By Mario Carr EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Anyone who owned and lived in a Montana residence for at least seven consecutive months in 2023 is eligible for a $675 property tax rebate that must be filed by Oct. 1. This is the second year that the Montana Department of Revenue has offered the tax rebate program.
Owners of single family homes, apartments, condominiums, trailers, manufactured homes, and mobile homes including up to one acre of surrounding land are eligible for the rebate. The DOR website has detailed instructions and videos showing how to find and file the necessary information.
“Only property taxes paid on the dwelling and up to one acre of land surrounding it can be used to claim the rebate. If your property is larger than one acre, you can use our calculator to determine the amount of property taxes to report on your claim,” the DOR website states.
With a maximum payout of $675, anyone who paid $675 or less in property taxes in 2023 can have those taxes entirely refunded.
Properties owned by an entity such as an LLC or a corporation are not eligible for the rebate. When homeowners file online, they may receive a check in the mail within 30 days; direct deposit is not available. The DOR has warned on their website that there were several rebate scams during last year’s rebate application period, and to only trust communications directly from the DOR for the most up to date information.
‘Dear Montana Taxpayers’
The DOR website contains a link to a letter from Gov. Greg Gianforte, addressed to Montana taxpayers and dated Aug. 1.
“Property taxes are too high, and they need to be reined in,” he wrote.
This year, Gianforte has established a bipartisan Property Tax Task Force in order to “reform” the state’s property tax system. Gianforte wrote that out-of-staters who don’t pay income taxes in Montana should have to pay their fair share in property taxes.
“While property tax rebates provide temporary relief, we’ve seen property taxes rise too much as some local governments grow their spending at alarming rates,” he wrote.
The Governor’s letter states that many Montanans believe their property taxes are too high, and he hopes to help by putting up to $675 back into each eligible household.
