Situation Guide · Money & Admin

Getting Paid on the Road: Banking and Taxes

How to handle banking, direct deposit, and taxes when you don't have a fixed address — the practical setup most guides skip.

The Banking Problem

Most banks require a physical address when you open an account and for ongoing correspondence. When you do not have a fixed address — or when your address changes every few months — this creates friction. Statements get returned. Accounts get flagged. In some cases, banks close accounts when mail is returned repeatedly.

The practical solution is a domicile address. Your domicile is the state where you are legally a resident — the state where you are registered to vote, where your vehicle is registered, where your driver's license is issued. You use that address for banking, even if you are not physically there most of the year. If you do not have a domicile state set up yet, that is a separate conversation — see the domicile guide — but it is the foundation everything else sits on.

Online banks are generally more flexible than traditional brick-and-mortar banks for nomadic workers. They do not require branch visits. Address changes are handled online. They are accustomed to customers who move around. Chime and Ally are commonly used. Charles Schwab's checking account is popular specifically because it reimburses ATM fees worldwide — when you are in a rural area or a small town without your bank's ATMs, that matters more than it sounds.

If you already have a traditional bank account that is working, you do not necessarily need to switch. But if you are starting fresh or your current bank is giving you trouble, an online bank is worth considering.

Direct Deposit Without a Fixed Address

Direct deposit goes to your bank account, not your address. As long as you have a bank account with a routing number and an account number, direct deposit works fine regardless of where you are physically located. The address your employer has on file is used for tax documents — your W-2 at the end of the year — not for payment.

Keep your employer's address records updated when you change domicile states or when your mailing address changes. A W-2 sent to a wrong address is a headache in February when you are trying to file. Most employers now offer electronic W-2s — opt into that if it is available.

If an employer asks for a physical address for payroll purposes and you are using a mail forwarding service, that address is fine to use. Mail forwarding services that provide a real street address (not a P.O. box) are generally accepted by employers and banks.

Cash and Check Handling

Some employers still pay by check. Mobile check deposit via your bank's app handles most of this — photograph the check, deposit it, done. Processing times vary by bank, but most mobile deposits are available within one to two business days. Keep the physical check until the deposit clears.

Some agricultural employers and some day labor situations pay in cash. Keep a small amount of cash on hand for daily expenses, and deposit cash promptly rather than carrying large amounts. A vehicle break-in or a theft can wipe out cash in a way that a bank account cannot. There is no recovery for lost cash.

If you are doing cash-paying work regularly, keep a simple log — date, employer, amount — for your own records. You may need it at tax time.

The Tax Situation: An Orientation

When you work in multiple states in a single year, you may owe taxes in multiple states. Your domicile state is where you file your primary return. States where you worked may require you to file a non-resident return if you earned income there above their threshold — and those thresholds vary by state. Some states have no income tax at all.

States with no state income tax include Texas, Florida, South Dakota, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, and Alaska. This is one reason these states are popular domicile choices among nomadic workers — you pay federal tax but not state income tax on your earnings. If you are choosing a domicile state and you have flexibility, this is worth factoring in.

Working in a state with income tax while domiciled in a no-tax state does not necessarily mean you avoid that state's tax. If you earn income in California, for example, California may want a piece of it regardless of where you are domiciled. The rules are state-specific and sometimes complicated. This is exactly the kind of situation where a tax professional who understands nomadic workers earns their fee.

Flag: none of this is tax advice. State tax law changes. Thresholds change. Your specific situation — how long you worked in a state, what kind of work it was, how much you earned — affects what you owe. Consult a tax professional.

W-2 Employment vs. 1099 Contractor Work

If you are a W-2 employee — which most camp host, seasonal park, and outdoor recreation positions are — your employer withholds federal and state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare from your paycheck. You file a return at the end of the year, and you either get a refund or owe a small amount depending on how accurately you were withheld.

If you are doing gig work — Instacart, TaskRabbit, Upwork, or similar platforms — you are likely a 1099 independent contractor. No tax is withheld. You are responsible for paying both the employee and employer portions of Social Security and Medicare, which together make up self-employment tax. The current rate is 15.3% on net self-employment income, though this figure can change — verify with IRS.gov before relying on it.

1099 workers generally need to pay estimated taxes quarterly to avoid an underpayment penalty. The IRS expects you to pay as you earn, not all at once in April. Missing quarterly payments does not result in criminal liability, but it does result in a penalty that adds up over the year. If you are doing significant 1099 work, set aside a portion of every payment — a common rule of thumb is 25–30% for federal and state combined, but your actual rate depends on your total income and deductions. A tax professional can help you calculate a more accurate number.

Many nomadic workers have a mix of W-2 and 1099 income in a given year. A summer camp host position (W-2) plus some freelance work on the side (1099) is common. Keep them straight in your records.

Keeping Records on the Road

Use a cloud-based system for storing tax documents. Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud — whatever you will actually use consistently. Scan or photograph pay stubs, 1099s, receipts for deductible expenses, and any other documents you might need at tax time. Store them in a folder organized by year.

You do not want to lose tax documents because your vehicle was broken into, your laptop died, or you left a folder at a campsite. Physical documents are vulnerable on the road in a way they are not in a house. Digital backups in the cloud are not vulnerable to the same risks.

Keep records of mileage if you are using your vehicle for work. Keep records of any work-related expenses — tools, equipment, certifications, professional memberships. You may not end up deducting all of it, but having the records means you have the option.

Tax Professionals Who Understand Nomads

A general CPA who has never worked with a nomadic client may not know the specific issues you face — multi-state filing, domicile questions, vehicle deductions, self-employment tax on mixed income. It is worth finding someone who has.

Search for 'nomad tax professional,' 'location-independent CPA,' or 'RV tax professional.' There are CPAs and enrolled agents who work remotely themselves and specialize in this client base. They are not hard to find, and the cost of a consultation is usually worth it the first year you are doing this, when the questions are most numerous.

An enrolled agent is a federally licensed tax practitioner who can represent you before the IRS. For complex situations — multiple states, self-employment, vehicle deductions — an enrolled agent with nomadic experience is a solid option.

The Vehicle as a Business Expense

If you use your vehicle for work — driving to job sites, hauling equipment, traveling between seasonal positions as part of your work — a portion of vehicle expenses may be deductible. The rules are specific, the IRS scrutinizes vehicle deductions, and the line between personal use and business use is not always obvious when your vehicle is also your home.

Do not claim vehicle deductions without professional guidance. The potential savings are real, but so is the audit risk if the deduction is not properly documented and calculated. A tax professional who works with nomads will know how to handle this correctly.