Montana 7th BEST for Taxes-2014

Montana has the seventh best tax climate for businesses in the 50 states in the 2014 ratings released Wednesday by the Tax Foundation.

Gov. Steve Bullock and a Montana Chamber of Commerce executive praised the state’s ratings as showing Montana is an attractive place to do business.

The director of the Montana Budget and Policy Center said the ratings fail to measure the state’s quality of life or the business climate that helps sustain it.

Montana ranked eighth in the foundation’s 2013 business tax climate index released last year.

However, a foundation spokesman said the group revised its methodology this year and applied it to last year’s rankings. Montana moved up to seventh last year under these revised calculations.

In any event, Montana was in the top 10 both years, in part because it doesn’t have a statewide general sales tax.

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