9 taxes update: Property. Liquor. CAT tax. Tolling…

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

ALIVE TAX INCREASE PROSPECTS

• CAT tax relief:  HB 2433  increases the current exemption of the 2019 Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) from $1 million to $5 million.

• Double liquor tax (*** Agency enacted tax increase ***) :  The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission has already restarted the soon to expire the 50-cent bottle surcharge, but in addition to keeping the surcharge ongoing, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has requested that it be pushed to $1.00 per bottle.   The Commission will be hosting a meeting on the proposal this week.

• Tax cuts of disabled veterans.   SB 884 Grants higher property tax exemption for property of veterans with disabilities.  It had a hearing and voted to the Ways and Means Committee (which is a holding bay for highly prioritized bills)

• New home tax freeze.  (Hearing 4/4/23) SB 847  freezes tax assessed value for certain new residential construction for five property tax years. This would provide relief for sky high property tax assessments while new homes are being brought to market.   It had a hearing and voted to the Ways and Means Committee (which is a holding bay for highly prioritized bills)

Tax credit for media companies: HB 2605 appears to create a tax credit to media companies while also creating a taxpayer fund to fund a government (university) media system.  It had a hearing and voted to the Ways and Means Committee (which is a holding bay for highly prioritized bills)

UNCERTAIN STATUS

• Farm machine tax:  House Bill 3158 is a 1.5% tax on retail off-road equipment sales and rentals to raise money to curb diesel emissions in the Portland metro area. House Bill 3158 would add taxes on wheat combines, road-grading equipment, and other machinery used by the state’s farmers and foresters—and raise the costs of tires and dyed diesel fuel to power the equipment—all to help offset costs for retrofitting older trucks.Farmers say the higher costs would leave Oregon farmers at a disadvantage while competing in the worldwide market.

• Hotel tax increase: HB 3159 Increases state transient lodging tax.  Bill had two hearings and appears to be falling behind in interest.

MORE DEAD THAN ALIVE

• Tolling ban: SB 993 which would ban tolling along Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 as ODOT has planned. It would however allow tolling along the Columbia River bridge.  The politicians talked about the bill but never gave it a hearing.   The bill is now considered dead.

• Stealing people’s Kicker Income tax refund:  HJR 23, which would have taken part of the people’s Kicker Income Tax Refund by referring a ballot measure to the people was scheduled for an April 4th vote in the House Agriculture committee.  Taxpayers Association of Oregon and others launched a citizen call-in and email campaign, along with other groups, and right before the hearing, HJR 23 was pulled from the agenda.

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