[N/A] Snow Birds [N/A]

tspear

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Timothy
The wife is trying to convince me when we retire we should be snow birds.
So now I am kinda curious.
1. How do you manage the plane? Do you end up with hangars in both locations? Do you accept higher risk in one location over the other?
2. How do you manage the logistics of moving cars and planes twice a year?

Tim
 
Steve Wittman did it for years until his "Ocala to Oshkosh Special" killed him.

I commuted back and forth between my two houses while i was still working. I kept a truck parked and registered in NC while having a hangar in VA.
There were guys on my field in VA who you could sublet a hangar during the winter from because they were snowbirds and flew the coup.
 
I knew one non-aviation couple that did the snowbird thing. They owned three cars, one each that permanently stayed at each home, and then one large one (Dodge Grand Caravan) that went back and forth.
 
some tell me ya gotta watch the state income tax ref staying in the wrong state too long each year.
 
some tell me ya gotta watch the state income tax ref staying in the wrong state too long each year.
Who is tallying the days? Think state tax departments have enough to do.
We split time and have absolutely no idea how these days could be tallied.
 
The gent I had dinner with was from Minnesota. He said they will make you show credit card, utility, rental receipts to prove where you were. I have no idea if this is rare/widespread but thought a SB might look into it before deciding when, how long.
 
I fly my airplane up and down the coast,twice a year,when in Florida I rent in a group hangar.I have a car in both locations.
 
Isn't the weather in the southern US snowbird States pretty benign in the winter? Hurricane and tornado season is over. A good cockpit cover should be fine to avoid cooking the avionics. Unless you're flying an expensive plastic fantastic, or a Gulfstream.
 
Isn't the weather in the southern US snowbird States pretty benign in the winter? Hurricane and tornado season is over. A good cockpit cover should be fine to avoid cooking the avionics. Unless you're flying an expensive plastic fantastic, or a Gulfstream.

Yes, mild winters I'd say below KY south.
 
Who is tallying the days? Think state tax departments have enough to do.
We split time and have absolutely no idea how these days could be tallied.
California pays attention. BTDT. They don't do the tallying. If they find out your airplane has been hangared or tied down in their State, you are the one that is going to do the 'tallying' to prove you didn't exceed their allowed number of days in state where you are liable for the tax.
 
The wife is trying to convince me when we retire we should be snow birds.
So now I am kinda curious.
1. How do you manage the plane? Do you end up with hangars in both locations? Do you accept higher risk in one location over the other?
2. How do you manage the logistics of moving cars and planes twice a year?

Tim
How? $$$. Not necessarily a lot. Airfare is pretty cheap nowadays. Drive down, get a ticket back, fly airplane back. That was my plan, it was an RV I'd be driving down. Have a car at each end? A little more spendy unless you already have one. Storage for a car ain't that bad. We leave our second car with our son down south. You could get someone to ferry the airplane. Do you have hangar up north? I'm sure you could find someone to rent it for the winter months to offset your costs. Finding a temporary hangar can get pricey but do you really need it? You're going to where the weather isn't all that bad.
 
California pays attention. BTDT. They don't do the tallying. If they find out your airplane has been hangared or tied down in their State, you are the one that is going to do the 'tallying' to prove you didn't exceed their allowed number of days in state where you are liable for the tax.

What tax is this you mention? I ask because I may relocate myself and therefore my plane to CA "someday."
 
California pays attention. BTDT. They don't do the tallying. If they find out your airplane has been hangared or tied down in their State, you are the one that is going to do the 'tallying' to prove you didn't exceed their allowed number of days in state where you are liable for the tax.
Yeah, I've dealt with that PROPERTY tax issue - the question raised above was INCOME tax.
 
The gent I had dinner with was from Minnesota. He said they will make you show credit card, utility, rental receipts to prove where you were. I have no idea if this is rare/widespread but thought a SB might look into it before deciding when, how long.


If the OP will send me his credit cards, I'll be happy to see that he racks up charges all over the state of Florida. Airplane rentals, expensive restaurants, theme parks, dive charters, jewelry stores,...

Glad to help out a fellow pilot.
 
Property tax

Violating my own guidelines, I'm asking SGOTI:

If I import my ~$70,000 aircraft to California, what's my tax exposure in first year and on going? It's currently titled in NV and probably always will be.
 
The gent I had dinner with was from Minnesota. He said they will make you show credit card, utility, rental receipts to prove where you were. I have no idea if this is rare/widespread but thought a SB might look into it before deciding when, how long.
Yup. Keep records. I have had the opportunity to produce them twice. Once to the County who collects Property Tax in California and once directly to the State Sales Tax folk.
 
Violating my own guidelines, I'm asking SGOTI:

If I import my ~$70,000 aircraft to California, what's my tax exposure in first year and on going? It's currently titled in NV and probably always will be.
Bout' 1% give or take. Same as Real Property
 
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