2026 tax year · Montana
Services and task work taxes in Montana
TaskRabbit, Rover, Upwork and the rest report your gross and withhold nothing. The gap between that and what you are actually taxed on is mileage, in Montana that gap is worth $2,342 in tax.
Take a driver who grossed $34,000 over 18,000 business miles. After mileage at 74.3 cents and the rest of the stack, worked through on the services and task work page $9,030 comes off and $24,970 is left as taxable profit. That profit is what Montana and the IRS charge against.
What that leaves you owing in Montana
Montana uses graduated 2026 income tax brackets topping out at 5.65%, across 2 brackets, on top of federal income tax and self-employment tax.
| Self-employment tax | $3,528 |
| Federal income tax | $568 |
| Montana income tax | $433 |
| Total tax | $4,529 |
| Effective rate on gross | 13.3% |
Earning more in Montana
A single filer taking the standard deduction, standard mileage method, this work as the only income, the calculator above handles the other filing statuses. Miles rise with earnings, so the deduction rises too, and the effective rate on gross climbs more slowly than it would for someone whose income grew without expenses attached:
| Volume | Gross | Mileage off | Taxable profit | Montana tax | Total tax | Rate on gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time | $11,000 | $1,485 | $9,515 | $0 | $1,344 | 12.2% |
| Steady side income | $34,000 | $4,455 | $29,545 | $633 | $5,716 | 16.8% |
| Full-time | $55,000 | $7,425 | $47,575 | $1,470 | $10,643 | 19.4% |
Switching state opens that state's page.
Enter your numbers and press Calculate to see your 2026 estimate.
Montana specifics that change the number
On the 2026 rate itself: top rate reduced from 5.9% in 2025. Essentially a flat tax with small lower bracket.
Montana is one of the twelve states that still taxes Social Security benefits, which matters if you are drawing benefits alongside self-employment income.
Montana is also one of five states with no general sales tax, so the total tax picture is lighter than the income tax line alone suggests.
Working across a Montana line
Services income is sourced to where the work was physically done. A job over the line can create a filing obligation in that state even for a single afternoon, and reciprocity agreements do not help, they cover wages paid by an employer, not self-employment income.
On $24,970 of profit, what the states around Montana would charge:
| State | Its tax | vs Montana |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $0 | −$516 |
| South Dakota | No income tax | −$516 |
| Wyoming | No income tax | −$516 |
| Idaho | $1,323 | +$808 |
- North Dakota would take $516 less, $0 against Montana's $516.
- South Dakota has no income tax at all, so the same work done there costs $516 less in state tax than it does in Montana.
- Wyoming has no income tax at all, so the same work done there costs $516 less in state tax than it does in Montana.
- Idaho would take $808 more, $1,323 against Montana's $516.
Services and task work tax questions in Montana
How much should a Montana contractor set aside?
About 13.3% of gross on the $34,000 example, $4,529 across self-employment tax, federal income tax and $433 to Montana. Set aside from each payout rather than finding it in April.
Does the $34,000 on my 1099-NEC match what Montana taxes?
No. Montana taxes profit, not gross. After $9,030 of deductions the taxable figure is $24,970, so the Montana bill is $433 rather than what gross alone would suggest.