Oregon House votes to widen tax break transparency

With a continued focus on increasing transparency and accountability in state government, the Oregon House of Representatives passed House Bill 2774 on Monday. This legislation will increase the information available about certain kinds of business tax breaks through the Oregon Department of Revenue’s website.

Specifically, the measure applies to “centrally assessed” properties and a variety of property tax incentives available to them.

The bill requires the Department of Revenue to make publicly available the name of the company receiving the tax break, the amount of assessed value that is exempt for current tax year, and the total estimated tax that would have otherwise been due.

The goal of the legislation is to give the public more transparency and better information about how tax breaks are being used. The information would be posted on Oregon’s government transparency website.

The kinds of tax incentives covered by the bill, like Enterprise Zones, are designed to encourage businesses to locate in those areas, creating jobs and driving economic activity.

Rep. Diego Hernandez (D-Portland) carried the bill on the floor of the House.

“The public deserves to know how our tax dollars are being spent — including the money we spend on tax exemptions,” he said. “For legislators, knowing how these incentives are being used enables us to know what’s working and what’s not. Transparency and accountability will make sure we’re designing tax breaks that are effective and efficient.”

The bill, which passed the House 33-25, heads to the Senate.