Be aware of Montana property tax rebate scams

Montana taxpayers applying for a property tax rebate should be on the lookout for suspicious or fraudulent activity.

The best way for Montana taxpayers to avoid scams is to apply for the property tax rebate online at GetMyRebate.mt.gov as soon as possible. The application period is open and ends on October 1, 2023, but the Department of Revenue encourages Montanans not to wait.

Montana property taxpayers do not have to pay for any information required to apply for the property tax rebate.

Similar to fraudulent tax returns, criminals may try to use stolen names and Social Security Numbers to file phony applications for property tax rebates.

One scam criminals are employing is an online offer to provide information needed to file a property tax rebate claim for a fee. Staff at the Department of Revenue have received reports of websites charging taxpayers for the geocode of their principal residence.

To claim their property tax rebate, Montana taxpayers must report their residence’s geocode, a unique 17-digit number that identifies a property and that can be found free of charge from the state at cadastral.mt.gov. The department strongly discourages taxpayers from clicking on any website or link that charges a fee to access public information. For detailed information on how to locate a geocode, visit GetMyRebate.mt.gov.

By applying early, taxpayers can reduce the risk that criminals will use their information to claim the rebate. Please contact the Montana Department of Revenue if you believe someone has filed a fraudulent claim on your behalf.

The Montana Property Tax Rebate provides qualifying Montanans up to $675 of property tax relief on a primary residence in both 2023 and 2024. The qualifications to claim the rebate are at GetMyRebate.mt.gov.

Claiming a property tax rebate online should take only a few minutes.

Over 100,000 homeowners have successfully applied for their rebate online since the portal opened one week ago on August 15. The department anticipates it will take 30 to 90 days to process payments depending on whether the applicant selected direct deposit or a paper check by mail.