Montana Sales Tax
Figure basis: Official Montana Department of RevenueMontana does not impose a state sales tax. Residents and visitors pay no sales tax on retail purchases at the state level, making Montana one of a small number of states with no statewide sales tax. Some localities within Montana may still charge local sales or use taxes, so this page links to local rate information where applicable. Even without a sales tax, Montana may generate revenue through other means such as property taxes, excise taxes, or income taxes. Use the tools below to explore the full tax picture for Montana and compare your overall burden against states that do levy a sales tax. All information is sourced from Montana Department of Revenue and reflects current Montana tax law.
Montana has no statewide or local general sales tax. The marked price is the price you pay on general retail purchases. Montana has no general statewide sales tax and no general local sales tax; only a handful of resort communities levy a narrow local resort tax of up to 3%.
Montana has no sales tax
Montana has no general statewide sales tax and no general local sales tax; only a handful of resort communities levy a narrow local resort tax of up to 3%. For shoppers, the price on the shelf is the price at the register. For businesses, there is no general sales tax to collect or remit on ordinary retail sales in Montana.
How Montana stays a no-sales-tax state
Montana is one of only five states with no general sales tax, and unlike Alaska it does not even allow broad local sales taxes to fill the gap. For most residents and visitors, the price on the shelf is the price at the register, with no percentage added at checkout. That makes Montana a common destination for large purchases by residents of neighboring states, though those buyers still owe use tax back home.
The one exception is narrow and geographic. A small group of designated resort communities, places like Big Sky, Red Lodge, West Yellowstone, Whitefish and Virginia City, are allowed to levy a local resort tax of up to 3% on tourist-facing goods and services such as lodging, restaurant meals and some retail. The idea is to let towns with tiny year-round populations but heavy visitor traffic fund local services from the people who actually use them, rather than from a handful of permanent residents.
For everyday shopping outside those resort areas, there is nothing to calculate: Montana adds no state or county sales tax to a general retail purchase. If you are budgeting for a trip to a ski town or a national park gateway, check whether your destination is one of the resort-tax communities, because a hotel or dinner bill there can carry up to 3% that you would never see in Billings or Missoula.
Montana sales tax: frequently asked questions
Does Montana have a sales tax?
No. Montana has no general local sales tax, but a few designated resort communities (such as Big Sky, Red Lodge, Seeley Lake, St. Regis, Virginia City, West Yellowstone and Whitefish) may levy a local resort tax of up to 3% on certain goods and services.
How much sales tax will I pay in Montana?
None on general retail purchases. Montana has no statewide or local general sales tax, so the marked price is the price you pay.
Does Montana have a sales tax?
No. The Montana Department of Revenue confirms Montana has no general-use sales tax. The only exceptions are narrow local resort taxes of up to 3% charged in a small number of designated resort communities.
What is the Montana resort tax?
It is a local-option tax that certain qualifying resort communities may levy, capped at 3%, to fund local services. It is not a statewide sales tax and applies only within those communities.
Official sources
- State base rate (0%): Montana Department of Revenue, as at Jun 11, 2026.
- Local combined rates: Montana Department of Revenue, as at Jun 11, 2026.
- Address-level lookup: Montana Department of Revenue rate lookup.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 11 June 2026. See our methodology. General information, not financial or tax advice.