Author: Heggen Law

Although you’ve probably heard of the trend of registering luxury and exotic vehicles or expensive full-time motorhomes in Montana to avoid paying another state’s sales tax (and if you haven’t, go check out our blog for more information), you may not know that a Montana LLC comes in handy in more ways than one. The process of registering vehicles through a Montana LLC is a process unique to Montana and one that our office has an immense amount of experience doing well. What’s more, through our years serving thousands of clients, we have also seen how flexible and useful the Montana LLC can be for clients when it comes to obtaining other kinds of luxury items.

While many might think of Montana as the last Wild West (or maybe it’s over in the Plains? Who knows, we may not even exist), we certainly still have an appreciation for the finer things in life. Whether it’s fine art, precious gems or metals, a new sound system for your car or a new anniversary ring for your wife, a Montana LLC can help you avoid a potential sales tax on your next big purchase. Many high-end purchases have the ability to be purchased through your Montana company, thereby providing an extra layer of asset protection in your next big acquisition and similarly saving you from paying another state’s high sales or use taxes.

In our combined 50 plus years of experience filing Montana LLCs, registering vehicles, and protecting our client’s assets, we have managed millions of dollars’ worth of our client’s most precious items. Throughout this time, we have refined our process and successfully saved our client’s hundreds of thousands of dollars by purchasing the items through their Montana LLC. The process can be different for every individual client and isn’t always the most effective route to take. Our experience in handling these kinds of assets makes us particularly knowledgeable about whether or not this option is the right one for you. Every situation is different, but for a free consultation, our office would be happy to answer all questions and provide advice on whether your situation might fit.

Of course, our office deals primarily with Montana sales and use tax and so we recommend that you consult with an attorney and certified accountant in your home state before pursuing the Montana LLC. While this process works for many people, it may not work for all and we encourage our client’s to be as well educated in their decisions as possible. If you do find yourself in a position to pursue a Montana LLC for a luxury item purchase, our office hopes to ensure the process is done correctly and with maximum protection for our client. We recommend you give us a call ahead of time as a luxury item acquisition can be different from standard vehicle registration and the Montana LLC usually must be formed prior to the purchase. Even so, if you do find yourself calling our office with the intention of purchasing a high-end item, it’s probably worth it to also consider whether you have any vehicles that might also be eligible to avoid another state’s sales tax or high licensing fees. Either way, our office is always happy to help answer your questions and determine whether a Montana LLC is the right choice for you.

Live like a Nomadic Youth on the Road.

Most people have likely seen the new wave of “nomadic youth” that has taken over social media platforms. It seems every time I scroll through my explore page on Instagram I find another account that is devoted to a young couple living out of their renovated van with their cute dog. From the looks of it (as with most social media) their lives look effortless. I wanted to see how these young people coped with all the pressure of “adulting” while still enjoying their youth on the road. I wanted to know 1) how they prepared themselves for such an adventure, 2) how they were able to live in a home on wheels but still make enough money to own the latest iPhone that allowed them to document their blissful lives, and finally 3) how they did all this while shaking off the stigma of “living in a van down by the river.”  This is what I found:

How to prepare: First thing’s first, you’ll need to buy a van or RV that allows you to live out of it fulltime. Do your research and determine if this vehicle is something you plan on traveling in for a few weeks or months….or the rest of your life! For most, this will likely be your heaviest financial burden.  One easy way to save some of these costs is to use a Montana vehicle registration.  For non-residents of Montana, creating a Montana LLC is an easy way to avoid paying expensive sales taxes on your big purchase to a state that you likely won’t even stay in once you’re on the road. Check out our other blog posts (insert hyperlink) for more information on how to form a Montana LLC. If you do decide to travel for a few months, it’s best to bring all of the supplies (as best you can) with you from the start. Having a rough idea of where you’ll be traveling to will help you determine what kind of clothing and leisure gear you’ll need. Packing light is key, and if your RV/van is lighter you’ll be more efficient when it comes time to unpack and repack all of your belongings.

How to earn a living on the road: This question has been at the top of my list since the first ‘vanlife’ account I found.  I could not fathom how these people made enough money to sustain their lifestyle.  Not only were they traveling around the world, but they always seemed to have the cutest swimsuits.  What I found was actually pretty simple – most people that live the #vanlife are writers, social media gurus, or work remotely. When they aren’t making sponsorship deals or earning money on their lifestyle blogs, seasonal jobs generally provide the best means of making money. Whether it’s working at a music festival for a weekend in the summer or for Amazon Camperforce for 3-4 months in the winter helping to complete holiday orders, there are always seasonal jobs that help provide some financial cushion to those living on the road. And although forming a Montana LLC doesn’t exactly lead to consistent income, it does save you a large chunk of your total costs setting out, leaving you with extra money to put towards those new sunglasses you’ve been wanting.

Where to stay: Of course, I have to put in a shameless plug for Montana and its jaw-dropping national parks and public lands. Glacier National Park has campsites available in the park during Spring, Summer, and Fall with plenty of wildlife and hiking as far as the eye can see. Additionally, there are sites to stay at for free of charge on public land located on the outskirts of the park. Small town Montana is known for its charming local mercantiles, bakeries and ghost towns that are always fun to explore. However, Montana is not the only state that has public land to stay at overnight, and in many areas of the US, this is available for those living on the road. For the city slickers that just need a place to stay for the night, there is always (as strange as it may sound) parking lots. Walmart is known in the vagabond community as a refuge for plenty of travelers to set up camp for the night for free. Read our blog for more ideas on some of the Northwest’s best campgrounds.

Drawbacks: Life on the road as a nomadic youth is not all smooth sailing, and there are bound to be some drawbacks. Maybe you unexpectedly get sick or haven’t had the luxury of a warm shower in a few days. When you’re on the go it can be difficult to find quality, inexpensive, and available services. By reaching out to your insurance company you can find providers in your area that will hopefully cover you without literally costing your arm and a leg. And, we’ve all been on that long road trip where maybe sacrificing a shower one day (or more) is the only option. One van-life-hack I found was by having a gym membership to a chain (maybe like the YMCA) you can usually locate a facility for a quick workout and a shower. One thing you won’t have to worry about while traveling is your mail! Heggen Law Office is happy to forward all mail to you wherever you are or are about to be. Say, for instance, your vehicle’s license place is due for a renewal next month but you’ve been on the road for two months and won’t be home for another three. Not only does our office keep this information organized for you, but we’ll be sure to reach out to you wherever in the world you happen to be.  So even though it’s good to be prepared for anything, you can rest a little easier knowing that our team is looking out for you as well.

Simplicity is flexibility these days and for many millennials, being a nomadic youth embracing the vagabond lifestyle is the perfect way to protect themselves from a 9-5. It’s hard not to with the combined convenience of a Montana LLC and the road as your home; all there is left is to enjoy!

How to Run a Business from your RV as a Fulltimer

Living on the road full-time opens the doors to many opportunities and experiences, but is not quite as conducive when it comes to earning a steady income. Even so, mobile businesses aren’t a new concept and with today’s technology, it’s even easier to run a business out of your RV or van. Running a side business can nicely supplement existing income or make some travel expenses tax deductible.  And of course, owning a business provides one more way to keep yourself busy while you travel.

So, here’s a few tips we’ve picked up that may help to get you started on that online thrift store idea that you haven’t been able to stop thinking about:

Make a dedicated ‘Work Space’

Although one of the points of living on the road as a fulltimer is mobility, having a dedicated ‘home’ office is an important aspect of running a business on the road.  Dedicating a portion of your mobile home as your workspace will not only help you focus on work while you’re on the road but will allow you to conduct any meetings over Skype or Facetime with more semblance of professionalism.

Stay Organized (Work Smarter Not Harder)

As a full-time RVer, you are likely already organized out of necessity from living in close quarters.  These skills should also be utilized when running a business on the road.  But that doesn’t mean you have to be old-fashioned about it.  Although originally developed to help students stay off Facebook while studying, apps like Freedom help you temporarily block distracting websites while you work.  On the other hand, apps like Time Out and Pomodoro help with time management by organizing your time into chunks with built-in breaks.  If you’re running your business out of your RV or van, you likely already rely heavily on your computer so taking advantage of some your computer’s applications will increase your productivity when it’s time to get to work.

Get Online

Because you likely don’t have a brick and mortar operation if you’re running a business from your RV or van, it’s important that your business still has a presence in the world.  Today, with social media and all of the ways to build your own website, there’s no excuse for your business to not be extremely visible from the web, regardless of the kinds of services or goods you offer.

Do Your Research

Living the fulltimer lifestyle on the road means that you likely interact with many different states and jurisdictions. Even so, you are technically still considered a ‘resident’ of somewhere regardless of your nomadic lifestyle. Choosing where your business will technically ‘reside’ will depend on two things: 1) the state you choose to incorporate in and 2) your primary place of business.  The second factor may get slightly trickier if you operate from your computer while on the road but the first factor is clear.  Living on the road not only gives you flexibility when choosing where to live but also gives you flexibility when choosing where you will file taxes for your business, so do your research into the states that work best for you. At the same time, it also may be smart to call our office and learn about the ways a Montana LLC may save you on sales tax and vehicle registration fees.  Although your Montana LLC likely won’t be the same company that you do business out of, it is likely to be a useful way to protect your assets and save you some extra cash (that you can put towards your growing business instead).

Growing up in Montana, my friends and I often played the ‘license plate game;’ a nonsense game in which each time you stop behind an out-of-state vehicle with a particular state slogan (for instance, Idaho plates generally say “famous potatoes” because why not) and if you can correctly yell out the state slogan before anyone else has the chance, you get to punch the other person in the arm—like ‘slug bug,’ but ever so slightly more entertaining.

Likewise, I often figured that my home state offered a similar level of entertainment given the abundance of specialty plates Montana makes available to its residents.  For every standard plate, there are five more specialty plates. Which means that out-of-staters touring any part of our great state probably never even have the opportunity to figure out what plate is standard and what plate is specialty, because in a state where specialty is normal, there is no standard.

Which leads me to my main point: Montana is proud of itself. Weirdly proud of itself. So much so, that our state puts as many aspects of its unique personality on our license plates as it can. When you visit the License Plates Designs and Fees page of Montana’s state DOJ, it offers fourteen different genres of license plates to choose from. Not kidding. Fourteen genres. You could choose ‘Museums & History’ or ‘Government & Communities.’ Or, if you’re more outdoorsy, you might have to choose between the ‘Parks & Environment’ or the ‘Wildlife & Other Animals’ categories. And within these options, are many different plates. With something like 250 different plate options and the ability to personalize your plates (for basically nothing, I might add ) Montana offers many choices. But don’t fool yourself into thinking we’re just trying to entertain ourselves up here under four feet of snow.

Montana plates also have the ability to raise money for their organizations. For instance, only last quarter (April – June 2016) the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation raised over $46,000 from its plate. Even things as obscure as the Eureka Montana Quilt Show raised almost $2,000 solely from its specialty plate. And for the good they do, they even manage to save some people equivalent amounts of money.

For those who’ve read our blog, you’ll know that having a Montana license plate also means that you’ve benefitted from Montana’s Sales Tax Free Vehicle Registration. A Montana vehicle registration not only means that you have a cool license plate, but also that you’ve paid a vehicle registration fee based solely off the MMSRP and year of your vehicle, plus some handling fees because this is America. But unlike most states, which can charge sales tax as high 10%, Montana gives its residents a break when it comes to consuming. This means whether you prefer Jeeps or Ferarris, you can say ‘goodbye’ to the thousands of dollars in sales tax required to register vehicles in most other states.

Leading me to my next point. If you’ve read our blog thoroughly, you’ll also know that many out-of-staters have come to benefit from Montana’s “Wild West” mindset.  In the last few years, many savvy RV’ers, luxury car owners and classic car enthusiasts have quickly followed suit by registering their luxury vehicles, travel trailers, and other recreational vehicles through a Montana LLC. If you aren’t caught up, check out our blog for a step-by-step guide through the process and then give our office a call or contact us via the web for details. Our staff has over 40 years of combined experience and professional attorneys that lead our team. Meaning that you’ll not only be hand-held through the process, but also that we’ll always have your best interests in mind. Frankly, the hardest part is coming up with a name for your new Montana LLC. And then all that’s left is to enjoy.

Taxes have never been a fun topic, which is probably why they are so often a topic of conversation. At Heggen Law Office, taxes are similarly on our mind, for better or worse, especially when it comes to finding ways to save our clients from paying unnecessary taxes on their pricey vehicles and motorhomes with a Montana LLC.

The oft-quoted Judge Billings Learned Hand once observed that “Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes” (Helvering v. Gregory, 69 F.2d 809, 810 (2d Cir. 1934). In other words, while staying loyal to the state is a duty each citizen is bound to, paying extraneous taxes is not.

A similar sentiment inspired Jared Heggen at a young age to investigate the benefits of Montana’s tax free vehicle registration. Coupled with the knowledge he’d gained from law school and his experiences as a young business owner, Jared and another partner—who is still practicing in the area—founded the first registered agent firm specialized to help out-of-staters benefit from Montana’s lenient vehicle registration statutes.

Knowing that many out-of-staters paid outrageous prices to register their collected classics and luxury vehicles, Jared S. Heggen now offered an alternative: low vehicle registration costs, protection of your various assets, and maximum confidentiality for each client through a registered Montana Limited Liability Company (LLC). By establishing a Montana LLC for their new clients and transferring their client’s vehicles into the LLC, Heggen Law Office created a way to easily and legally benefit from the state’s low fees and lack of vehicle inspections. [You can read more about this process on our step-by-step blog.]

But we all know: if you build it, people will come—and soon they did. It was not only out-of-staters flocking to take advantage of the idea, but also the local registered agents who quickly realized a new business opportunity. While registered agents had always offered their commercial or home address for business purposes such as accounting, the idea of forming an LLC for vehicle registration had not historically been an aspect of the agent business. Before too long, many agents began offering to register out-of-state vehicles through a Montana LLC, growing the industry into what it is today.

But while many of these offices can easily set up an LLC or get a vehicle registered at the DMV, many still fail to properly protect their client’s confidentiality or rely on added-on fees for their own profit. On the other hand, at Heggen Law Office we’ve had many years of first-hand experience in registering vehicles reliably and with the utmost standard of care and confidentiality.

Our staff is always there with years of experience to guide and support our clients. While we always recommend that you have legal representation in your home state, knowing that the team at Heggen Law Office is watching out for your best interest makes it easier for our clients to enjoy their recreational and luxury vehicles—with the added affordability of Montana’s Tax Free Vehicle Registration.

With over 50 state parks, 2 crown jewels of the National Parks System, and nearly 150,000 square miles to explore, it’s no wonder that Montana has become a popular destination for travelers. With Montana’s convenient tax free vehicle registration and overall friendliness to RV and travel trailer owners, it’s also no surprise that RV’ers are leading the movement to “the last best place.” But with so many great destinations also come an abundance of choices for your journey, making it difficult to decide what to see and what to skip while you RV Montana, especially for those less familiar with the state. Thankfully, the trusted advisors at Heggen Law Office have just as much—if not more—advice for exploring our great state as they do for protecting your assets. Here’s some of our best advice for your next visit to the state we’re proud to call “home.”

1. Set aside enough time. Whether you plan to explore the whole state or just a region, Montana requires some precious time. As the fourth largest of all 50 states, even driving from one major town to the next often requires a two-hundred or so mile road trip. If you are hoping to visit both National Parks, you’ll not only want to dedicate a generous amount of time to both, but also to all of the local attractions and beautiful scenery in between. Spend a weekend at Flathead Lake, America’s largest mountain lake, or hike to Crystal Lake, lined with wild huckleberries and filled with trout, in the Seeley/Swan area. Both can easily be accessed after leaving Glacier—depending on which routes you take—and any local will tell you that the chance to spend a few days relaxing in either of these areas is well worth your time.
2. Take advantage of the privately owned RV parks. By camping outside of the parks and exploring them during the day, you’ll not only optimize the time you spend seeing different things but will also have a lot more freedom during your trip. While camping inside the parks can be a great experience, especially if you’re less concerned with amenities, they require a good amount of fore-planning for reservations, likewise requiring you to keep a more rigid itinerary while traveling. What’s more, though you can find proper spacing for big rigs, most park campgrounds are designed with smaller travel vehicles in mind.
3. Know when to plan ahead. For instance, if you are determined to stay in a National Park, you’ll want to make sure that all of your reservations are in order. Even then, be prepared to squeeze for space and be friendly with neighbors, especially if you’re visiting in the busy months. It’s also a good idea to plan ahead for gas stations, especially if your rig requires diesel, as it is always possible to find yourself in the middle of the state with no signs of life, let alone gas, on the horizon.
4. Know when to forget your plans. While there’s no denying that proper preparation prevents a poor performance, giving your itinerary control over your journey is hardly the best way to experience Montana’s unique beauty. Instead, give yourself the freedom to enjoy the unexpected. Thankfully, regardless of what adventures have disrupted your well-thought out travel plans, Montana is chock-full of beautiful RV sites and campgrounds, so you can trust that even if you missed your reservation, you’ll always have some place to park your home.
5. Get on the river. Montana is home to a number of beautiful lakes but connecting these bodies of water are the rivers that make Montana the true beauty it is. Whether you’re in the Missoula area, enjoying the Clark Fork, the Blackfoot, or the Bitterroot; near Billings, rafting the Yellowstone; in Great Falls, fishing the Missouri; or any number of the beautiful rivers in between, you’re sure to have an exciting and rewarding experience. Professional guide services can outfit you with any equipment you might need, in addition to a wealth of local knowledge to ensure your experience is both safe and fun.
6. See a ghost town. While it’s difficult to tally the true number of ghost towns that dot the treasure-state, Montana contains as many as 60 notable ghost towns. Particularly noteworthy, are Garnet and Bannack, which easily allow travelers to step back in time to the first days of the gold rush. Exploring this frontier environment not only gives travelers a good sense of the dedication required to establish the West, but also of the simplistic beauty that continues to capture our collective imagination.
7. Honor Montana’s history. See the Jesuit missions, St. Ignatius and St. Marys, or go even further in time, to the history that reigned before missionaries or trappers ever set foot in the Rocky Mountains. Visitors can experience the First People Buffalo Jump, near Great Falls, visit the Crow Agency to learn about the Battle of Little Bighorn, or visit the People’s Center of Pablo, South of Flathead, to learn more about the Salish, Pend d’Oreille and Kootenai tribes. Go even further in time at Bozeman’s Museum of the Rockies, to see the largest collection of excavated rex in the world. Or fast-forward to one of the last legs of Lewis and Clark’s trail before arriving at the Pacific Ocean.
8. Eat an elk burger. Or try some Rocky Mountain Oysters! But honestly, both are readily available depending on which time of year you visit the state. While Montana’s Testy Fest is full of annual, NSFW fun at the beginning of August, many burger stands operate throughout the season and are much more family friendly than the notorious Testy Fest. Stop at the burger shack in Moiese while visiting the National Bison Range or, if you’re on the other side of the state, West Yellowstone boasts a number of bison and elk burger joints. If you’ve got more of a sweet tooth, stop by Historical Phillipsburg’s Sweet Palace along the Pintler Scenic Bi-way for some pulled taffy or any other number of traditional penny candies.
9. Hit up a hot spring. Dotted throughout the state are a number of natural hot springs—some developed into resorts, other’s requiring short hikes to reach the pools. Perhaps best known of all is Mammoth Hotsprings, located in the Northwestern section of Yellowstone National Park, just across the state border into Wyoming.   Or if you’re looking for a more adventurous experience, swim down the Boiling River located nearby. In addition to Yellowstone, you can easily find both undeveloped as well as commercial hot springs throughout the state. For instance, several undeveloped hot springs can be found near the Butte area in addition to the family-friendly Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.
10. Pretend you’re a local. On your journey through the state, you’re bound to drive through a number of towns, of varying sizes and cultures, but one thing many of them have in common is a thriving local community. Visit the local farmer’s markets or any number of outdoor festivals whether you’re in Whitefish or Billings, Big Arm or Choteau. Enjoy a drink from any of the craft-breweries and distilleries that line the state. Or hike any number of local trails, easily accessible and close to most city-centers. Whatever your interests, the local communities have many great options.

With so much to explore, it’s no wonder that many RV’ers and travelers are drawn to the state. And while it’s up to each one to make the most out of their journey, we hope this list gives you a clearer idea of all the best Montana has to offer.  Enjoy exploring Montana in your RV!