A trio of tax bills that would make Oregon a simpler place for businesses to operate received committee hearings this week. Two of the bills would ensure that employers are taxed consistently, reducing the confusion often caused by the creation of local and regional taxes. The third bill would allow organizations such as OBI to help members obtain answers on critical tax questions. State and local business taxes have increased significantly over the past few years even as the state’s regulatory burden has grown. These bills would not reduce taxes, but they would make compliance simpler. The bills are part of OBI’s Growth and Innovation Roadmap, and OBI’s Scott Bruun testified in support of each.
More about the bills:
HB 2548: This bill would require local governments that impose income taxes to calculate net income in the same way the state of Oregon does. The adoption of local taxes that use definitions at odds with those the state uses makes compliance confusing for taxpayers. The bill received a hearing on Feb. 1 in the House Committee on Revenue. Read Scott Bruun’s testimony here.
HB 2575: This bill would give membership organizations such as OBI standing to advocate for their members in Oregon Tax Court. Individual members of such organizations, including small businesses, often lack the resources to advocate effectively on their own, which is why they join membership organizations. Membership organization standing would apply only to declaratory judgement action. HB 2575 received a hearing Jan. 31 in the House Committee on Revenue. Read Scott Bruun’s testimony here.
HB 2576: This bill would give the Oregon Tax Court exclusive jurisdiction to settle questions about income taxes imposed by local governments. Redirecting legal questions about taxation from circuit courts to a state curt that specializes in taxation would streamline the review process, allowing circuit courts to focus on other issues. HB 2576 received a hearing Feb. 1 in the House Committee on Revenue. Read Scott Bruun’s testimony here.
Read more about OBI’s Growth and Innovation Roadmap here.