How to handle domicile/mail if living out of truck

You can have a PO box for a mailing address but must also have a physical address. The thinking is if they want to come and take you to jail staking out the PO box wouldn't yield you. I use UPS store box with my box number as a suite number. If you go to the DMV don't go to one near your box address as they may recognize the address and refuse to let you use it. If you know where you are going to be a few days ahead of time (terminal, truck stop, motel, etc.) UPS will forward your mail to you for a fee. Rich-t is right about the per diem. You could be setting yourself up for trouble with the IRS if they catch you. This is the part where they come looking for you to put you in jail.

 

My driver's license and car registration address shows the P O Box. I did that years ago when there was a rash of car break ins and the thieves were stealing your car registration and garage door opener. Then they nonchalantly open your garage door, close your garage door and take every thing that is not nailed down out of your house and leave. DMV had no problem with a P O Box on my papers or license. Whenever I had been pulled over the cops just asked if the address was current.

 

We use a PO Box for mail but haven't changed it on our license. We also use a friend's address as a physical address for our company. but come september we will be moving so the DMV office should be fun..

 

From trucking tax shows I've listened to on XM, in order to get the IRS per diem deductions, you must have a taxable home address, or whatever the term is. Basically a home, apartment, a room you rent out from someone...etc. You can pay them 100 a year or whatever to 'rent' out a room, just so you have that address so you can qualify for the IRS that you are actually AWAY from that address...hence the per diem.

 

A little more to it than that.

Pub 463 IRS

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html#en_US_publink100033754

Factors used to determine tax home. If you do not have a regular or main place of business or work, use the following three factors to determine where your tax home is.

1. You perform part of your business in the area of your main home and use that home for lodging while doing business in the area.
2. You have living expenses at your main home that you duplicate because your business requires you to be away from that home.
3. You have not abandoned the area in which both your historical place of lodging and your claimed main home are located; you have a member or members of your family living at your main home; or you often use that home for lodging.

If you satisfy all three factors, your tax home is the home where you regularly live. If you satisfy only two factors, you may have a tax home depending on all the facts and circumstances. If you satisfy only one factor, you are an itinerant; your tax home is wherever you work and you cannot deduct travel expenses.





Basically means maintaining a home not a bed rental or post office box.

 

CA will allow the use of PO boxes for your address. You are still eligible for your per diem as well.
I have been using a mail forwarding service for years. It appears like a regular address to anyone sending me mail, but is held until I notify the service where and when to foward my mail.
Your state of residence is where your CDL is located.
Some states require more to be a resident than others. There are some that cater to the 'indigent' resident. Those include N.Dakota, Texas and Florida. This is why 'full timers' in the RV world use these states as their residence.
Go to RV forums such as Goodsamclub.com or Escapees.com to learn more.

 

Truckers Home Base is set up to do just that. It's harder and harder to get a CDL with just a PO Box or a UPS store box.

 

I'm pretty sure if you claim CA as your home state, If you are ever unemployed, you cant get unemployment as a trucker. Can't remember why, but i know i read it this past month. You should check on this for the future. Never know???