Too Soon to Tell if Trump Tax Plan Will Spur MT Special Session, Says Legislator
This past week, Montana Department of Revenue Director Mike Kadas claimed there was a “strong possibility” that Montana would need to hold yet another special legislative session to respond to the passing of tax changes by the federal government. Hamilton-area Legislator Nancy Balance serves on the interim revenue committee and says no one else seems to be making the same claim as Kadas.
"I think that Director Kadas got kind-of out in front of himself with that particular statement and it does not, as far as anything that I can find, it doesn't represent the thoughts of the administration or the executive," Ballance said. "Anyone that is involved in looking at the impacts of the federal tax law is not anticipating even beginning a discussion about a special session."
Balance expects there to be some unexpected impacts of the new tax law, some of which may have already taken place for those rushing to take advantage of deductions that are scheduled to be phased out.
"My guess is what we are probably going to see is December collections that are up higher than what we anticipated, but then we'll have to watch January to see if that was just a move to get those deductions that were available in 2017, but not in 2018," Ballance said.
Montana’s revenue forecast is murky at this point as experts try to predict how taxpayers will respond to the new law and how that law meshes with Montana State tax laws. A revenue committee meeting is scheduled for March and Balance expects to have a clearer picture by then.