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Key Takeaways Residency isn’t paperwork — it’s a story built through months of consistent, documented life choices.
Planning your Florida move early protects sale proceeds, credibility, and long-term wealth strategy.
You just sold your company. The wire hits, the pressure lifts and for the first time in years, you can breathe. Then your accountant calls.
The numbers don’t look right. Between federal taxes and your former state’s claim on your sale, the celebration turns into a calculation.
That’s when many entrepreneurs start thinking about Florida. The sunshine, the lifestyle and the tax benefits all make sense. But before they can even find a Florida home, the transaction is done, the gain is realized, and the opportunity to structure things more efficiently has already passed.
It’s not that they failed to plan. It’s that they planned too late.
Timing is everything
Many people assume becoming a Florida resident is as simple as buying a home and changing a driver’s license. Those are steps in the process, but they are not the plan. When the timing of your move happens too close to a liquidity event, state tax authorities start asking questions.
Auditors look for intent. They want to know when you decided to relocate, how established your Florida life is and whether the move was driven by lifestyle or by taxes. If your sale agreement is dated March and your Florida lease or home purchase starts in April, it tells a story that auditors won’t ignore.
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