Alaska Residency and full time liveaboard

My wife and I are looking forward to me retiring from the Air Force after 30 plus years. We want to buy a trawler for full time living/cruising but need info on state residency.
I have loved Alaska since stationed there oh so long ago.
Can I claim residency by owning a slip in AK though we will be on the "road" most of the year...
And what SE town would be best?
Alaska for the obvious tax benefits.
Thanks in advance,
Loadmaster Lance

Not sure what the requirements for residency are in AK, every state is different for example WY is 163 days in order to claim their tax benefits, in AZ we couldn't claim state boating benefits until we were there a minimum of 6 months.

Alaska, except for our annual cash payout isn't about what you claim.

Since we have no taxes there's nothing to claim or not claim.

If you want to establish Residency get a physical address, a mailing address and a drivers license.

I do not know how it is now, I've been here for 2 decades but all I needed to get an alaska license was proof of identification.

No it's more about not having my retirement taxed excessively nor having politicians taking away my rights one by one.
My question was how do you claim state residency when you live aboard full time?

When I worked for the AHMS, the locals were paid a higher rate justified as a cost of living while some of us who commuted were paid transportation. Only residents can claim the Permanent Fund checks. Those who tried to claim residency merely by obtaining a mailing address were subject to legal problems.

The commuters who actually rented a house or apartment and used it occasionally seemed to get away with claiming residency but the State takes such claims seriously.

lancea said:

My question was how do you claim state residency when you live aboard full time?

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Call the State and ask. Depending on how big a slice of the pie you want there may be different standards required to qualify.

As KS stated. Look at the residency law and live buy it. Also if you are going to be out of state (like me) then DO NOT apply for the PFD. You will get busted.

According to AK state law as long as you don't do anything to jeopardize your residency, then you will be find. The most pain is getting someone to forward your mail. I retire in 2 years and I am living your dream right now! I am setting up winter base and will be cruising SW and PWS during the summers.......

Lancea,
"retirement taxed excessively" ???
How can that be.
Sounds like you are a serious Republican and you'll feel right at home in Alaska w Sara P and all the rest as about 95% of Alaskans are way off to the right.
I think you should get a base port as a live aboard w a PO box and a drivers license.
It will take over two years to get the Permanent Fund handouts.
For a home port I'd recommend Sitka or Petersburg. Juneau but the weather is bad. Think twice before going to a very small community.

Lancea,

If things don't work out for you on the LEFT coast, come on down to the Republic of Texas to retire.... We have no state income taxes, and you'd be right at home here where being a patriot and a conservative is honored and respected! Besides, down here on the coast, your wardrobe only need be T-shirts, shorts, and sandals!

greysailor,
It would seem the Texas tornado's would be worse than the Taku wind but the Taku will probably happen when it's 15 degrees ... and much more often. But Alaskan waters are so stunningly beautiful.

Re what I said about the political split I do recall ther'e are a lot of Dem's in Juneau and Dem's and even tree buggers in Sitka. So say friends that lived there.

And if you want to live in a really small place like Pt Baker, Elfin Cove or Edna Bay .......... what will you do all winter?

Speaking of winter I can't remember but I think you can leave Alaska for about 3 months a year and still maintain your residency.

A couple months in Texas in the winter ???

lancea said:

No it's more about not having my retirement taxed excessively nor having politicians taking away my rights one by one.
My question was how do you claim state residency when you live aboard full time?

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As I indicated above, come here, get a drivers license.

You don't claim residency, you move
Your boat here and you are a resident.

manyboats said:

Speaking of winter I can't remember but I think you can leave Alaska for about 3 months a year and still maintain your residency.

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I think you are confusing the PFD. If you are out of state for 180 days or more you are ineligible for the PFD.

umm, what the PFD?

I'm still stuck on no state income tax.....wonder what that is like

Baggiolini said:

I'm still stuck on no state income tax.....wonder what that is like

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Oh, up to 8.5 percent better than some places ...

bligh said:

umm, what the PFD?

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It's a subsidy program for snowmobile, outboard motor, and pickup truck stores.

bligh said:

umm, what the PFD?

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Permanent Fund Dividend: Which each and every Alaskan gets a check for the profits made on the fund. The fund was created for the people of Alaska so the legislature doesn’t spend all the oil taxes it receives from the oil companies. But they are very very very (Did I say very) strict on the residency requirements and fraud. There have been a few who have tried and they are now sitting in prison.
BTW, Like Texas, we have a budget surplus…….just say’in

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

BTW, Like Texas, we have a budget surplus…….just say’in

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But Alaska collects about twice as much cash per capita than Texas ... Each Alaskan consumes about $17,000 in federal government handouts each year.

That bridge to nowhere wasn't going to be paid for by Alaskans. Nothing gets built up there unless federal funding is in place first.

The "bridge to nowhere" would connect Ketchikan with its airport to replace the $6 ferry fare with its up to 30-minute waits. Being so rich, you'd think the state could easily afford the cost. But everyone wants their share of the "pork."

Well thanks for the lively discussion, I'm not looking for government handouts, and I would prefer to keep the money I earned fighting several wars in my time serving our country.
I however do not want to retire in a state that raises my taxes every year and does not represent my concerns.
I love The Hill Country of Texas, just not enough water!
When I was stationed in Alaska I did not apply for the PFD but I did have a AK drivers license.
Just looking forward to getting rid of my CA residency as soon as possible...,

I know that Washington is generally considered a liberal state, but outside of King county we're pretty conservative. We have no state income tax and we make our money off of property taxes, which won't concern you as a live aboard. We also have year round boating in some of the most beautiful country in the world. The San Juan islands and gulf islands are at your doorstep. Good luck to you with your retirement.

markpierce said:

The "bridge to nowhere" would connect Ketchikan with its airport to replace the $6 ferry fare with its up to 30-minute waits.

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Ah, but that was just the final revision of the story put out by the local pols when the absurdity of the whole thing and who would profit from it became so widely known.

The original plan - and the source of the "Bridge to Nowhwere" label - called for a bridge south of town that spanned the East Channel to Pennock Island, a stretch of road then connected to another bridge across the West Channel.

They actually went so far as to complete the Gravina Island Highway D) that dead ends where the bridge was supposed to connect the island.

The original stink began when it became known who owned much of the land and timber on Gravina. The politicians figured the humiliation attached to the airport ferry fairy tale is much less than what would have been attached to the real story that they have managed very well to revise since around 2005.

Even that revision of history looks really really stupid. According to FAA records: For the 12-month period ending January 1, 2011, the airport had 15,959 aircraft operations, an average of 43 per day: 61% air taxi, 33% scheduled commercial, 5% general aviation, and 1% military. At that time there were five aircraft based at this airport: 60% single-engine, 20% multi-engine, and 20% jet.

In layman's terms, that means there were about 7 airline flights (an operation is a landing or a takeoff) each day and of the 5 airplanes based at the airport, 3 are single engine spamcans, 1 is a twin, and 1 is a jet.

There is a reason that area is often called "Appalachia by the Sea." The concept of the "last frontier" and home of the independant frontiersman living off the land is truly a fantasy. It is in fact one of the most egregious welfare states in the nation.

The State is very good at collecting pork, they just seem to choose the wrong cut more often than not these days:

The World’s Most Ridiculous Ship Is Up For Sale [UPDATE] | gCaptain

Alaska borough wants to give away expensive ferry

Say what you like about California politicians but at least they don't pretend to be anything else.

Lancea,

Could add to the conversation but promised myself that I would in retirement, make every effort to ignore ignorance. So far so good.
Good luck in your search. It is not ":Who you Are" or "What you Are" in Southeast Alaska, it is what your bring to the table to share that counts.
Feel free to contact me off list with inquiries..


Al Johnson-Ketchikan (Bridge to Nowhere) Alaska

Al said:

So far so good.

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Ah, bliss ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/business/19stimulus.html?pagewanted=all


And a bit of recent history ...

"Alaska, GOP Welfare State " by Benjamin Wallace-Wells

I may move to a red state!

Folks from outside that think Alaska doesn't deserve what other states get. Let see, bridge collapses in Minnesota, yet it is rebuilt. It just wasn't Ketchikan, Anchorage can no longer expand as there is no land available, yet all kinds of room to expand 2 miles away across the inlet, just need a bridge.

How much did Florida and California get in pork? I just say thank you senators and representative......

We also have a legislature that for the most part has some brains to not tax and spend Alaskans into poverty.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Folks from outside that think Alaska doesn't deserve what other states get.

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No, just that Alaska shouldn't get 3 times more than other states just because the politicians are 10 times more crooked.

I thought the conservative line is that people who have a good income shouldn't get taxpayer handouts?

RickB said:

No, just that Alaska shouldn't get 3 times more than other states just because the politicians are 10 times more crooked.

I thought the conservative line is that people who have a good income shouldn't get taxpayer handouts?

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Well I respectivly disagree. Alaska is a young state (1959) and we do not have much of any infrustucture such as roads and bridges like other states. In fact, if you can't fly or boat, then many Alaskan communities are not accessable. So why should Alaska communities have the same opportunity as other L48 states? Yep it costs 3-4 times more to build a road or bridge but we need roads too....

RickB

I see you live in Florida, is that because there is no state tax?
Seriously, I just asked a question about retirement residency and a state I love.
All you, that started the lib vs. conservative conversation are the reason I want to retire on a boat, to get away!!!
Yes, I'm a conservative, yes, I think you should support yourself. If you honestly can't, then there's a reason I pay taxes. Not to fund all your liberal causes... Spend your own money and not ours....

lancea said:

I see you live in Florida, is that because there is no state tax?

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The tax thing is a plus but I moved here because I wanted to get into the megayacht industry and this is the center of that universe.

I lived in Anchorage, went to high school there, worked on tugs, ferries, freighters, tankers, fish factory ships, and charter yachts from Southest to PWS, Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay, and the Aleutians so have a great love for the geography of Alaska but a gross contempt for the politics and corruption that have come to define the place.

I guess not everyone is excited about being a resident or full time liveaboard ...

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