Tax Study Ranks Montana as One of the Best States For Business

According to a new report by the Tax Foundation, Montana ranked better than nearly all U.S. States when it came to providing a healthy business tax climate. Despite some tax changes during the 2012-2013 legislative session though, Montana has not moved in the rankings for quite some time.

"Montana has ranked seventh for at least the past three years and that's because Montana goes without a sales tax," said Tax Foundation Economist Scott Drenkard. "Of the states in the top ten, most of the states go without one or more of these major tax categories."

Drenkard said that although Montana did very well in the study, there are still things it can change to do even better.

"Montana has relatively low rates and broad bases," Drenkard said. "There's still some room for improvement though. The top state income tax rate is 6.9 percent which is a little bit high compared to some other neighboring states like Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota which have either non-existent or lower rates."

Montana Governor Steve Bullock cheered the Tax Foundation's findings yesterday saying “this report shows, once again, that Montana is a great place to do business. In addition to our great tax climate, we have a highly trained workforce and an unmatched quality of life, which also entice companies to Montana. This is just another sign of what businessmen and women are recognizing: Montana is one of the very best places in the country to do business.”

 Scott Drenkard: