Fiber Optic or Coaxial Cable Exemption

Ready to get your tax abatement for fiber optic or coaxial cable exemption? 

First, thank you for participating in Montana’s commitment to prosperity and growth, one aspect of which is providing accessible and affordable broadband to our citizens. 

Some things to know as you begin this process: 

Requirements to obtain and keep the Fiber Optic or Coaxial Cable Exemption:

  • With some exceptions, fiber optic or coaxial cable that is installed and placed in service on or after July 1, 2021 is exempt from taxation for a period of 5 years.
  • After the initial five-year period, the property exemption is phased out at a rate of 20% a year. The property will be assessed at 100% of its taxable value in the 10th year after placing the cable in service. 
  • To keep the exemption, the owner of fiber optic or coaxial cable must reinvest the tax savings from the exemption by installing and placing in service new fiber optic or coaxial cable in Montana within 2 years from the date the owner first claimed the exemption, but without charging those costs to the consumer. 
  • The cost of installing or placing into service fiber optic or coaxial cable with the reinvested tax savings (without charging those costs to the consumer) must be equal to or greater than the value of the tax savings received from the tax incentive. 
  • Fiber optic or coaxial cable installed using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act is not eligible for exemption from taxation under this section. 

Accounting details for the exemption:

  • An entity that claims this tax exemption shall maintain adequate books and records proving the investment made by the owner during installation and placement into service of the fiber optic or coaxial cable in Montana. These records must be available to the department for inspection upon request. 
  • The property taxes exempted from taxation are subject to termination or recapture if the department determines that the owner failed to install and place in service new coaxial or fiber cable in Montana as described the provisions of Senate Bill (SB) 51.
  • If the department notifies the owner that their exemption has terminated, any local governing body may recapture taxes previously exempted in that jurisdiction, plus interest and penalties for nonpayment of property taxes. Tax recapture must occur within 10 years after the end of the calendar year in which the exemption was first claimed. 
  • The recapture of abated taxes may be canceled, in whole or in part, if the local governing body determines that the taxpayer’s failure to meet the requirements is a result of circumstances beyond the control of the taxpayer. 

For the precise details and citations of SB 51, we invite you to read the full bill.

Please complete the form below to begin the process to obtain your fiber optic or coaxial cable exemption. 

 

View all current Fiber Optic or Coaxial Cable Exemptions below.

COMPANY
#		COMPANYPROJECT DESCRIPTIONDATE RECEIVEDLOCATIONCITY IF
APPLICABLE		START DATEESTIMATED COMPLETION
DATE		ESTIMATED INVESTMENT
DATE COUNTY
COMMISIONERS
NOTIFIED		COMMISIONER
COMMENTS
340SOUTHERN MONTANA TELEPHONEInstall buried fiber optic cabling in Jackson, and Grant Montana. Rural Montana is going to receive high-speed internet to assist local ranchers, expand opportunities for current and future businesses, help students find solutions to their homework assignments, and allow consumers to purchase necessities. The majority of the project was operating in December, 2021, but the final project will not be complete until December 2022. 6/28/2022BEAVERHEADJACKSON AND GRANT3/3/202012/1/2022$1,366,864July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
322TRI COUNTY TELEPHONEWarren to Billings Fiber3/10/2022BIG HORN1/1/201812/31/2022$4,900,000July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
322TRI COUNTY TELEPHONEWarren to Billings Fiber3/10/2022CARBON1/1/201812/31/2022$4,900,000July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
JOSEPH'S HANDYMAN SERVICERunning fiber from closet node to business for internet Access4/3/2022CASCADEGREAT FALLS5/1/20226/1/2022$2,000July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
503INTERBEL TELEPHONE COOPOlney to Kalispell Transport3/21/2022FLATHEADOLNEY AND KALISPELL7/1/20213/31/2022$2,258,425July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
503INTERBEL TELEPHONE COOPInterBel Telephone Cooperative 2021 FTTH Modernization - USDA RUS Loan project
InterBel Telephone Cooperative, Inc. 2021 Fiber to the Premise		3/23/2022LINCOLNEUREKA7/1/202112/31/2021$1,188,201
$855,957		July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
306NORTHWEST FIBER LLC DBA ZIPLYNW Fiber purchased Frontier and is laying new fiber in Lincoln County.6/21/2022LINCOLN7/31/202112/31/2022$13,206,000July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date
341BLACKFOOT COMMUNICATIONSFiber Optic Cable Installation6/16/2022GALLATIN, MISSOULA7/1/202112/31/2021$835,958July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
500BLACKFOOT TELEPHONE COOPFiber Optic Cable Installation6/16/2022MISSOULA, LAKE, POWELL, SANDERS7/1/202112/31/2021$9,010,284July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
346CHARTER COMMUNICATIONSFiber and Coaxial Cable Expansion3/30/2022BEAVERHEAD, BROADWATER, CARBON, DEER LODGE, HILL, FLATHEAD, GALLATIN, JEFFERSON,LAKE, LEWIS & CLARK, MISSOULA, PARK, PHILLIPS, RAVALLI, SILVER BOW, STILLWATER, YELLOWSTONE7/1/202112/31/2021$8,368,323July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
505MID RIVERS TELEPHONE COOPFiber Optic Installation to Customers4/1/2022BIG HORN, CARTER, CUSTER, DAWSON, FALLON, FERGUS, GARFIELD, GOLDEN VALLEY, MCCONE, MUSSELLSHELL, PETROLEUM, RICHLAND, ROSEBUD, WHEATLAND, WIBAUX, YELLOWSTONE7/1/202112/1/2022$23,745,493July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
515NORTHERN TELEPHONE COOPNorthern Telephone Cooperative, Inc. is working to upgrade its facilities from copper to fiber to each of its members. Fiber to the home (FTTH) has been our focus for the last several years; the 2021 construction season included work in the Town of Kevin and several smaller projects in our rural service area. Work will continue in the Town of Kevin and then move to the Town of Sunburst, while also working on smaller construction requests as these come in from members.4/1/2022TOOLEKEVIN AND SUNBURST1/1/20227/1/20232.5-3 MILLIONJuly 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.
322TRI COUNTY TELEPHONEWarren to Billings Fiber3/10/2022YELLOWSTONE1/1/201812/31/2022$4,900,000July 27-29, 2022No comments received to date.