Adding a sales tax line anyway
Montana has no general sales tax, so a tax line invented for tidiness collects money you are not authorised to collect.
USD · No general sales tax · Reviewed September 2026
Montana Invoice Generator & Sales Tax Guide
Create a Montana Invoice and Check the Montana Tax Position
Build a professional invoice for a customer in Montana below — free, no account, no watermark. Set your own tax rate, add line items and download a clean PDF.
Montana has no general sales tax. Certain resort communities levy local resort taxes on lodging and some retail, which is the main exception to plan for.
Montana sales tax rates
Montana is one of the states with no general sales tax, so most invoices issued to customers there carry no tax line. That does not remove every tax question — narrower taxes and other states' rules can still reach you.
| Statewide rate | 0.00% |
|---|---|
| Average local add-on | 0.00% |
| Highest local add-on tracked | 0.00% |
| Average combined rate | 0.00% |
| Rank by combined rate | 47th highest of 50 states |
Local rates in Montana
Montana has no general state or local sales tax, so there is no local rate to look up for ordinary commercial invoices.
Watch for narrower taxes that apply to specific activities such as lodging, prepared food or vehicle rental, and for obligations in other states you sell into.
What to put on a Montana invoice
- The word Invoice and a unique invoice number
- Your business name, address, email and phone
- The customer's legal name and Montana billing address
- Invoice date and a calendar due date, not just Net 30
- A line for each item or service with quantity and rate
- Subtotal and total in USD — no sales tax line is normally needed
- How to pay — ACH details, check payee or a payment link
- A purchase order number where the customer issued one
- A note if tax applies for another state's sale
- A reference to an exemption or resale certificate on exempt sales
Registering and filing in Montana
There is no general sales tax registration in Montana. Businesses there still register with the state for their own tax obligations, and sellers based in Montana can be required to register in other states once their sales into those states cross a threshold.
Filing frequency is set by the state and usually depends on how much tax you collect: larger collectors file monthly, smaller ones quarterly or annually. The Montana Department of Revenue sets and notifies your frequency — do not assume it stays the same as your volume grows.
We deliberately do not publish thresholds, filing deadlines or penalty amounts on this page. Those numbers change, and the only copy worth relying on is the one on the state's own site, linked below.
Exempt sales and certificates
Exemption certificates rarely feature on Montana invoices, because there is no general sales tax to be exempt from. If you sell into states that do levy one, collect their certificates and keep them with the invoice.
Reference the certificate on the invoice rather than silently leaving tax off. A tax line of $0.00 with a note explaining why is far easier to defend in an audit than an invoice with no mention of tax at all.
Example Montana invoice
A contractor billing a Montana customer for equipment and labour, showing how the tax line sits under the subtotal.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment supplied and installed | 1 | $1,600.00 | $1,600.00 |
| On-site labour | 8 | $100.00 | $800.00 |
| Subtotal | $2,400.00 | ||
| Montana sales tax (none levied) | $0.00 | ||
| Total due — Net 30 | $2,400.00 | ||
Common Montana invoicing mistakes
Charging tax without being registered
Collecting tax before you are registered creates a liability with no account to remit it to, and the customer cannot reclaim it.
Assuming services are treated like goods
Taxability of services varies widely between states and within them. Confirm the treatment of your specific service with the Montana Department of Revenue rather than copying what a supplier in another state does.
Leaving the due date implied
Write both the terms and a calendar date. In a corporate payment run, an ambiguous due date always resolves in the payer's favour.
Filing the certificate nowhere
Exemption and resale certificates are what justify a zero-tax invoice years later. Store them alongside the invoice, not in an inbox.
Sending to your day-to-day contact only
Your contact commissioned the work; a different inbox pays for it. Ask for the accounts payable address at the start.
Montana invoicing FAQs
What is the sales tax rate in Montana?
Montana does not levy a general statewide sales tax, and the Tax Foundation records no average local sales tax either, so the average combined rate is 0%. Specific transaction taxes can still apply — confirm your own position with the Montana Department of Revenue.
Do I have to charge Montana sales tax on my invoices?
Generally no, because Montana has no general sales tax. You may still have obligations in other states you sell into, and Montana has other business taxes that are your own cost rather than an invoice line. Check with the Montana Department of Revenue.
Does Montana have local city or county sales taxes?
No. Montana has no general state or local sales tax.
Is a specific invoice format required in Montana?
There is no prescribed commercial invoice template in Montana. What matters is that the invoice identifies both parties, describes the supply, shows the amount due, shows any tax separately, and can be reconciled with your returns and records.
Where do I register for Montana business taxes?
Through the Montana Department of Revenue, which runs registration, filing and rate lookups for Montana. Its website is linked in the official sources section on this page.
Can I invoice a Montana customer from another state or country?
Yes — the invoice itself is the same document. The question is whether your sales into Montana create a registration obligation there. With no general sales tax, that question rarely arises for Montana sales.
Official sources
Last reviewed September 2026.
- Montana Department of Revenue
The primary authority for Montana registration, rates, filing and exemption rules.
- Tax Foundation — State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026
Secondary source for the statewide, average local and combined rate figures shown above.
- Federation of Tax Administrators — state tax agencies
Directory used to locate each state's official tax agency.
- IRS — small business and self-employed tax center
Federal guidance on business income, record-keeping and Form W-9.
Related tools and reading
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