Montana Department of Revenue says property taxes could rise again

Montana Department of Revenue staff told a legislative committee last week that next year's reappraisal cycle could produce a partial repeat of last year's jarring tax spike as the state's surging real estate market continues to translate into higher residential taxes.

The department expects the market value of the average Montana residential property to be reappraised at 21% higher when it completes next year's reappraisal cycle. A staff economist said Monday that if the Legislature doesn't rebalance state tax statutes, the higher values will likely result in the average residential tax bill...