15 Things Snowbirds Can Do to Be Taxed as a Florida Resident

Shorter days, leafless trees and frost on the ground are all signs that it's time for snowbirds to head south for the winter. Of course, I'm not talking about real birds--"snowbirds" are people who live up north during the warm-weather months and in the south during the winter. And if you're one of the thousands of snowbirds heading to Florida this year, I bet you'll hear a lot of chatter about the tax benefits of being a resident of the Sunshine State. After all, Florida is one of only nine states without an income tax. So if your summer home is in one of those high-tax states up north--New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois, Connecticut, Wisconsin and the like--you can potentially save thousands of dollars each year if you can establish residency in Florida instead (perhaps millions for someone like President Trump).

But you can't just say "I'm a Florida resident" and have the income tax bill from your summer state magically disappear. You need to show that Florida is your primary and permanent home--and it's your actions, not your words, that count the most. That means cutting as many northern ties as possible and putting down roots in Florida. But no matter how rooted in Florida you become, don't be surprised if your summer state still wants you to pay taxes as a resident on all your income (instead of paying tax only who suddenly claim to be Florida residents. So, if you're going to make that claim, be sure you can back it up. Here are 15 things you can do to show that you are, in fact, a resident of Florida if your summer state challenges your residency status.