If you have Verizon, your cell phone might have an address independent of your billing address. In fact, you might be able to move your phone anywhere you like, according to our tipster. Our tipster discovered the loophole after Verizon randomly started charging him Pennsylvania tax…when he actually lived in Colorado:

Apparently, Verizon ties 3 addresses to your account which can all be different. There’s your BILLING address, YOUR address and your CELLPHONE’S address. The tax rate is tied to where your CELLPHONE resides which can be completely arbitrary for all they care.

Well, my previous internet search also revealed that Nevada (1.14%) had the lowest tax rate of all the states. So I arbitrarily decided that my cellphone was going to live in Nevada. Not hiding my shadiness, I asked the cheery CSR if I could change my cellphone’s address to someplace in Nevada instead of Colorado. “As long as it’s a valid address”, he said. One more internet search quickly revealed a valid Nevada address, some random electronics store in Elko. And just like that, my cellphone had a new home and taxing entity.

On further consideration, I realized it would have been more fun to ironically use the address for a Verizon Wireless store located in the Silver State, but oh well, maybe next time I upgrade.

Interesting stuff. Probably illegal. —MEGHANN MARCO

(Photo: itjournalist)

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