Montana Tax Rebate Checks Up to $2,500 Are Now Being Sent

Montana tax rebate checks worth up to $2,500 began going out on July 3 after a tax relief bill was passed in March. The actual amount eligible Montana residents receive depends on the details of their 2021 tax return. 

“We now have a historic tax relief package – providing Montanans with the largest tax cut in state history,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said during a press conference announcing the legislation.

Montana Tax Rebate: Who is Eligible? 

The 2023 Montana income tax rebate payment is based on your 2021 Montana state tax return. 

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Only Montana taxpayers who filed a 2021 Montana full-year resident tax return will receive a payment. Montana residents must have also filed a part year or full year 2020 state tax return. The tax rebate bill also defines other qualifying criteria which includes the following.

• You must have filed 2020 and 2021 Montana tax returns by the 2021 tax year deadline (unless you were granted an extension).
• Individuals claimed as a dependent on a 2021 Montana or federal income tax return are not eligible for the payment.
• Line 20 of your Montana Form 2 must be greater than zero to receive an income tax rebate payment.

(Note: The income tax rebate is separate from the Montana property tax rebate, and the set of requirements for each type of rebate payment is different. This means that Montana taxpayers may qualify for one of the rebate payments, even if they don't meet criteria for the other.)

What is the Montana Surplus Check for 2023? 

The amount of your Montana income tax rebate check depends on your filing status and the amount recorded on line 20 of your Montana Form 2  for the tax year 2021. Montana began sending payments to eligible residents in early July, and most income tax rebates will be sent by August 31, 2023, according to the Montana Department of Revenue. 

According to the department's website, Montana will issue rebates in the order 2021 Montana tax returns were filed. So, taxpayers who filed early in 2022 could see Montana rebate payments hit their accounts first. The table below shows how much money you might receive. 

Montana filing status for the 2021 tax year

This means that if line 20 on your 2021 Montana Form 2 is $500, you will receive an income tax rebate of $500, regardless of your filing status. This also means that $2,500 is the maximum amount joint filers can receive, and $1,250 is the maximum amount that other filers may receive. 

• For example, head of household filers with 2,000 on line 20 of their Montana Form 2 will still receive a tax rebate of $1,250. 
• As stated, if line 20 on your 2021 Montana Form 2 does not have an amount greater than zero, you will not receive an income tax rebate in 2023.

How Do I Claim My Montana Tax Rebate? 

• Eligible taxpayers do not need to take any action to receive their 2023 Montana rebate checks. 
• Montana will send your income tax rebate automatically, based on your most recently filed Montana Form 2. 

So, if you chose direct deposit on your most recently filed Montana state tax return, your rebate payment will be automatically sent to your bank account. Other eligible taxpayers will receive a paper check in the mail.

Other States Sending Rebate Checks in 2023

Montana isn't the only state sending money to eligible residents. Other states have approved so-called “stimulus” payments in 2023. (The special payments were also popular last year.)

For example, Minnesota is sending tax rebates this year, and Alabama approved tax rebates that will be sent soon. New Mexico tax rebates started going out in June, and rebate checks in Georgia have already started going out. Each state has its own criteria that eligible taxpayers must meet to qualify for a rebate payment.