Is Montana Taxing Retirees Out of Their Homes?

If you are like me, the tax codes, regardless of which tax it is, are completely incomprehensible to understand. As soon as I open the county tax bill, my mind goes into overdrive trying to figure them out.

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The one common thing that people will probably all agree on and be able to decipher is that taxes are too high. Period. Especially for the retirees in our state. Shouldn't working all your life and paying off your home afford you some sort of relief while enjoying those golden years?

790% Increase in Property Taxes for One Retiree in Montana

In a viral Tik Tok video posted by a candidate for Montana Governor, Ryan Busse, an elderly gentleman is seen talking about property taxes and the effects of those on him. The person, identified as Kurt, claims that after purchasing his property in 1995, his taxes have increased from around $895 to almost $8,000.

In order to afford to continue to live in his home, Kurt has had to take on another job in his retirement in order to pay those taxes each year. Is this really what we are working for? To simply go back to work again to just get by and keep our homes?

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How Did Montana Get to This Point Taxing Everyone and Everything

As more people discover the Last Best Place, property values are increasing across the state. In an analysis of revenue department data for the 956,000 properties on the state’s property tax rolls in both 2022 and 2023, Montana Free Press reported that "Montana residential property owners will pay about 21% more on their taxes this year than they did last year, with typical increases ranging between 11% and 35%".

Should retirees have a freeze put on their property taxes after a certain age? What about a sales tax for the state of Montana? Would it be beneficial and help curb some of the out of the world taxes we now face?

Property Taxes by State: The USA's Lowest and Highest

Finding the home of your dreams, settling down, and raising a family with a great yard and a white picket fence. Every fairy tale needs a villain, and the American Dream has property tax. WalletHub recently ranked the 50 and the District of Columbia to determine which state has the highest property tax in the United States. Let's start from the lowest and finish with America's highest state property tax.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow