Quick answer
Montana paycheck basics
Montana cut its top income tax rate from 5.9% to 5.65% for 2026 under House Bill 337, and widened the lower 4.7% bracket to $47,500 of taxable income for single filers, $71,250 for heads of household and $95,000 for married couples filing jointly. It also rebuilt its withholding tables to look much more like the federal method: Montana allowances are gone, and the tables use the federal standard deduction for your filing status instead. Montana has no local income tax and no employee-paid disability or paid leave deduction.
This calculator uses the Montana Department of Revenue's 2026 withholding formula. Enter the filing status from your Form MW-4 and whether you and your spouse both work, and it combines Montana withholding with federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare to show your take-home pay.
How Montana taxes your paycheck
Montana employers withhold with the Department of Revenue's formula, W = A + B × (G − C), where G is your gross pay for the period and A, B and C come from the table for your MW-4 filing status and pay frequency. Each table has three rows. Pay up to the federal standard deduction for the period is not taxed: $619 biweekly for a single filer, $1,238 for married filing jointly and $929 for head of household. Pay above that is withheld at 4.7%, and pay above a second threshold ($2,446 biweekly for a single filer) at 5.65% on top of a fixed amount. The result is rounded to the dollar. Married couples who both work check the box on line 2 of the MW-4 and are withheld with the single table. A bonus paid with regular pay is added to that paycheck. Traditional 401(k) contributions and pretax health benefits reduce Montana wages as they do federal wages.
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $47,500 | 4.70% |
| Over $47,500 | 5.65% |
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $95,000 | 4.70% |
| Over $95,000 | 5.65% |
Worked example
A $60,000 salary in Montana, single, paid biweekly
- Annual salary:
- $60,000
- Filing status:
- Single
- Pay frequency:
- Biweekly (26 paychecks/year)
- Deductions:
- None
- State:
- Montana
- Salary: +$2,307.69
- Federal income tax: −$193.08
- Social Security: −$143.08
- Medicare: −$33.46
- Montana income tax: −$79.00
Net pay per paycheck: $1,859.07
Computed with Montana's default withholding certificate (no allowances, no extra withholding) and no pre-tax or post-tax deductions. Your own paycheck will differ with different elections.
Take-home pay by salary in Montana
Net pay at five common salaries, biweekly, with no bonus, tips or deductions — computed the same way as the worked example above, for Single and Married Filing Jointly.
| Annual salary | Single — per paycheck | Single — annual | MFJ — per paycheck | MFJ — annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,277.00 | $33,202.00 | $1,347.77 | $35,042.02 |
| $60,000 | $1,859.07 | $48,335.82 | $1,942.92 | $50,515.92 |
| $80,000 | $2,382.22 | $61,937.72 | $2,517.99 | $65,467.74 |
| $100,000 | $2,880.38 | $74,889.88 | $3,093.07 | $80,419.82 |
| $150,000 | $4,102.58 | $106,667.08 | $4,463.89 | $116,061.14 |
How to use this calculator
- Enter your pay. Choose salary or hourly, fill in the amount and hours, and pick how often you are paid.
- Fill in your federal Form W-4. Filing status, the Step 2 checkbox, and Steps 3 and 4 if they apply to you.
- Fill in your MW-4. The calculator only shows the fields Montana actually asks for.
- Add any deductions. Traditional or Roth 401(k), health premiums, HSA, FSA, or other pre-tax and post-tax amounts taken from your pay.
- Read your results. Net pay per paycheck, the full breakdown by category, and any warnings about your specific numbers.
Formulas used
Net pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − federal tax − FICA − Montana income tax − state payroll programs − local tax − post-tax deductions.
Montana vs. neighboring states
Net pay on a $75,000 salary, single, paid biweekly, in Montana compared with its bordering states.
| State | Net pay per paycheck | Net pay annual | Difference vs. Montana (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $2,257.94 | $58,706.44 | — |
| North Dakota | $2,355.94 | $61,254.44 | +$2,548.00 |
| South Dakota | $2,368.94 | $61,592.44 | +$2,886.00 |
| Wyoming | $2,368.94 | $61,592.44 | +$2,886.00 |
| Idaho | $2,248.94 | $58,472.44 | −$234.00 |
Frequently asked questions
How is federal income tax withheld from my paycheck calculated?+
Employers use the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method with the elections on your Form W-4: filing status, whether Step 2 is checked, Step 3 credits, and any Step 4 adjustments. That produces an amount to withhold each pay period before Social Security, Medicare, and any state or local tax are applied.
What is FICA and why is it withheld on every paycheck?+
FICA is Social Security tax (6.2% of wages up to the annual Social Security wage base) plus Medicare tax (1.45% of all wages, with an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 in a year). Both are withheld on every US paycheck regardless of which state you work in, because they fund federal programs rather than a state one.
Is the result on this calculator the same as my actual paycheck?+
It is an estimate for planning, not a substitute for your pay stub. Your actual withholding depends on the exact elections on file with your employer, your specific pay dates, and any mid-year changes to your deductions — the calculator applies the published federal and state formulas to the numbers you enter.
What are the Montana income tax rates for 2026?+
Two rates: 4.7% on taxable income up to $47,500 for single filers ($71,250 head of household, $95,000 married filing jointly) and 5.65% above that. House Bill 337 lowered the top rate from 5.9% starting January 1, 2026.
Why doesn't my MW-4 ask for allowances anymore?+
Starting in 2026 Montana's withholding method mirrors the federal one. Instead of Montana personal and dependent exemptions or a Montana standard deduction, the tables use the federal standard deduction for your federal filing status. You can still ask for extra withholding on line 3.
How is Montana withholding calculated?+
Find the row of the table for your filing status and pay period that holds your gross pay, then compute A + B × (gross pay − C) and round to the dollar. In the Department's example, a single employee paid $1,375 semi-monthly has 4.7% × ($1,375 − $671) = $33 withheld.
How much Montana tax is withheld on a $60,000 salary?+
For a single employee paid biweekly, $2,307.69 is in the 4.7% row: 4.7% × ($2,307.69 − $619) = $79.37, rounded to $79 per paycheck.
What does line 2 on the Montana MW-4 do?+
Line 2 is for married couples filing jointly when both spouses work. Checking it makes your employer use the single table, so the two paychecks don't each get the full married standard deduction.
How are bonuses taxed in Montana?+
A bonus paid with your regular wages is added to that paycheck and withheld on the total. A bonus paid separately can be added to the regular wages for the current or last pay period, or withheld at a flat 5%.
Does Montana tax 401(k) contributions?+
No. Montana income tax starts from federal adjusted gross income, so traditional 401(k), 403(b) and 457 contributions and pretax health benefits reduce Montana wages.
Does Montana have local income taxes?+
No. Montana cities and counties do not tax wages.
What is the minimum wage in Montana?+
$10.85 an hour for 2026 for businesses with more than $110,000 in annual sales. Montana adjusts it every January for inflation.
Sources
- Montana Department of Revenue — Employer and Information Agent Guide with 2026 Withholding Tax Tables
- Montana Department of Revenue — Updated Wage Withholding Tables and MW-4 (December 8, 2025)
- Montana Department of Revenue — 2026 Form MW-4
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide
- Social Security Administration — 2026 COLA Fact Sheet