Montana Department of Revenue

Contents of Unclaimed Safe Deposit Boxes Up For Auction

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Contents of Unclaimed Safe Deposit Boxes Up For Auction

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HELENA — Rare coins, antique watches, and other relics of Montana’s past are now up for auction, as the Montana Department of Revenue disposes of the unclaimed contents of safe deposit boxes.

By law, the Department of Revenue holds certain property, such as old paychecks, rebates, bank balances – and items left in safe deposit boxes – that is unclaimed by its owners.

Items from about 90 Montana safe deposit boxes are slated for auction online through Lone Star Auctioneers.

Items include:

  • Rare gold and silver coins,
  • Stamp collections,
  • Knives,
  • Jewelry, and
  • A 10-ounce bar of silver.

When the rent is unpaid or the lease is expired for five years, the unclaimed contents of safe deposit boxes are turned over to the Department of Revenue, which holds the items for three more years before going to auction.

New items will be posted every other Thursday until they are sold.

The original owners of the unclaimed items retain the right to the proceeds, minus the costs of the sales and any bank fees.

Since 1963, the Department of Revenue has returned more than $48 million in assets to thousands of individuals.

To see if you are an owner of unclaimed property held by the Department of Revenue, visit the TransAction Portal.

Nine Alcoholic Beverage Licenses Available Now

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Nine alcoholic beverage licenses are available from the department.

This competitive bidding opportunity runs  through .

Quota Area License Type Minimum Bid
Belgrade All-Beverage New $262,500.00
Missoula Restaurant Beer and Wine $42,000.00
Missoula All-Beverage Floater $323,300.00
Bozeman Beer $220,000.00
Bozeman All-Beverage Floater $371,250.00
Whitefish Beer $238,125.00
Kalispell Beer $222,500.00
Hamilton Beer $37,500.00
Troy Beer $11,250

The highest bidder for each license will be granted the opportunity to apply for that license. 

The “floater” licenses allow each winning bidder to purchase, subject to department approval, an existing all-beverage license from an area that is above its quota for that license and move it into the area that is below quota. 

Bids must be submitted electronically to the department through My Revenue.

To submit a bid, the bidder must complete and submit the electronic bid form, pay a $100 processing fee plus service charges, and attach an irrevocable letter of credit from a financial institution for at least the bid amount. 

Learn more about the Alcoholic Beverage Retail License Competitive Bid Process.

Disaster Emergency Relief

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For immediate release

September 21, 2020

Media Contact

Sanjay Talwani, PIO
Montana Department of Revenue
(406) 444-6700
DORCommunications@mt.gov

Governor Steve Bullock is reminding Montanans affected by wildfire that they may qualify for property tax reductions or other tax assistance.

“Our hearts go out to our fellow Montanans who have experienced property loss due to the recent wildfires. If you’ve been impacted by wildfires, assistance is available to ensure you can focus on recovery and rebound for your family and business,” said Governor Bullock.

If you are a Montana property owner and you’ve experienced a loss of your home, other buildings, or forestland due to the recent wildfires, you might be eligible for property tax reductions.

Impacted property owners can apply to the Department of Revenue for property tax reductions. The department will review your property for a possible reduction in value, which will result in lower property taxes. This may apply to residences; real property improvements such as garages, sheds and agricultural buildings; manufactured houses and mobile homes; business equipment; and land classified as forest. The department is also reviewing fire maps to determine where structures have been lost and will proactively contact property owners to notify about the relief program.

In addition to property tax reductions, individuals or business owners that have been impacted by the fires and are unable to access their tax records that are needed for upcoming filing obligations should contact the department.

“As Montanans work hard to stay safe, we all want to help our neighbors most affected by this season’s fires,” said Gene Walborn, director of the Montana Department of Revenue. “We want anyone with property damage or other impacts from wildfire to contact us and so we can give you the help you’re entitled to.”

To apply for the aid and for information on other disaster relief programs, see Relief Programs or contact us for more information.

Revised Montana NOL Schedule for Tax Years 2018-2020

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Congress enacted the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020. Among other things, the Act addresses net operating losses (NOLs) and other related provisions.

For example:

  • Section 2303 allows a five-year carryback for NOLs arising in the 2018, 2019, and 2020 tax years. Section 2303 also temporarily repeals the 80% of income limitation for tax years beginning before 2021.
  • Section 2304 temporarily repeals the loss limitation for individuals, estates and trusts under section 461(l) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) for tax years beginning before January 1, 2021.
  • Section 2306 amended section 163(j) of the IRC increasing the interest expense deduction for tax years 2019 and 2020.
  • Section 2307 made some technical amendments to section 168(e) of the IRC related to qualified improvement property.

The above-provisions apply when a taxpayer calculates Montana taxable income.  As a result:

  • Some taxpayers may have to amend their 2018 and/or 2019 tax returns;
  • Individuals, estates and trusts with an NOL incurred in tax years 2018 or 2019 may carry their NOL back five years and amend the corresponding returns filed in those years. A waiver of the carryback period will be available on their 2020 Montana income tax return for each impacted tax year.

As a result of the changes from the CARES Act to the treatment of NOLs for tax years 2018, 2019, and 2020, the department updated the Montana Net Operating Loss for Individuals, Estates and Trusts Schedule and it is now available to recalculate the NOL for 2018 and/or 2019 to carry back to previous years. Taxpayers will also use this schedule to calculate their 2020 NOL. Please note that a taxpayer cannot carry back a 2020 NOL before tax year 2020 has ended.  To carry back a 2020 NOL, you must complete your 2020 return and include the Class B NOL Schedule.

For Corporations, amended return instructions and NOL provisions remain unchanged. See the Corporate Income Tax Return Instructions for more information.

Field Office Updates and Classification and Appraisal Notices Mailed

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The DOR Property Assessment Offices remain closed to the public, however field office staff are available by phone and email. If an in-person meeting is necessary, we will schedule it with the property owner, ensuring proper social distancing. We have started planning and preparation efforts to open our offices to the public. It is our intention to only open an office when we have safety protocols in place for the staff working in the office as well as the public visiting the office. We will keep you updated as we are able to open offices.

We have completed mailing the 2020 classification and appraisal notices. We generated 20,128 mobile home notices, 28,770 personal property notices and 114,656 real property notices. Below is a table detailing the notice dates and deadline dates for submitting a Request for Informal Classification and Appraisal Review (Form AB-26) and a formal appeal for each property type.

(PDF, 135 KB)

Property TypeTotal Number of RecordsNotice DateDeadline to Submit Form AB-26 or Formal Appeal
Mobile Home20,1284/3/20206/1/2020
Personal Property - Locally Assessed21,8585/8/20206/8/2020
Personal Property - Industrial 6,9125/8/20206/8/2020
Real Property - Locally Assessed113,1166/19/20207/20/2020
Real Property - Industrial1,5406/19/20207/20/2020

Please Note: The notice date on some original or revised notices generated and mailed from the local field offices varies depending upon the creation date of the notice.

How a Property Owner Can Object or Appeal the Classification or Market Value

Property owners who do not agree with our determination of their property’s classification or market value can either informally object to the department or formally appeal to their local county tax appeal board (CTAB) one time per valuation cycle.

  1. Submit a Request for Informal Classification and Appraisal Review (Form AB-26) to the department within 30 days from the date on the classification and appraisal notice. New this year, property owners can check a box on their classification and appraisal notice and mail the detachable ticket, within 30 days from the date on their notice, to their local field office to request a Form AB-26 be mailed to them.

    What happens next?

    The property owner can ask for an onsite appraisal and can give us related documentation for additional review. We will then send the owner a decision letter about whether or not we adjusted the property value. If the owner disagrees with our decision, the owner can file a formal appeal with the local CTAB within 30 days from the date on our decision letter.

  2. If the owner disagrees with CTAB’s decision, the owner can file an appeal with the Montana Tax Appeal Board within 30 days of the CTAB decision.

    What happens next?

    Our informal review process and the county’s formal appeal process are separate and independent processes. Property owners don’t have to first file an informal review with us before filing an appeal with the local CTAB. If filed on time, the property owner can file both a Form AB-26 and a Property Tax Appeal Form. Once CTAB makes a decision, however, the owner can no longer use our informal review process.

Valuation Adjustments for Class Three and Class Four Property

An informal classification and appraisal review (Form AB-26) or formal appeal submitted within 30 days from the date on the notice that results in a classification or valuation adjustment, the adjustment will apply to tax year 2020.

If property owners miss the 30-day deadline, their opportunity to submit a request for informal review or appeal directly to CTAB will be in 2021, after they receive their classification and appraisal notice for the 2021-2022 valuation cycle.

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