Vote Alert! Stop the $2 billion business tax

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

The $2 billion business sales tax plan (HB 3427) is up for a vote on the House of Representative Floor.

HB 3427 only continues a decade-long shameful and painful legacy of raising taxes by the billions.

In 2009, politicians passed a billion dollars in tax increases in a single week.

They raised business taxes, gas taxes and income taxes on higher income earners. It was supposed to solve funding problems but only gave politicians the approval to waste money. The politicians spent $175 million on a bridge that was never built, $298 million on vacant government employees who never worked, and $300 million on a health care website that was never used. $968 million was spent on Energy Tax giveaways which were plagued by scandal, bankruptcies, forgeries, criminal convictions and resignations .

In 2015, they passed a 19-cent hidden gas tax. The funds didn’t go to fixing roads or reducing traffic.

In 2017, they raised a billion in more taxes. It included a new .1% payroll tax, $500 million health care tax, 10-cent gas tax, new car sales tax, $26 auto registration fee increase, new bike tax, 25% truck mileage tax increase and over 580 fee increases. Those fee hikes increased the cost of everything including; hunting, fishing, camping, marriage, divorce and countless business licenses. These fees impacted every part of our daily life and things we can’t live without.

In 2018, they raised a $1.3 billion dollar tax only on small businesses. Big corporate Wall Street firms paid nothing.

In 2019, Governor Kate Brown and the politicians have introduced a $2 billion business sales tax (HB 3427). Businesses will be forced to charge higher costs for everyday items such as clothing and other home goods.

This will be a hidden sales tax so the customer won’t see the tax added to their receipts. Furthermore, businesses will be taxed on their sales, not profits. This means businesses will be taxed even when they are losing money, making it even harder for honest businesses to grow and persevere through tough times.

Do not be fooled by the many different names of this tax (gross receipts tax, corporate activity tax, business activity tax) because it is simply a business sales tax because it taxes sales even though the customer cannot see it.

TELL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE TO VOTE NO ON HB 3427

#1. Call your lawmaker toll-free 1-800-332-2313

1. Tell the Capitol operator (Officially they’re called Legislative Policy & Research staff) that you wish to speak to your State Representative.
2. Provide the operator the name of your State Representative. If you don’t know, provide the operator with your address so
the operator can look up your address to determine who your State Representative is.
3. Once the operator connects you to your State Representative’s office, tell your Representative which of the four taxes above you oppose.
.

#2. Email your lawmaker

1. Go to www.OregonLegislature.gov
2. Click the “Housee” tab at the top left. Then click “All Representatives”
3. Find your Representative’s name. Find their email and send them an email on the tax you oppose.
Don’t know your State Representative? Call the Capitol 1-800-322-2313 and ask for help. They’re very helpful.

#3. Spread the word

— Thanks to social media it costs you nothing and it helps us reach over 40,000 Oregonians. Please email this article, Tweet it, Link it, Facebook Like it and print it out.

— We’ve been fighting for you and lower taxes for 20 years. Please donate here.

Sources: 2009 taxes: HB 2116, HB 2649, HB 3405, HB 2001. Government waste & mis-spending: Oregonian 7/4/13. Oregonian 5/3/11. Portland Tribune 7/20/16. Portland Tribune 6/23/15. 2015 tax: SB 324. 2017 taxes: HB 2017 & HB 2391, Oregonian 6/15/2017. 2018 Business tax: SB 1528.

Oregon Catalyst