Montana LLC Registration for Traveling Nurses and Frequent Travelers: A Smart Way to Save on Taxes
2020 was a year that caused a whole lot of turmoil in the world, but it also shifted a lot of the way we went about work. First, there was the online or remote revolution. Millions of people started working in their PJs and gym shorts, throwing on an acceptable top when they had to log into Zoom or Teams. But another work-related trend started around this same time: the prevalence of traveling nurses.
Now, traveling workers is nothing new; door-to-door salesmen and a bunch of other similar jobs have been doing this forever. But the sheer volume and prevalence of traveling nurses and other similar workers is something new.
But where do you register your car or truck if you are constantly on the road? If you have a better opportunity to save some cash when you are registering your car, would you do it?
Why Choose Montana Registration for Your Vehicle?
There are a lot of good reasons why you would want to choose a Montana registration for your vehicle, and you don’t have to work on the road to enjoy them either. But if you are always putting down serious miles, you ought to think about how and where you are doing your vehicle registration.
Montana is, in our opinion, the best option. Are we a little biased? Maybe. But we are also users of our system, and it works no matter where you live. So, if you happen to be living out of a suitcase going from hospital to hospital, clinic to clinic, should you really be worrying about paying your sales taxes and having to go in-person to your domicile state? No, we don’t think so.
We have talked about domicile versus residence a lot over the years, and we’ll cover it again really quickly here. Your domicile is where you permanently reside; i.e., your main house and assets are there. But you can have residency in multiple locations. And for Montana, an LLC is sufficient to prove residency for the sake of titling and registering vehicles.
But why go through the trouble of starting an LLC just to prove residency? Zero sales taxes, that’s why. But how much does that really save you?
According to Kelley Blue Book, the average new car was sold for $47,401 in January 2024. Now, for me paying a ridiculous 7.85% sales tax rate, that would set me back $3,720.98. And I can confirm this after registering my almost-new travel trailer last year that set me back over two Gs. Oof.
How Montana LLC Vehicle Registration Works
So, the process works like this: unlike other states we either work with or have worked with in the past, Montana does require you to have residence in the state. But that does not mean that you have to physically live in Montana, or even set foot in the state for our program to work.
Here’s a brief rundown on how our program works:
Buy the Montana Registration Service.
Complete the order form.
We ship out paperwork for you to fill out. You fill it out.
Either mail it back in a pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope or upload the paperwork.
We do all the preparation and send the documents to the Montana DMV.
The order is shipped directly to you from the DMV.
Why This Option is Perfect for Traveling Nurses and Mobile Professionals
We get that most traveling nurses and other mobile professionals probably have a domicile. But if you are always on the go, why should you be tethered to that state for your car registration? Especially if you end up needing (or wanting) to buy a new car while you are out of state. What a pain that would be! First, you need to get a VIN inspection conducted even though it’s a new car, which has to be done in your home state! So, you have to drive it all the way back to wherever you call home so Johnny Law can look at the VIN for 5 minutes and sign the form.
But wait, there’s more. If your domicile state is anything like my home state of Kansas, you can’t do the initial titling or registration online; it has to be done in person. So you still have to go to the DMV, do the paperwork, and pay the taxes. This is not efficient. Instead, have us do it all online, pay zero sales taxes, and the Montana DMV will ship all of the paperwork and the new tags to your address. That’s it.
Cost Savings with Montana LLC Registration
I already ran down what a Montana registration would save me in sales tax, but let’s look at the national average.
According to the Sales Tax Handbook, the national average is around 7.1% so that a totally average new car at $47,401 will cost roughly $3,365. Of course, if you live in California where the state average soars to 8.66%, that number goes up to about $4,105. And don’t forget: once that car gets to be over eight years old, it has to be smog checked. Your car will never need a smog check or state inspection with a Montana registration.
The Practical Benefits of Montana Plates on the Road
I just touched on this at the end of the last section, but there are a few practical benefits for you, especially our friends in California.
First, no smog checks ever.
Second, no state inspections ever.
Third, the registration becomes permanent when the vehicle is eleven years old and older meaning you never have to pay for registration again. Yes, you will have to keep your Montana LLC up to date and active annually (which we can do for you), but that’s it. And the more vehicles you own in the LLC, the lower the LLC costs to maintain per vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions about Montana LLC Registration for Travelers
Here are a few of the most often-asked questions we get from people who are thinking about using our Montana LLC registration program.
Can I Use My Montana Plates in Any State?
Of course you can use them in any state! They are fully legitimate and street legal everywhere in the U.S., just like any other state’s license plates and registration. You are a legal resident of Montana by way of the LLC, though.
Will This Affect My Insurance?
It shouldn’t affect your insurance cost, but you should let your insurance provider know what you are doing and make sure they are okay with it. If they aren’t, check out our preferred insurance providers.
Do I Have to Go to Montana to Set This Up?
Absolutely not! We handle everything and start it the second you click the buy button. You never have to leave your home state, or even your couch!
What Should I Do if I Change My Primary Vehicle?
You can sell your vehicle like anywhere else. Once you do, if you choose to retain the LLC for a new purchase, the process will be the same for you except you won’t have to do the LLC formation portion of the process.
Why Montana LLC Vehicle Registration Isn’t Just for High-End or Specialty Vehicles
Contrary to popular belief, the Montana LLC registration is no longer for the elites and super-rich. It is also for the everyday mom who is also a traveling nurse and has bigger things to worry about than waiting in line for two hours to title and register her new minivan.
When the national average new car price is just shy of fifty thousand dollars, everyone could use a piece of this savings.
Get Started with Montana LLC Registration Today
Dirt Legal has been making it easy for people to register their cars, trucks, RVs, trailers, UTVs & ATVs, and even boats in Montana! Now it’s your turn. Take back some of what is yours and get started now. You can save thousands of dollars and also get rid of the hassle and frustration of dealing with the DMV. Instead, let us handle it all for you. We have helped over twenty thousand people just like you, and we will keep helping people just like you!
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