Pitfalls to Switching to a Mail Forwarding Service

[lunasea.ds]

Are there any pitfalls to prefare for or look for when switching to a mail forwarding service? For example: I recently had the post office forward my mail from PA to ME. Next thing I'm getting notices that some of my accounts have changed my registered address to ME, NOT what I intended. Can I maintain my primary residence in PA but have SBI in Florida collect and send my mail? Thanks!

[KittiwakeCD28]

The folks at SBI were very good at answering all my questions, and I'm positive they can answer your question. Not sure what you mean by your "registered address", but you are given the option of becoming a resident of FL (Clay county I think), and registering to vote there. Have been very satisfied with SBI.
Peace and Fair Winds,

[capt_douglas]

I've used relatives, the post office, and professional services. I now use the professional service primarily due to the desire to take the work load off the relatives (I figured that if I was having fun, they should too.).

The only problem, aside from cost, is that the professional service sends everything, including the junk mail where the relatives would cull and add tasty bits. The professional services know the best way to get things from home to you but the cost may not equal the reward.

[maxingout]

I always used family members as a mail forwarding service.

Mail forwarding can lull a person into a trap when income tax time comes around. You have to be careful about the address you use on your federal income tax return, because the federal government shares the address on the federal return with the state where that address is located. If you put an address on your federal tax return from a state that has state taxes, you will get a tax bill from them based on the amount of your federal return.

When you are using a mail forwarding service, you need to pay attention to the addresses you are using, because it can come back to haunt you.

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by capt_douglas

The only problem, aside from cost, is that the professional service sends everything, including the junk mail where the relatives would cull and add tasty bits. The professional services know the best way to get things from home to you but the cost may not equal the reward.

You gotta try SBI. St Brendans Isle shows you what has come in via your internet log in with them. You can send junk mail to the shredder from there. Then you can either have them open and scan what you want, or have them forward it on directly. Your choice. I can't say enough good about them. (Somebody's got a horror story to follow? I hope not, they have been a Godsend for me)

[lunasea.ds]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I always used family members as a mail forwarding service.

Mail forwarding can lull a person into a trap when income tax time comes around. You have to be careful about the address you use on your federal income tax return, because the federal government shares the address on the federal return with the state where that address is located. If you put an address on your federal tax return from a state that has state taxes, you will get a tax bill from them based on the amount of your federal return.

When you are using a mail forwarding service, you need to pay attention to the addresses you are using, because it can come back to haunt you.

Thank you for the heads up! Perhaps a local CPA would do it. They are alert about important docs and since most accounts are paperless there's not much to collect anyway.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I always used family members as a mail forwarding service.

Mail forwarding can lull a person into a trap when income tax time comes around. You have to be careful about the address you use on your federal income tax return, because the federal government shares the address on the federal return with the state where that address is located. If you put an address on your federal tax return from a state that has state taxes, you will get a tax bill from them based on the amount of your federal return.

When you are using a mail forwarding service, you need to pay attention to the addresses you are using, because it can come back to haunt you.

That could be a concern unless you are using a service in a state like Florida, where many services are located, which has no state income tax. We have used a service, NATO, in Sarasota, Florida for 15 years. We have lived and worked in Florida, Texas and Maryland and used the Florida address with no problems or issues at all. If you use a service in Florida and have your boat registered in another state, that state may share the info with Florida and Florida will want taxes and registration even if you are not there. You will have to prove that to Florida. Not all states cooperate in this information sharing. Chuck

[speciald@ocens.]

Florida just passed a bill limiting sales tax on a boat to $18k no matter the cost of the boat. This amount is about what it costs to register offshore in places like Bimini. So any boat over $300k gets a break and boats will stay in Florida providing approximately 34 million dollars to the local economy and boating industry.