OPINIONS ON MONTANA REGISTRATION

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Kurtj29

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If you ever have big bucks for retirement... Whitefish or Big Fork. haha
Sadly, Montana has been "discovered". For the prices, I would head out to Washington or Oregon. Oh wait, don't do that.

If you don't want to pay sales tax - go to Oregon (but you will pay an state income tax)
If you don't want to pay a state income tax - go to Washington. ( but you will pay a steep sales tax)

Pick your poison.
 

Donovan

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If you ever have big bucks for retirement... Whitefish or Big Fork. haha
I mean... what is retirement really?

I would have a house out there for think tank purposes and parties for my buds or business partners to think and live freely. This state is gun friendly correct?

Whats the demographic?
 

Keith88

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I mean... what is retirement really?

I would have a house out there for think tank purposes and parties for my buds or business partners to think and live freely. This state is gun friendly correct?

Whats the demographic?
Montana is mostly a RED state but with Lib base in the "big" cities. Its a very free state. Do whatever you want as long as you're not hurting anyone, its great. Gun rights are the same as here in Idaho. I think its total population is just over a Million now. The biggest thing is geographically... western and eastern Montana are 2 totally different worlds haha. Western is where you wanna be.

I tried to make a life for myself there but Jobs that pay well are few n far between so I came to Idaho.
 
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RobW33

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I had the same dilemma when I bought my 2018 a little over 4 years ago. I got Montana plates that were the same color as CA plates and always drove a bit paranoid. After one year I registered the truck in CA without paying sales tax. Felt guilty for about 10 minutes. I convinced myself this was ok because of how CA charges sales tax on every vehicle transaction at sale price, even if there is a trade in. I do have family in MT, so it wasn't an LLC. The Montana DMV is cool with it - they even told me I need to be careful because states are cracking down on MT registrations. Good luck either way!
 

GordoJay

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I don't understand, "cracking down on MT registrations"

I can register whatever, wherever I want. If I have a reason to register it there, aka LLC. LOL. I can have a MT company, am I right gents?
Arizona is well known for pulling over anything that looks like a work vehicle but has out-of-state plates and relentlessly quizzing the driver. Even if you get away with it, at some point it's not worth the hassle. I like the one year and then reregister trick.
 

RobW33

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Sorry - the MT DMV told me that California CHP is on the lookout for out of state plates, cracking down on those who try to skirt sales tax and registration. Corrective action is to register the truck properly or have it leave the state. I've done this a number of times over the last 20+ years. One time I got a letter from CHP telling me to take care of registration, so I just sold the car and replied with that information. Another time I got a letter from CHP telling me I was reported by someone, basically to tell me I am cheating the state out of tax money. Oddly, that letter came more than a year after I bought the car. In CA if you own a car for more than one year you do not have to pay sales tax when registering it. I liked having a real address in Montana, so I could at least try to say I spend a good amount of time there at my second home.
 

squeak

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I looked into the Montana llc but hadn't decided. How do you get the correct insurance in Montana? My insurance agent is cool and said it must be insured where it's registered. He also said that the insurance premium has to be compatible with where you are normally driving or you could be defrauding (probably not the right term) the insurance company and they can come after you. Started to seem a little risky.
 
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