Montana businesses may incur the following types of state filing fees and taxes on income and sales:

• initial taxes, fees, and licensing costs that are incurred upon the startup of your business, including incorporation document filing fees, limited liability company formation fees, and initial miscellaneous business fees
• state taxes and fees that are due periodically after your business is up and running, which include various taxes imposed on your business income, sales and use taxes, and subsequent annual franchise tax and licensing fees

In addition, the state imposes a personal income tax on business income that passes through to you from your business. To gain a better idea about the types of fees and tax obligations you may be facing, we recommend that you review the following information:

• Initial formation fees for new businesses vary in Montana depending upon the type of business you run (hairstylist, lawyer, etc.) and the form in which you operate your business — are you a corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership or limited liability company (LLC)? This segment will go through the various formation fees and licensing requirements that Montana imposes.
• Taxes and fees on business income outlines the various taxes that Montana imposes on your business income. This section will provide you with a working knowledge of the various types of taxes that are due after your business is up and running.
• Sales and use taxes discusses the general requirements of the lodging facilities tax and new vehicle sales and use tax. This section also provides you with a general discussion of the locally administered tourist taxes that local governments in Montana may impose. Montana does not have a general sales and use tax.

We also provide you with the names and telephone numbers of the oversight agencies in Montana that administer the various types of business fees and taxes. This section will give you the references to contact if you need additional information.