My family and I are on a Temporary Relocation Assignment (TRA) from my employer. We are from Oregon but now living Texas. We’ll be here for at least 18 months and I’m being paid a “per diem” to help offset some costs on top of my normal salary. We will continue to pay income tax in Oregon while we are down here (my per diem is also fully taxed). We will keep our Oregon licenses, car plates, and auto/life insurance. I will also be setting up a PO Box in Oregon on my next trip back (forgot to do that before we left). Texas has no income tax so I’m not worried about taxes here. We sold our home in Oregon (we were going to sell anyways) and are buying here in Texas.

Here are questions/concerns:

- Does buying a home in Texas make my Oregon residency invalid? If so it’s illegal for me to take a per diem. I don’t know why it would. I’m just a triple checker. My employer says it does not invalidate my Oregon residency, but in the same breath they also say “but we can’t guarantee it and should check with a tax professional”

- Will my Texas property taxes (and other home deductions) be counted in my Oregon taxes as deductions? I was always told that whatever you write off federally in that regard you could also write off on state taxes as well?

Much thanks!