Montana Budget & Policy Center: The Great Tax Shift

The taxes paid by Montana residents and businesses have created and continue to fund an equitable educational system, roads and bridges, and services that keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, over time, responsibility for our tax system has shifted to everyday Montanans, like our teachers, plumbers, and construction workers, and away from the wealthy.

Over the last three decades, Montana lawmakers have eroded our tax base and shifted tax responsibility onto the backs of Montanans with low and moderate incomes. At the same time, the wealthiest have gotten away with substantial tax breaks and loopholes. This should come as no surprise, as those who can afford representation in the Montana Legislature are not your everyday heroes like our firefighters, child care providers, and nurses, but special interests with access to wealth and resources. Day in and day out of the Montana legislative session, big business and the wealthy hire lobbyists to appeal to legislators to get a piece of the tax cuts dealt out. Unfortunately, legislators have overwhelmingly granted these appeals over time, resulting in the Great Tax Shift.

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