Helena Public Schools Encourages Participation in Innovative Education Program Tax Credit

In 2021, the Montana Legislature passed House Bill 279, allowing Montana taxpayers to receive a dollar-for-dollar credit on their state income taxes – up to $200,000 per year for donations to Montana public school districts. Married taxpayers filing jointly may take a tax credit of up to $400,000. Donated amounts may not exceed the taxpayer’s income tax liability but may be carried forward for 3 years.

The response to this opportunity has been huge. In the program’s first year in 2022, taxpayers claimed all $1 million of the tax credits available within six minutes of the Department of Revenue opening its online donation portal, with eight schools receiving funds. 

Due to the popularity of the program, the level of tax credits available has been raised each year since. A total of $7.2 million is available for the 2026 tax year.

YOUR donation can help Helena Public Schools expand our innovative educational programs to benefit local students in many ways including:

• Career and technical education programs
• Work-based learning opportunities
• Specialized equipment for students with disabilities
• Technology upgrades
• Facility improvements

Make your donation early!

School districts may begin entering donations into the portal on January 21, 2026, until the $7.2 million in available tax credits is exhausted.

Interested in donating?

Here’s how it works

• When you make a cash donation to Helena Public Schools for Innovative Educational Programs, print out the attached form, which includes all of the required information to qualify for the tax credit.
• Bring the completed form and your donation to the Helena Public Schools Business Office at 1325 Poplar Street.
• Helena Public Schools will enter the information from your form, together with the amount donated, into the DOR Education Donations portal.
• Once Helena Public Schools records the donation in the DOR Portal, the DOR will preapprove the donation (so long as the individual and statewide thresholds noted above have not been exceeded) and you will receive a confirmation number along with a receipt that you will file with your 2026 taxes.
• Your donation will be returned if it is not approved by the DOR.

Questions?

If you’re interested in donating or have questions, please contact: 

• Helena Public Schools Communications Officer Taylor Lassiter at tlassiter@helenaschools.org.
• Dona Losett, Montana Department of Revenue, (406) 444-1991 or dona.losett@mt.gov.

Resources

Learn more about the IEP Tax Credit in the Tax Credits for Qualified Education Contributions Guide.