Property tax appeal · Montana
Appeal your property taxes in Montana.
In Montana, the Montana Department of Revenue (state-run appraisal) sets your value and the county tax appeal board (then Montana Tax Appeal Board) hears your case. Boards act on evidence of market value as of the assessment date, and a licensed, USPAP-compliant appraisal is that evidence.
$5, credited toward your appraisal.
Montana
2 county pages below
- Values your home
- Montana Department of Revenue (state-run appraisal)
- Hears your case
- County tax appeal board (then Montana Tax Appeal Board)
- Desktop appraisal
- $225
- $5 check credited
- Timing
- Confirmed with your order
Deadline
You have 30 days from the date on your classification and appraisal notice to request the Department of Revenue’s informal review (Form AB-26) — notices go out in reappraisal years.
Confirm your filing window and recipient requirements before ordering. Service availability and delivery depend on the property, evidence and appraiser. You remain responsible for filing on time.
How it works
How to appeal your property taxes in Montana.
- Step 1
Check your savings
Enter your address and pay $5. We check your Montana assessment against recent nearby sales.
- Step 2
Order the appraisal
A desktop appraisal valued as of your assessment date, with the $5 credited. Complex homes get one exact quote.
- Step 3
Show us your home
Walk through on your phone so the appraiser sees its condition. A desktop appraisal needs no visit.
- Step 4
File your appeal
A state-licensed MT appraiser signs it, with a cover letter and filing steps. You file by your deadline, and the county tax appeal board (then Montana Tax Appeal Board) hears your case.
The evidence
Boards act on value, not frustration.
However Montana labels the process, the case underneath is the same: show what your home was actually worth on the assessment date. A licensed, USPAP-compliant appraisal, with comparable sales, documented adjustments and a signed opinion of value, is that showing.
What the appraisal gives you
- Valued as of your assessment date, not today
- Comparable sales with adjustments and citations
- Signed by a state-licensed MT appraiser
- A phone walkthrough; a desktop appraisal needs no visit
Confirm before you file
- Your filing deadline, from your assessment notice
- Appraiser availability and delivery timing, before you order
The process
How Montana handles appeals.
Montana is unusual: a state agency — the Department of Revenue — appraises all property, not county assessors. In reappraisal years (residential runs on a two-year cycle) the DOR mails a classification and appraisal notice, and your first move is Form AB-26, a request for informal review, within 30 days. If the DOR’s answer doesn’t match the market, you appeal to your county tax appeal board, a local citizen panel, and from there to the Montana Tax Appeal Board. The DOR values by mass-appraisal model; the counterweight the boards respect is a property-specific licensed appraisal with comparable sales as of the valuation date.
Worth knowing in Montana
If taxes come due mid-appeal, pay under protest — it preserves your refund. Land and improvements are valued separately on the notice; check which one drove the jump before you argue.
FAQ
Montana questions
Who assesses property in Montana?
The Montana Department of Revenue — a state office, not your county. That’s why appeals start with a DOR informal review (Form AB-26) before any county board gets involved.
What if the DOR’s informal review doesn’t change my value?
Appeal to your county tax appeal board within the window stated on the determination, then to the Montana Tax Appeal Board if needed. These are independent panels weighing market evidence — mass-appraisal output versus your appraiser’s documented comps.
