A new survey of Montana voters found an overwhelming lack of support for replacing property taxes with a new statewide sales tax.
The survey, conducted by Montana Free Press and the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University found 48% of respondents stating they were “strongly” against a statewide sales tax “if the revenue was used to reduce property tax bills,” with another 12% claiming they are “somewhat” opposed. In contrast, only 33% indicated strong or mild support for the idea.
Opposition to a sales tax cut across partisan boundaries. The survey found that only 34% of Republicans, 38% of Democrats and 32% of independents support a sales tax.
Montana is one of five states without a statewide sales tax. The state’s property tax revenues were primarily fueled by large industrial properties such as mines and timber mills, but many of those operations closed or scaled back over the past several decades, resulting in a greater tax burden on homeowners.
Montana voters have twice rejected sales tax referendums in the 1971 and 1993 elections. In 1994, voters approved a constitutional amendment that caps future state sales tax at 4% unless the state constitution is amended again.
The surveyed polled 801 voters from Dec. 23, 2025, to Jan. 3, 2026.
