2024 Montana Income Taxes* – Montana Individual Income Tax Reduced†
What you need to know about your Montana income tax filing responsibilities
According to the State of Montana, an individual’s marital status is used for filing a Montana tax return. Your marital status can affect your requirements for filing, the standard deductions you take, and other conditions in tax preparation.
Montana income tax filing statuses will now–beginning 2024–be based on your federal tax return filing status:
- Married and filing jointly?
- Qualifying surviving spouse?
- Head of household.
- Single.
- Are you married and filing separately?
The State of Montana recommends choosing the tax filing status that allots you the lowest tax burden. Montana’s top income rate beginning in 2024 is 6.5%
Ensure you choose the best of the four Montana tax filing statuses:
A. FILING SINGLE
1. You have never been married.
2. According to your state’s law, you were legally separated under a final decree of divorce, legal separation, or separate maintenance agreement.
3. Your spouse died prior to January 1st of the tax year and you did not remarry during that tax year.
B. MARRIED, FILING JOINTLY
1. You were married as of December 31st of the tax year whether or not you resided in MT with your spouse at the end of the tax year.
2. During the tax year your spouse died and you did not remarry during that tax year or you were married as of 31 December of the tax year and your spouse died the next tax year before you filed your tax return.
†Montana’s highest individual income tax rate was reduced in 2021 to 6.75% from 6.9%, and the Montana corporate income tax rate tops out at 6.75%.
C. MARRIED, FILING SEPARATELY
When both spouses declare income, both can file their Montana income tax returns separately, even if both filed joint federal income taxes.
Those filing separately must report adjusted gross income separately from the spouse. No income assigning is permitted.
Both spouses must declare their own employment income or income earned as an independent contractor.
You must report rent-generating property you own, property earning royalties, or dividend income that you receive. Unless there is an unequal percentage of ownership of any of the aforementioned items that are jointly owned by both spouses, you must equally split all rents, royalties, and dividend incomes between the two of you for tax purposes.
When married couples file separately, both may claim either the standard deduction or itemized deductions of their own.
D. FILING HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD
File as “Head of Household,” if your federal income tax return indicates you qualify. Review the IRS Head of Household guidelines.
Have a question? The Montana Department of Revenue is happy to provide you contacts with additional information about individual Montana taxes. If you have questions or need assistance from the State of Montana, please call (406) 444-6900.
Download Montana tax forms here.
*Taunya Fagan, Bozeman Real Estate, Brokers, Agents, or ESTATE House does not advise on any personal income tax requirements or issues. Use of any information from this site or any other web site referred to is for general information only and does not represent personal tax advice either express or implied. You are encouraged to call the State of Montana and/or seek professional tax advice for personal income tax questions and assistance. Charts, files, and photos on this page may be out-of-date.
Additional Montana State Resources:
- MONTANA INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAXES
- MONTANA PROPERTY TAXES
- 2023 MONTANA PROPERTY TAX REFUND
- MONTANA STATE TAXES
- MONTANA REAL ESTATE TRANSFER CERTIFICATION
- ESTABLISHING MONTANA RESIDENCY
- MONTANA RIVERS
- RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN MONTANA
