Oregon’s Forests Forever Group Asks Gov. Brown to Delay Corporate Activity Tax

Oregon’s timber industry, along with the rural business community is urging state lawmakers and Gov Kate Brown to temporarily suspend the recently approved new Corporate Activity Tax for 6-months to help business hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation was passed last year and requires businesses that make more than $1 million in Oregon to pay $250 plus 0.57% of the “excess” revenues in tax, which will go into a special fund to help pay for schools. The tax went into effect at the beginning of this year, with the first quarterly reports due April 30. Sara Duncan, a community organizer for the Oregon Forests Forever, said the pandemic has been especially hard on rural communities that rely on forests to provide jobs. “To have businesses asked to pay a new tax right now, this is probably the worst possible time,” Duncan said. Governor Brown has not yet officially commented.