The Montana Department of Revenue will open the state Individual Income Tax filing season on Monday, January 28, 2019. Public Information Officer Sanjay Talwani is encouraging Montanans to get started early with their returns, and to file electronically.

“It is really pretty simple,” Talwani said. “The computer programs that do it work really well and they just ask you questions. The vast majority of Montana tax payers already file this way. It is just more accurate. There is less likelihood of a mistake, fraud, it getting lost, or someone miss keying in a number somewhere.”

According to Talwani, there is one change taxpayers will see this year.

“There is one form called a 1099-G,” Talwani said. “That is a form that you have gotten in the mail through the years if you received a state income tax refund or other state payment, like unemployment benefits, certain agricultural payments, things like that that come from the state. You can go to Get1099.mt.gov or go to our main website, mtrevenue.gov to find that form.”

Talwani says people with 1099 forms will receive a green postcard with instructions on what to do. About a quarter of Montana tax payers have this form and it is going to save the state government quite a bit of money by not mailing out 180,000 individual forms. Tax returns must be filed by April 15 and filers should allow up to 90 days to receive their refunds.

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