# How can I convince the state of Virginia that I haven't lived there in 11 years? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 22, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783 "2014-07-22T22:42:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/1 "2014-07-22T22:42:22Z")
I left the state of Virginia in 2003. I haven’t lived there, worked there, or earned income there in any year since. And yet, in 2010, I received a tax bill from the state of Virginia for taxes they thought I owed for 2004. I sent them a letter explaining I no longer lived there, and a copy of the taxes I had filed in my current state of residence, and the bill went away. Then in 2011, I received a bill for 2005. Same hassle, and it went away. In 2012, I received a bill for 2006. Same deal. In 2013, I had to deal with a bill from 2007. And now, like clockwork, they’re trying to collect taxes from 2008. There must be some sort of database or something that erroneously says I still live in Virginia. Does anyone have any idea how I can correct this, or who I talk to about correcting it? Is there a form I can fill out? My responses to the bills they keep sending me have clearly not been communicated past the person responsible for collecting the bill. I’m really hoping I’m not going to have to keep dealing with this every year for the rest of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/2 "2014-07-22T23:18:54Z")
Call them. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/3 "2014-07-22T23:45:31Z")
No, they have a database that says you lived there in those tax years. You have to convince them that you didn’t’. They don’t care where you live now. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/4 "2014-07-22T23:45:34Z")
I’ve heard stories like this about Virginia before. They must really need the money bad. It sounds like you’ve been offering them evidence that convinces them you’re not a resident for certain years, so at least you have that in your favor. To find out why they keep going after you, though, I think ChefGuy has the only real answer: call them to find out. If they are pulling you from some kind of database, my first guesses would be that you’re listed on property tax, vehicle registration or voter registration lists. Many states use these things as a presumption of residency. Have you looked into identity theft at all? Could it be that an illegal immigrant is using your name/SSN, or that someone has accounts or property listed under your name without you knowing? It might be worth pulling a credit report or something like that to see if anything suspicious shows up. But that’s all just speculation. Only the state itself is going to know for sure why they’re doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/5 "2014-07-23T00:48:21Z")
I had the same sort of problem with Virginia many years ago (pre-internet). I sent them a letter explaining why I wasn’t going to pay their taxes, then ignored all further correspondence from them. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/6 "2014-07-23T01:04:22Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > If they are pulling you from some kind of database, my first guesses would be that you’re listed on property tax, vehicle registration or voter registration lists. Many states use these things as a presumption of residency. I think this is most likely. People very rarely cancel old voter registration when they move. My brother once got a jury duty notice at my parents’ old house, where he had not lived in more than 12 years, because he had once been registered to vote there, and didn’t cancel his registration when he moved. The people who bought the house tried to call my mother, but she was traveling, and they couldn’t Google up my brother, but I still had a landline phone, so they found me, and called me about it. Also, if you lost a car in an accident, or had one junked, rather than selling it to someone else who would re-register it in their name, then maybe you still do have a car registered-- although that’s doubtful, because you wouldn’t be paying it, so it would have lapsed. Voter registration is most likely. You can probably go online and make sure that every place you lived in Virginia, and were registered to vote, is formally cancelled. My father was a precinct head for years, and I can tell you that even though registrars sometimes do cull people who have not voted in years, they do it rarely, and not very systematically. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/7 "2014-07-23T02:17:10Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > No, they have a database that says you lived there in those tax years. You have to convince them that you didn’t’. They don’t care where you live now. Right, but it’s one year, and then the next, and then the next – which makes me suspect that they still think I’m living there. At this rate in 2020 they’ll probably be asking me to pay up for 2014. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/8 "2014-07-23T02:27:02Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > If they are pulling you from some kind of database, my first guesses would be that you’re listed on property tax, vehicle registration or voter registration lists. Many states use these things as a presumption of residency. > [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I think this is most likely. People very rarely cancel old voter registration when they move. > … > Voter registration is most likely. You can probably go online and make sure that every place you lived in Virginia, and were registered to vote, is formally cancelled. This was very helpful. I had previously tried searching myself on [dmv.virginia.gov](http://dmv.virginia.gov) and nothing came up… but prompted by these answers, I just found another site for voter registration ([sbe.virginia.gov](http://sbe.virginia.gov)), and sure enough, punch in my SSN and there I am, listed with my old Virginia address. Unfortunately the “update your information” form only lets you specify another address in Virginia (it actually has a question “I am currently a Virginia resident” with only an option button for yes:smack:) … I guess I’ll be calling them in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/9 "2014-07-23T03:11:33Z")
Never mind, already answered. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/10 "2014-07-23T03:33:25Z")
Virginia did the same thing to me after I moved. I thought they’d get the hint when I filed a partial year tax return the year I left, but instead they sent me a letter the next year saying, “We noticed you didn’t file a tax return this year. We’ve taken the liberty of calculating what we think you owe us based on your previous salary.” And they included a bill to pay the estimated tax on my imaginary income. WTF? I had to send them a letter stating my new address and non-resident status. I don’t remember, but I think I had to notify the Virginia DMV as well. Greedy fucks. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/11 "2014-07-23T03:42:20Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > This was very helpful. I had previously tried searching myself on [dmv.virginia.gov](http://dmv.virginia.gov) and nothing came up… but prompted by these answers, I just found another site for voter registration ([sbe.virginia.gov](http://sbe.virginia.gov)), and sure enough, punch in my SSN and there I am, listed with my old Virginia address. Unfortunately the “update your information” form only lets you specify another address in Virginia (it actually has a question “I am currently a Virginia resident” with only an option button for yes:smack:) … I guess I’ll be calling them in the morning. They may want documentation, but it will probably be pretty simple. A copy of your current lease, voter registration card, or utility bill in your name ought to do it. BTW: did you try unclicking the button? was it a bullet that was filled in, and would go blank if you clicked it? Well, you can call tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/12 "2014-07-23T03:44:29Z")
I’ve always found the Virginia tax people to be very friendly and helpful on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/13 "2014-07-23T10:31:24Z")
We lived in VA from '97-'00 and I worked on a Navy base in the state from '04-'11, commuting from MD, but we never had any issues like this. Maybe it’s a county thing. Or maybe VA was just glad to be rid of me… ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/14 "2014-07-23T14:41:06Z")
Good luck! My sister died in Virginia in 2008. Even after her estate was properly probated, we have been unable to convince many departments of the state government there that she is dead, or that the probate of her estate (which happened in Virginia) is complete and legitimate. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/15 "2014-07-23T14:51:07Z")
> [@Q.N.Jones](#): > > Good luck! My sister died in Virginia in 2008. Even after her estate was properly probated, we have been unable to convince many departments of the state government there that she is dead, or that the probate of her estate (which happened in Virginia) is complete and legitimate. In a case like that all you need to do is fill out change of address cards. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/16 "2014-07-23T15:08:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > In a case like that all you need to do is fill out change of address cards. That might not work if she’s buried in Virginia. Virginia probably has some kind of problem with people who work in DC and live in Virginia trying to dodge taxes, or maybe falsely use Virginia addresses to enroll their children in Virginia public schools, or something like that, and this is why they are so vigilant. Or maybe back when people in DC couldn’t vote in presidential elections (something that has changed) a lot of DC residents used friends’ addresses to register to vote in Virginia, and using the voter rolls to pursue people for taxes made a lot of people stop, but it also generated some revenue, so Virginia keeps doing it. Just trying to think why Virginia is doing this while other states don’t seem to be. ---
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/17 "2014-07-23T15:23:39Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > I left the state of Virginia in 2003. I haven’t lived there, worked there, or earned income there in any year since. > > I’m really hoping I’m not going to have to keep dealing with this every year for the rest of my life. Ignore it? I left Arizona and moved to N.M. about a year later I got a summons for jury duty. I wrote and told them I no longer lived in Arizona and the commute would be quite a long one. I continued to get the summons and I ignored them. The best one was the threat to jail me if I didn’t show up for jury duty. I ignored that one as well. I’ve never been in jail. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Wino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@The\_Wino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Wino)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/18 "2014-07-23T15:27:07Z")
My experiences dealing with any governmental agency in Virginia have ranged from poor to outrageously bad. The one most similar to yours was in 2003 when I lived “in town” for about eight months and my car was registered to that address. It took me 5 or 6 years to stop them sending me city tax bills even though I moved back to a county address before ever renewing the registration at that address. I made 4 trips to the courthouse to try and rectify it. I went through something very close to it later after selling a car which they continued to try and collect taxes on for years after the transaction was complete. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/19 "2014-07-23T15:34:52Z")
> [@MrsTime](#): > > Ignore it? I left Arizona and moved to N.M. about a year later I got a summons for jury duty. I wrote and told them I no longer lived in Arizona and the commute would be quite a long one. I continued to get the summons and I ignored them. The best one was the threat to jail me if I didn’t show up for jury duty. I ignored that one as well. I’ve never been in jail. Wow. When I was at Gallaudet, I got a summons for jury duty in Indiana where I was registered to vote (I was officially enrolled at Indiana U., and was a visiting student at Gally). I wrote to the county in Indiana, head of jurors, and explained that I couldn’t call every night to see if I was needed the next day, and fly in, and it would be too much of a burden to fly in for the whole month. They wrote back and said “OK, you’re excused; you’re back in the general pool.” Got called again 15 years later, after having been out of the state and back. I was pregnant, but just a couple of months. The head of jurors made sure that I didn’t get called on the day I had my OB appointment for the month I was on the list. I got called on my last day of eligibility, and served two days. It was pretty interesting. The sheriff did haul in some people who had totally ignored their summonses, which is to say, blown them off entirely, not even a “screw you” email. They’d tracked people down at work, and said “Hey, you’ve got to come over to the courthouse. NOW.” I’ll bet if they ever got called again, they didn’t ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783/20 "2014-07-23T21:24:01Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > In a case like that all you need to do is fill out change of address cards. Assuming you know, or think you know, where the addressee now resides. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-the-state-of-virginia-that-i-havent-lived-there-in-11-years/693783.md?page=2)