Montana Chamber partners with Council on State Taxation for study

HELENA– The Montana Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to partner with the State Tax Research Institute (STRI) of the Council on State Taxation for a review of Montana’s business tax structure and possible legislative improvements.

As Montana faces a budget crisis and as state tax competition and economic development efforts increase, the Montana Chamber feels like now is the right time to delve into this important business climate issue. Competitiveness of the Treasure State’s tax structure is a major component of the Montana Chamber’s ten-year strategic plan, Envision 2026.

“Our goal is to create the best possible business environment that will promote economic growth and pay for needed services,” said Webb Brown, president and CEO of the Montana Chamber. “We know Montana’s economy is changing and we need to adapt.”

The study was authorized Oct. 26 at the Montana Chamber’s Annual Meeting in Great Falls. During that meeting, the Montana Chamber Board of Directors received an assessment of the current Montana business tax structure, was told what the STRI found as potential deficiencies and received an outline of potential areas of improvement.

“The board and I look forward to seeing what the study will uncover,” said Greg Thayer, the chair of the Montana Chamber Board of Directors. “As a business owner, I understand first-hand the tax burden Montana business owners face. This study also falls in line with what we are trying to accomplish in the business climate objective of our ten-year strategic plan, Envision 2026.”

The study will now move into Phase II. The second phase will involve developing and analyzing specific tax reforms. The objective of this phase will be to help the Montana Chamber develop its tax reform proposals for the 2019 legislative session.

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