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Montana LLC RV Titling: Tax avoidance or Tax Evasion?

| Updated Feb 20, 2021

Montana LLC RV Titling: Tax avoidance or Tax Evasion? 1Is doing Montana LLC RV Titling a wise practice or will it get RVers in trouble in their home states?

This is one of the longest-lasting controversies in the RV world and it really has to do with the fine line between tax avoidance and tax evasion.

It's been raging pretty much ever since we started the RV Lifestyle back in 2012 and it continues to be a topic we are asked about all the time.

I'm talking about the practice of setting up an LLC business in Montana to purchase a motorhome, thus avoiding sales and use tax and often stiff registration fees in the owner's home state. Thousands of RV owners around the country do this and dozens of Montana legal firms specialize in making it happen.

The Montana RV titling Scheme Explained

This Montana scheme is very appealing to many.

Essentially, it works like this: You form an LLC business in Montana. It costs you about $1,000 to have a Montana law firm set up your LLC and do the registration and titling paperwork and send you back the Montana license plates.

Because Montana has no sale tax on an RV, your only cost is the $1,000 to set up your  LLC “business.” That busness technically owns your RV. And your LLC is a Montana corporation.

The law firm then typically charges you about $150 every year to renew your registration and LLC charter.

All this is perfectly legal in Montana. Indeed, forming LLCs and registering RVs like this is a big business out there.

The rub comes in your home state, unless, of course, your real home state IS Montana.

Most other states strongly frown on Montana LLC RV Titling

If your main residence in another state, the practice is often considered to be tax evasion – particularly in those states that have high RV sales taxes and costly RV license platesand titling fees.

So, what has been happening is that the high tax states that do impose use and sales taxes and high registration fees on RVs have been taking aggresive steps to counter the scheme by writing laws and regulations that make it very difficult to take advantage of the plan.

In my state, for example, Michigan Compiled Law sections 257.215, 257.216, and 257.217 require that “a nonresident owner of a pleasure vehicle otherwise subject to registration under this act shall not operate the vehicle for a period exceeding 90 days without securing registration in this state.”

Is there a loophole for those who do Montana LLC RV Titling?

Some Montana law firms say there is.

They say if you take the motorhome out of your home state once every three months, you're legal.

If you drive your RV to another state every three months, they interpret that as keeping the motorhome in your home state for no more than 90 consecutive days,

So, if you head out of state after 89 days, they claim, you're good.

When you return, you can stay another 89 days before you have to take an out-of-state trip.

Naturally, they caution the RV owner to keep detailed records that establish the motorhome's whereabouts.

That's how the Montana law firms insist you can avoid high registration fees.

Other states are not necessarily buying this!

The biggest bite in buying an RV in one of the high tax states comes in the form of a use tax, or sales tax.

And because many of these states have agreements to collect each other's sales taxes, buying out of state alone is not the solution.

As far as sales and use taxes on an RV,  many states have two provisions – one for non-residents, one for residents.

For non-residents, which the Montana LLC that “owns” the motorhome would technically be, an exemption to the tax would be allowed provided the motorhome is “purchased by a person who is not a resident of this state at the time of purchase and is brought into this state more than 90 days after the date of purchase.”

An LLC is considered a legal entity, able to buy and sell property.

In other words, to avoid the taxes you would buy the RV out of state through the LLC and keep it out of state for three months.

The issue here, though, is what would a court decide?

If the LLC is in Montana but the owner of that LLC is in Michigan. what is the reasonable assumption here?

Pretty obvious, don't you think? The LLC in Montana is owned by a Michigan resident.

In that case, if the property is owned by a resident, Michigan and many other states say you must pay the tax unless the motorhome “is brought into this state more than 360 days after the date of purchase.”

That means buy it out of state and travel anywhere but your home state for a year,

Montana is really promoting the Montana LLC RV Titling loophole

This is a typical add for a Montana LLC RV Titling company
This is a typical adverisement for a Montana LLC RV Titling company

You can clearly see by these legal restrictions that the other states don't take kindly to Montana's proffered loophole to potential RV owners.

Just do a Google search on Montana LLCs and you'll see how they are trying to drum up business by touting LLCs that allow you to buy “no sales tax motorhomes” or “tax free.”

That sort of exploitation only fuels the resolve of the high tax states to shut down the loophole.

Some states are going after their residents who use Montana LLC RV Titling

Thus, Michigan, Colorado, California and a number of other states are very aggressive in hunting down RVs with Montana license plates and suing the owners for taxes and penalties.

Some critics note they have set up tip-lines with rewards for people who spot RVs with Montana plates parked in storage yards or driveways for long periods of time.

Others say inspectors cruise RV storage facilities facilities and actively look for vehicles with Montana plates.

A very evenhanded and comprehensive review of all this can be found on the RV Dreams website,

A lot of RVers do get away with the Montana LLC RV Titling scheme. But…

Montana LLC RV Titling: Tax avoidance or Tax Evasion? 2

I need to say here that a great many RVers have taken advantage of the Montana law with no issues.

For fulltimers, who are gone for very long periods from their home states, it appears to be very workable, especially if those fulltimers have established residency in a low tax state like, say, Florida.

It's clear the benefits of saving thousands of dollars in sales and use taxes are very tempting.

But as states scramble to shore up sinking deficits, I think we can be sure that pursuing RV owners with Montana plates is going to increase, not decrease. 

Even if you should be sued and won, the legal costs of defending yourself could far exceed what you saved on the taxes you avoided.

Besides this, many insurers have been known to frown at covering an RV that is titled in Montana when the owner of the LLC lives in another state.

The law can be tricky about Montana LLC RV Titling 

Not every state that goes after its residents who use this tax avoidance strategy succeed.

For example: 

In December 2007, a man named Robert Thomas bought a $351,800 RV at the Dixie RV Super Store in the city of Hammond in his home state of Louisiana.

But it wasn’t technically Thomas who made the purchase.

Instead, it was bought by a Montana company, one formed for the sole purpose of buying the RV.

Two years later, when the Louisiana Department of Revenue caught up with Thomas, officials said he owed $49,509 in Louisiana sales tax and penalties, but Thomas appealed — and won.

The big reason I am not going to go the Montana route should I buy a new RV is because, I think, it borders on the unethical.

It's clearly a tax dodge.

I know, I know, some will say the Montana LLC is the legal owner. But I am the legal owner of the LLC. That means, in effect, I own the RV with Montana plates. And I live in high taxing Michigan. I may not like those laws, but my conscience just won't let me do something that – to me – seems questionable.

Again, I understand that others see this differently and have and will decide otherwise. They very well may never be sued or have an issue. They may see no ethical dilemma. I don't criticize them for their decision.

The hassle of always looking over my shoulder just isn't worth the tax savings.

Looking for information about Buying an RV?

rv buying secrets

Forgetting the Montana tax avoidance scheme, buying at RV is usually the second most expensive purchase you will ever make after buying a house. So it makes a lot of sense to do everything you can to maximize savings. 

That's why we have written our RV Buying Secrets Guide. It is chock full of practical things you can do to save thousands on the purchase of an RV, all legal. We even include inside tips on how to negotiate with your RV dealer.

Check it out by clicking here. It WILL save you money!

 

 

 

Mike Wendland

Published on 2021-02-20

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

26 Responses to “Montana LLC RV Titling: Tax avoidance or Tax Evasion?”

November 03, 2022at12:12 am, Noneya Business said:

Rich folks do this all the time to evade paying any form of higher taxes; additionally, no different than those making South Dakota their residency to avoid paying higher taxes.
I would definitely consider registering an LLC in MT considering my home state VLT is outrageous when you’re considering buying an expensive RV and your 1st year VLT can be thousands of dollars.

December 07, 2021at8:10 pm, B Moore said:

Note the last sentence —–
What is IFTA?
“IFTA is an agreement among most U.S. states and Canadian provinces to simplify the reporting of fuel used by motor carriers operating in more than one jurisdiction. People who operate qualified motor vehicles are subject to IFTA licensing.

A qualified motor vehicle is a motor vehicle used, designed or maintained for transportation of people or property and:

Having two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds or 11,793 kilograms; or
Having three or more axles regardless of weight; or
Is used in combination when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds or 11,793 kilograms gross vehicle or registered gross vehicle weight.
Qualified motor vehicle does not include recreational vehicles.

October 18, 2021at10:32 pm, Dr. Mike said:

I understand this article focuses on out-of-state folks forming an LLC and then purchasing an RV to avoid the sales tax. But, what is the deal if you actually live in Montana, purchase an RV and then (let’s say 6 months) move to another state. Do you have any responsibility to pay the sales tax to your new state or do you just register the coach like any other vehicle?

February 28, 2021at11:20 pm, TomB said:

Even if the law is on your side, if your state doesn’t think so, you can spend way more in legal fees fighting it than you saved. Even if you win, you lose.

I get the appeal if you’re buying a $350K RV. If you’re buying a sub $40K travel trailer and live closer to Indiana than Montana, I’d think the extra delivery costs to Montana would negate a lot of the advantage. And then you have the gas expenses to get it home from Montana.

February 28, 2021at7:41 pm, Fred said:

Mike refers to Michigan a lot. Michigan has a one time, lifetime registration fee for towable rvs. I registered my $100K+ 5th wheel for $200 13 years ago & haven’t had to pay a penny since. I did have to pay 6% sales tax when I bought it, but nothing since. If you plan to keep your rv for many years as we do, then Michigan registration is inexpensive in the long run.

February 28, 2021at7:23 pm, Chuck said:

Unsubscribe me. Worthless whiners like this blogger are just that. Worthless.

February 27, 2021at5:23 am, John Koenig said:

MI Attourney Steve Lehto covers this topic in detail on his YouTube channel. FAR too many ways to get bitten in the butt. Here’s a link to said video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDF-C7GJec

Bottom line; unless you live IN Montana, DON’T DO IT!

January 29, 2017at1:26 pm, gaiusgracchus said:

First of all, what are states doing taxing full time RV’ers anyway for buying a home? There is no sales tax on a regular home sale. Ridiculous. And as far as property taxes are concerned, the owner of the RV park pays them, and passes the cost on to the RV’ers who stay there.

October 19, 2016at3:24 am, hailey parker said:

Fantastic analysis ! I loved the specifics – Does someone know where I could possibly grab a template FL HSMV 85008 form to use ?

February 20, 2016at7:54 pm, Keith Lowery said:

I just wanted Montana license plates so no one would know I’m from Texas. It’s tough being a minority here. All us Liberal Democrats have to keep it hush-hush.

August 05, 2016at10:48 am, No Nonsense Landlord said:

So you moved to a conservative state, because you like the environment better than where you were. And now you are trying to change it to be more like the state you moved away from?

February 09, 2022at10:27 pm, Lizzy Roma said:

Exactly! Go back to what you voted for!

January 12, 2016at12:18 am, HD Case said:

I’m with you Mike. Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. Those who typically game the system, i.e. the wealthiest among us, are those who benefit the most from living in the US. Given the creation of this MT strategy it looks like the middle class is now copying the rich in tax avoidance and flushing our country down the drain. Shame on those who are so cheap they scheme to avoid paying a few hundred dollars in taxes to the detriment of all their fellow home state residents, particularly the elderly and poor kids who most depend on tax support!

January 11, 2016at12:04 pm, Gene Bjerke said:

When I was ready to buy my first Roadtrek, I had a friend from North Carolina who had Montana plates on his. I ran the idea past my son who is both a lawyer and someone who can always find the cheapest way to do things. He was very dubious of the practice, so I registered the vehicle in Virgina (my home state). Luckily, I was able to move to a county that has lower personal property taxes, but they still are pretty stiff. I pay the taxes because if my son thinks the situation is dodgy, I will go with his judgement.

January 06, 2016at3:16 pm, inthecloset said:

Adding to the complication is if you do this you can be forced to have a CDL depending on the size of the motorhome and the state you operate the motorhome in. Since an LLC is a business you can also be subject to IFTA fuel tax as well. There is no free lunch. Finally insurance and finance make this even more complex. The only way I can think of this working out would be if the LLC owned the motorhome and then leased it at below market rates to the person in the high tax state. That way taxes would be paid in the high tax state but at greatly reduced rates. For example the LLC would purchase a $250,000 motorhome and then turn around and lease it for $200 per month to a Michigan resident. The Montana LLC is the owner. Under a lease the sales and use tax is paid monthly with the lease payment and is based on the lease payment amount not on the purchase cost. Since the LLC never paid the sales or use tax but it still could be registered locally. There is no free lunch however. It depends on the state lease regulations if this can work. It would only work in situations where the motorhome is owned free and clear because obtaining financing for such an arrangement would be difficult.

February 24, 2021at8:54 am, Mark said:

Wikipedia has good description to begin understanding IFTA. Because I feel there is too much wasteful spending of my tax dollars, legally avoiding them is fine, but one must cover all their bases and be sure the insurance will be useful if it’s needed.

July 29, 2023at2:32 pm, Jeff Ainscough said:

Interesting solution.

January 05, 2016at12:07 pm, Rico Muscatel said:

For full-timers without a permanent residence, you can pick up a mailbox in Florida and be good to go. But for other places, it pays to shop around. Being from Illinois, I would still have to pay Michigan sales tax if I bought from a dealer up there, so maybe low or no sales tax states would be better. Just wait until they start taxing home purchases.

January 05, 2016at11:10 am, Barbara J Johnson said:

Bravo, Mike Wendland!

February 22, 2013at7:12 am, Clive smith said:

You are a fool if you think out I’d unethical to avoid taxes any way you can. The more you give the government the more they want and take.

November 27, 2021at8:33 pm, Smarter Thanyou said:

I would recommend that you refrain from giving legal advice. You’re very mistaken and your “conscience” is misguided. Did you know Oregon is where a majority of new aircraft are taken for delivery? Wonder why? Have you considered that the money grab by the states isn’t exactly “moral”? If I own a business that does business in Arizona, and I live in Utah, where do the taxes get paid? The business income, sales tax, etc is to be paid in Arizona. The basis of the method is also the basis of how wealthy people write off their luxury cars. Corporation buys the vehicle. You lease it to yourself. There are special rules for writing off expenses. Did you know you can write off the entirety of a private jet purchase still? So business buys it (it’s registered and delivered to Hillsboro Oregon) and then leases it back to themselves or a management/charter company. Every dime related is written off. The value up to 100 percent can be written off immediately. Or over time. You really might want to get a clue, not give tax or legal advice as an unqualified “writer” and keep your submissive nature to yourself. Nobody else needs to hear it. Stick to things useful, helpful, and informative. Like references on using this opportunity (it isn’t a loophole, it’s simply how the law was written to benefit wealthy people).

Maybe your life partner will frown on you for not licking the boot,

But I like the idea of buying it in a Montana LLC, leasing it back to myself, writing off all maintenance, expenses, upgrades, doing a 5 year depreciation schedule on it, and the final result is no sales tax, saving annually on income tax, and enjoying an RV with about 30 percent less investment than the midwit that wrote this article

January 08, 2013at11:24 am, louis vuitton monogram said:

Hello my family member! I wish to say that this
article is amazing, great written and include almost all
significant infos. I’d like to see extra posts like this .

December 01, 2012at10:26 am, Rick and Kelly said:

I say if there’s a loophole, take it. States tax us to death!!!

August 07, 2012at9:51 pm, Mike Jaye said:

This article helps me in that I’m from Michigan, but live in Oklahoma, a state that has some weird tax views (I’m still researching the RV taxes here). But this article has made sure I will not be relocating to Michigan and purchasing my RV there!

June 28, 2012at10:07 pm, Alex said:

I am second owner and paid 13% tax
Any comments ? Ontario Canada
P.S Thank you for interesting article

June 22, 2012at2:53 pm, Karon M said:

Excellent article, Mike. We know dozens of people who’ve purchased RVS in Montana and Wyoming, though none are from Michigan and all RV full-time. Would love to be a full-timer with an organization like Sowers. Toured the Foretravel factory this spring. Wow, way out of our league, but worth the time. http://www.foretraveloftexas.com/list-inventory.php?category=New

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