Making Estimated Tax Payments

Individuals, estates and trusts, and pass-through entities may need to make an estimated tax payment or make a tax payment separately from filing a return. Payments can be made using payment vouchers or through the TransAction Portal (TAP).

Information about estimated payments for C corporations is here.

How to Make a Payment

You can make estimated tax payments for your income tax account in two ways:

• Online

  Use the Transaction Portal (TAP) to make estimated payments securely.

• By Check (with voucher)

  Choose the correct voucher for your filing type:

  • Individuals – Montana Individual Income Tax Payment Voucher (Form IT)
  • Estates and Trusts – Montana Estate Or Trust Tax Payment Voucher (Form FID)
  • S Corporations – Montana Small Business Corporation License Tax Payment Voucher (Form SB)
  • Partnerships – Montana Partnership Tax Payment Voucher (Form PR)

Who Needs to Make Estimated Payments?

If you estimate you will owe more than $500 in tax for last year, you should make quarterly estimated payments this year. Partnerships and S Corporations only need to make estimated payments if they expect to owe more than $500 in pass-through entity tax or composite tax

Individuals might need to make estimated payments if they:

• Are self-employed
• Have pension income
• Have commission income
• Received a lump sum payment
• Have capital gains
• Have dividend, interest, alimony, or other source income not subject to withholding

Please use Worksheets ESW or ESA in Montana Publication 1 – Prepaying Income Tax to determine the amount of your estimated payments.

Estimated Payment Due Dates

For Calendar Year Filers:

Estimated tax payments are due on these dates:

• First payment: April 15
• Second payment: June 15
• Third payment: September 15
• Fourth payment: January 15 (of the following year)

Please Note: If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, payments are due on the next business day.

For Fiscal Year Filers:

Payments are due the 15th day of the:

• 4th month

• 6th month

• 9th month of your fiscal year

•  and the 1st month of the following fiscal year.

Penalties and Interest

If you owe more than $500 in tax and didn't make estimated payments, you may be subject to penalties and interest.

You must make income tax payments throughout the year. Individuals may make payments through employer withholding, estimated tax payments, or a combination of the two.

To avoid underpayment interest, you need to pay either:

• 90% of your current year's tax liability
• 100% of your previous year's tax liability

Underpayment interest can be calculated in Montana Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts (Form EST-I).