If you have scheduled a payment for individual income tax on or before April 15, you may now delay your payment to a date after April 15. But, it must be received on or before July 15, 2020.
To reschedule your payment:
To schedule a payment through TAP, click on “Make a Payment” under Quick Links and follow the instructions on the screen.
The Montana Department of Revenue has determined that payments from the federal government related to the COVID-19 outbreak are exempt from state income tax.
Many Montanans are expected to receive payments from the CARES Act, passed in late March.
If you have questions please go to the IRS web change at IRS.gov.
The Montana Department of Revenue is warning all Montanans to watch out for scams related to the recently announced federal stimulus package.
With recent news of direct payments to Americans based on their 2018 or 2019 tax information, scammers are already contacting individuals, and especially tax preparers, by phone, email, and text, trying to solicit personal, financial and tax information that can be used for identity theft and financial fraud.
“It’s tragic that even during a national crisis, criminals are taking advantage of fear and uncertainty to try to steal from hard-working people and the professional tax preparers they trust with their financial information,” said Gene Walborn, director of the Montana Department of Revenue. “I urge everyone to be vigilant with their information and check with authorities if they get inquiries about their personal data.”
A typical scam might involve language such as, “In order to receive your/your client’s stimulus payment via direct deposit, we need you to confirm the banking information.” It might also include a link to website where the taxpayer is encouraged to leave personal financial information.
Especially troubling is that tax preparers, with access to large volumes of personal information, have already been targeted.
Extensions in the deadlines to July 15 for federal and Montana individual income tax filing and payments are also adding to the opportunity for scammers. The department advises Montana taxpayers to file their taxes as soon as possible, and to file electronically, to narrow the opportunity for fraudulent activity related to their information.
Montanans should visit MTRevenue.gov/fraud and www.irs.gov for more information.
Montanans who receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be with the Montana Department of Revenue should contact the department at MTRevenue.gov/contact to verify the source. Neither the department nor the IRS will call taxpayers asking for personal information such as Social Security Numbers or banking information.
The Montana Department of Revenue will continue working with the IRS and local tax preparers to detect and stop fraud, and will continue to notify the public as new kinds of fraud appear.
We are aware of posts on social media saying that the state of Montana is planning to close all agency liquor stores.
This is not true. All agency liquor stores remain open, and all are permitted to remain open under Gov. Bullock’s March 26 order to close non-essential businesses.
We will continue to post any changes to the Department of Revenue’s alcoholic beverage rules and policies on this site.
For the most current, verified news on official Montana actions related to COVID-19, go to COVID19.mt.gov.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it has become increasingly more difficult for applicants and customers of Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABCD)/Gambling Control Division (GCD) to have their fingerprints taken due to a large number of state and local agencies temporarily closing down their fingerprint operations.
Normally, two sets of fingerprint cards per person are required to be submitted to the Department with several types of applications. As an accommodation for our customers that cannot get fingerprints taken during this time, the ABCD/GCD will temporarily waive the requirement for fingerprint cards and will do a name-based background check to determine suitability until fingerprints can be obtained.
This applies to applications for:
The following information will continue to be required:
While fingerprint cards will not be required for current submissions, they will be required at a later date.
We recognize that licensees may need to infuse extra funds into their business. It is our responsibility to ensure that financing for a licensed operation is not from an unsuitable source but in these times will implement a streamlined approach to speed up the review process.
Faced with a cash flow crisis caused by mandatory closures due to COVID-19, we recognize that licensees may need a reprieve from certain debt payments or may need to make emergency loan modifications.
We recognize licensees are faced with making difficult staffing decisions during this time. Administrative rule requires any change in location managers, officers, or directors must be reported to the department within 30 days of the date of the change. As an accommodation, we will not enforce 30-day notification of removal of any key staff during this time period and will allow for a reasonable timeframe for notification of new key staff.
Questions? Contact Gambling Control Division at (406) 444-1971.
Please Note:
These temporary modifications are in place until further notice (at which time all processes will revert to standard procedures in accordance with statute and rule).
The following letter was issued by the department:
The Department of Revenue is continually monitoring the COVID-19 effects on Montana and adjusting our work plans accordingly. We are implementing social distancing standards within our offices and actively enabling many of our staff to work from home. As with other public offices, we have closed our doors to unscheduled public visits. Phone numbers for property owners to call for questions, or to set up an appointment will be posted at each office. If a meeting or person to person conversation is needed, staff will maintain a safe environment and keep the discussion brief. We will be limiting the work that our appraisers will be doing in the field. Appraisers will avoid direct interactions with property owners and will not enter occupied properties.
Where we have DOR employees located within county buildings, we will cooperatively work with each county as public access limitations and building/workspace requirements are put into place.
We are on track to have the mobile home assessment notices processed according to our original schedule. State services will be available to print and mail the notices to homeowners, which will begin this week. The notices will be dated April 3, 2020, and downloads for all counties are planned for a March 30 delivery.
Our status and planning may change at any time. We will provide timely communications, and we are providing information on our website, MTRevenue.gov. We will provide our planned schedule for personal property and real property classification and appraisal notices within a couple weeks.
Thank you.
