change my driver license and plate for MBA and internship

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lovinfish0628

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Hi all
I am from Boston MA and I am planning to study MBA in Los Angeles CA. I am struggling about the legal issue about changing my residency. I am living with my grandma in MA and paying utility fee for the house in MA. Also, I am paying out-of-state tuition for my MBA program in CA and I am willing to live off campus in this years. I will going back to MA after finishing my MBA program.

In this case, should I change my residency from MA to CA if I just studying in CA? And how about if I am willing to do part-time job or internship?

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Why not go to school in Boston
 
If you are just in CA for your studies, and not paying taxes there, etc., then you are considered an out of state student and you should keep your MA plates/license, etc. I maintained my CA residency throughout medical school and it wasn't until I started my intern year (when I started working/getting paid) that I changed my state of residency to my new state.

If what you're asking about is whether you can claim CA residency, then you need to do the things it takes to establish residency, like paying taxes, voting, getting driver's license, etc. And typically you must be in the state for a reason other than to get an education, so that would mean working full-time. A google search should bring up the specific requirements for CA as well as the school you plan to attend.

I'm also confused why you wouldn't stay in Boston if your plan is to go back there, as business is all about networking, and you'll lose all the networking you do while in LA for education/internship.
 
You'd probably be fine either way, but it would be much clearer from a legal perspective if you didn't do anything that could be considered employment (TAing, tutoring, or whatever the heck MBA students do for beer money is fine, I'm sure). Being a full-time student is a compelling argument for not establishing domicile, but things get a little less clear if you end up having to file a tax return because that's the major reason why states pursue this issue - because they think you owe them money. Also, for tax purposes, does anyone claim you as a dependent?

Practically speaking, keeping your student ID on your person is a good idea. Police won't stop you just for having out-of-state plates, but they might inquire about your plates if they stop you for speeding, for example. I've seen people turn one citation into three this way.
 
I am sure I will find a part time jobs or internship when I am studying MBA in CA. However, I am handling the utility fee, housing taxes, and yes, my parent still can claim me as a dependent if I continue my study. I will not own any property in CA. I have tried to google to answer but it still make me confuse. Overall, I am not planning to change my permanent address from MA to CA in current year. But the key I don't understand should I change the residency if I get the job (not full-time).

Based on what u guys said, it doesn't matter if I am going to CA for study only. And I should better change the residency if I get any jobs?

For the reason why I don't stay in Boston, well I think staying in one place for education is not the best for me.
 
I am sure I will find a part time jobs or internship when I am studying MBA in CA. However, I am handling the utility fee, housing taxes, and yes, my parent still can claim me as a dependent if I continue my study. I will not own any property in CA. I have tried to google to answer but it still make me confuse. Overall, I am not planning to change my permanent address from MA to CA in current year. But the key I don't understand should I change the residency if I get the job (not full-time).

Based on what u guys said, it doesn't matter if I am going to CA for study only. And I should better change the residency if I get any jobs?

For the reason why I don't stay in Boston, well I think staying in one place for education is not the best for me.

The reason why you can't find the answer using Google is because there is no set-in-stone answer. Domicile is a concept, and a nebulous one at that, because it's dependent on intent, which is notoriously difficult to prove. Usually, the mere presence in a state is sufficient demonstration of intent, but for a full-time student who is still dependent on his/her parents, things get murkier. This isn't a Michael Scott bankruptcy situation where you can just declare your residency. There are a number of things that you can do to demonstrate residency, each one taking you a step further on what amounts to a continuum.

Also, remember that the standard that a public university uses to determine in-state tution is not necessarily the same for establishing domicile in other circumstances.

If you were not a dependent for tax purposes, a MA resident, and you had a job in California, then you would need to file taxes in both states, using a non-resident CA return. Most, but not all states, will give you a credit for taxes paid to another state. How this would work for your parents taxes is beyond me, but the point is that neglecting to pay taxes to a state is the quickest way for this to go from a hypothetical to an actual problem. Take care of that, and the overwhelming likelihood is that everything else will fall into line.
 
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If you're making money, just file taxes in the state where you live/work. Legally at that point, you should change your DL within 30 days... but no one really enforces that. I've lived in my current state for 9 months and will live here 15 more, and my CA driver's license is valid until well after I'm gone... not planning on changing it. Still paying taxes here.
 
I haven't lived in the state of my driver's license for 5 years and I even got my license renewed during that time. I just use my local address for any employment paperwork and file my taxes for the state where I live/work.
 
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