Montana Non-Profits Need to Submit Tax Exempt Paperwork Before March 1, Few Have

A new Montana state law requires all owners of tax exempt real property to reapply for property tax exemption. Montana Department of Revenue spokesperson, Molly Peterson says very few nonprofit organizations and other tax exempt property owners have sent in their applications.

"We currently believe that there are between six and seven thousand tax exempt properties in Montana," said Peterson. "We don't know how many still qualify for tax exempt status, so I don't know how many we can expect to get, but it will be more than the thousand we have gotten so far."

The applications are due by March 1, 2016. Peterson says it is still unclear if there will be any kind of grace period for those that fail to meet the deadline.

"I am not sure about a grace period and I am not sure if there will be any kind of penalty that is put down in statute by the legislature when they made this a new state law, but tax matters are serious so we hope that people will take a look at this and get their forms filed," said Peterson.

Applicants should mail the application materials to Montana Department of Revenue. For more information, visit revenue.mt.gov or call toll free (866) 859-2254.