/status/1363204985488572417?s=20 and pbs.twimg.com/media/EusS9PKXEAUR8xp?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

The next products/features I have planned:

- 🛂 Rebase: visa, residency and immigration services for remote workers

- 🎓Courses: learn the steps how to go remote and travel/relocate

- 🏛 Gov liaison: diplomacy services to the governments to help us lobby for nomads and for them to attract remote workers

Thanks a lot!

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What are the best places right now in the Caribbean/LatAM? (Also cheapest flights/accommodation?)


by @orangutan3 3yr 3 years ago  | 1 comment

What are the best places right now in the Caribbean/LatAM? (Also cheapest flights/accommodation?) Asking from the US.

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List of Visa/Residency Information in Table/Spreadsheet format?


by @innovatelife 3yr 3 years ago  | 2 comments

As part of signing up for this website I was hoping I would come across a list of Visa and/or Residency requirements by country ideally in a table format to assist with decision making. Does anybody recommend any other websites that might present the information in this format (or Google Spreadsheet)?

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Most Walkable Neighborhood / City In The World ?


by @dannybooboo 3yr 3 years ago  | 1 comment

I love living in walkable areas of town. I can always find them. But now I'm wondering where in the world are the most walkable places? I'm imagining walk streets (no cars), zoning allowing both business and residential, parks or beaches ,etc.

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Any nomads in Arizona, US?


in Netherlands by @info132 3yr 3 years ago  | 4 comments

Hi guys,

After the Netherlands, the Bay Area, Colorado and being on the van life for 8 months, I am now in Sedona, AZ with a few other digital nomads. We are sharing a home here and are wondering if there are more like minded people in the area.

We do a bunch of hikes and campouts in the northern of Arizona. If you would like to connect with us, please do so :)

Val

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International number & internet?


by @leobassam 3yr 3 years ago  | 1 comment

Has anyone figured out a way to get setup with a virtual number and internet connection anywhere you go?

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Are there any tax issues I have to be aware of?


in Germany by @clara 3yr 3 years ago  | 0 comments

Hi everybody. I live and work in Germany and want to go to Canary Islands for 6 months to work from there. I'm going to keep my current job, just change the "home" in the home office part of things. Are there any tax issues I have to be aware of? I was reading about becoming a residence after 183 days, thus having to pay taxes there plus my employer having to register there. Does anybody know how it works exactly? Thanks a lot!

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Chiang Mai accommodation


in Chiang Mai , Thailand by @bertieb 3yr 3 years ago  | 0 comments

Can anyone recommend a good accommodation website for Chiang Mai?

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Is anyone travelling right now?


by @viktor 3yr 3 years ago  | 3 comments

Winter is coming and I’m feeling the ache of travelling after being stuck in the same place since the Pandemic started. Wondering if anyone is travelling right now? If so, where are you currently located and how is the situation where you are?

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Anyone up to explore some city which is kinda virus safe?


in Bangkok , Thailand by @germanrobert 3yr 3 years ago  | 2 comments

Hello World!

I'm an experienced Digital Nomad and after being in Lockdown in Bangkok and Germany for one year I would like to team up with someone to visit a new place. Or just doing some exchange about what destinations would be interesting currently.

I take the virus seriously and still I think we can still be able to take our life in our own hands. So I'm aiming for cities/countries which are not in full lockdown, are not too complicated about immigration (I'm looking at you Thailand, your state quarantine costs like 1k USD and is basically a prison) and is also rather safe regarding the virus. I tend to stick for rather big cities and like culture. I'm not a beach or nature person. I'm pretty flexible about the money topic.

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Holà ! What's the internet / wifi situation in Sayulita ?


in Puerto Escondido , Mexico by @ambroisedebret 3yr 3 years ago  | 0 comments

After being told it's unworkable in Puerto Escondido, looking for alternatives :)

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How to find accomodation in Las Palmas, Canary Islands


in , Spain by @philippg 3yr 3 years ago  | 2 comments

Hi, we are trying to find a house to rent for 2-3 persons near Las Palmas for 4-5 months at the moment and it seems to be almost impossible except through Airbnb which is super expensive. Any advises or local contacts?

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If you're American but live in Guatemala, do you still count as American for travel purposes?


in Guatemala by @chasindreams 3yr 3 years ago  | 0 comments

What I mean is, for example, since most of the EU has banned Americans, if I live in Guatemala and will be traveling FROM Guatemala to the EU, could I get in? Or does the ban count for all Americans regardless of where they live?

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Ukraine Residency


in Ukraine by @reticle 3yr 3 years ago  | 1 comment

I have a slightly above average US income which I can work remotely from paired with a $1000 a month income stream and more than enough to purchase a middle end Flat in Ukraine. Does anyone with knowledge of this process have any advice to acquire a reliable way to stay in the country?

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Are co-working spaces a good way to meet people in a new city?


by @donaldbough 3yr 3 years ago  | 1 comment

My fiancée and I are most likely moving to NYC (maybe DC) in August, and as a technical startup co-founder I'd love to meet new people that are also into startups. Would joining a co-working space be worth the money to do this?

I work for a big tech company that has an office in NYC, but it's mainly sales so I wouldn't be able to meet others that are related to any of my 9-5 work or likely into tech.

If co-working spaces, post covid of course, aren't a good way to meet business starting people in a new city, what is?

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Are there any digital nomads in the Islands e.g Bermuda, Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis?


in Antigua , Guatemala by @momo11 3yr 3 years ago  | 3 comments

Does anyone ever travel to any Islands like Bermuda, Barbados, Barbuda and St. Kitts & Nevis?

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Is La Gomera a nice place to stay?


in Norway by @kvarsten 3yr 3 years ago  | 1 comment

Hi, my name is Eric and I am a remote worker from Norway. Me and a friend is flying into Gran Canaria on Friday and spending two weeks in San Agustin on the south side of the Island.

After that we are pondering about staying in La Gomera. Does anyone of you have an experience staying there or are there anyone of you staying there now? :)

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Is there a map of countries open for travel now?


in Russia by @vernon99 3yr 3 years ago  | 8 comments

I have two passports from different countries and am trying to understand where can I travel now. Is there a publicly available map of countries open for visitors by passport country that I can use to see what are my options? I was pretty sure such a thing should exist, but cannot easily find any.

Maybe at least there're maps for specific passports? Mine are Russian and American.

If there's no such thing, I'd be down to build one, let me know if interested to collaborate :)

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Any good coliving or other monthly rentals in Seville?


in Seville , Spain by @antoine_th 3yr 3 years ago  | 0 comments

Hello Everyone

I'm planning to stay in Seville for 6 weeks for mid January - end of February. Do you any recommandations for a coliving or a place to live in?

Thanks 🙏

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Are restaurants, cafes and malls working in Mexico City taking into account COVID situation?


in Mexico by @thateverdmitriy 3yr 3 years ago  | 1 comment

I am planning to travel to Mexico City next weekend and stay for 7-10 days there. I wonder if cafes, stores and other places like these work? And if cafes work, do they work as usual or only for take away&delivery? Will be very thankful if someone can help here.

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