15-24-1203. Privilege tax on industrial, trade, or other business use of tax-exempt property -- exceptions. (1) There is imposed and must be collected a tax upon the possession or other beneficial use for industrial, trade, or other business purposes enjoyed by any private individual, association, or corporation of any property, real or personal, that for any reason is exempt from taxation. The tax is imposed upon the possession or other beneficial use of an electric transmission line and associated facilities, except that lines and facilities of a design capacity of less than 500 kilovolts are not subject to the tax.
     (2) The tax may not be imposed upon:
     (a) the possession or other beneficial use of railroad right-of-way or track owned by the United States or acquired by the state pursuant to Title 60, chapter 11, part 1, as long as the state or the United States retains ownership and the right-of-way or track is used exclusively for rail transportation;
     (b) the beneficial use by a person of property held by a port authority, created under Title 7, chapter 14, part 11, or by a port authority owned by the United States or an agency of the United States unless the port authority provides for the exclusive use of the property by the person;
     (c) the possession or other beneficial use of public lands occupied under the terms of recreational, mineral, timber, or grazing leases or permits issued by the United States or the state of Montana or upon any easement unless the lease, permit, or easement entitles the lessee or permittee to exclusive possession of the premises to which the lease, permit, or easement relates; or
     (d) the possession or other beneficial use of buildings owned by public entities and located upon public airports. However, privately owned buildings located on public airport property are subject to taxation.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 370, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 387, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 84-207; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 683, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 591, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 12, Ch. 83, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 621, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 104, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 427, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 49, L. 1997.