Taxes in Whitefish
Whitefish's tax picture combines a real, confirmed, active local resort tax with Montana's otherwise favorable statewide tax structure.
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Learn moreA real, confirmed, current 3% resort tax
This record confirmed directly against the City of Whitefish's own official page: a real, active 3% resort tax applies to lodging, retail, bars/restaurants, alcoholic beverages, ski-resort goods and services, and defined luxury items -- one of only a handful of Montana communities authorized to levy one.
No general statewide sales tax otherwise
Outside the local resort-tax categories above, Montana levies no general sales tax of any kind, one of only 5 US 'NOMAD' states.
A below-national property tax rate, and Montana's graduated income tax
Montana's statewide average effective property tax rate ran approximately 0.74%, below the national average, alongside a two-bracket income tax topping out at 5.65% for 2026.
Key takeaways
- Whitefish levies a real, confirmed, current 3% municipal resort tax on lodging, dining, retail, and ski-resort purchases.
- Montana's statewide effective property tax rate (~0.74%) runs below the national average.
- Montana's 2026 income tax runs 4.7%-5.65% across two brackets.
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