HB 3159 Increases lodging tax

This bill doubles the state transient lodging tax. A tax of [1.5] 3 percent is imposed on any consideration charged for the sale, service or furnishing of transient lodging. The original 1.5 percent continues to go to the Oregon Tourism Commission. The added 1.5 percent goes to Fish and Wildlife Account, Recovering Oregon’s Wildlife Fund Subaccount.

Changes name of Oregon Conservation Strategy Subaccount to Recovering Oregon’s Wildlife Fund Subaccount, which will also continue to include all moneys received by the commission from the sale of habitat conservation stamps, prints and art works, gifts, grants, contributions, plus moneys received by the Department of Revenue under ORS 320.335 (3).

Moneys used to promote, implement, revise or enhance the policies in the “Oregon Conservation Strategy,” 2016, and the “Oregon Nearshore Strategy,” 2016, or any subsequent iterations of those policies, as determined by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife; and to satisfy the nonfederal fund matching requirements for a conservation or restoration program designed to recover and manage the species in greatest need of conservation and the habitats essential to conservation of those species.

Lodging taxes is a form of sales tax and are retaliatory in nature.  The more these fake sales taxes are raised, the further we get from ever reducing our income tax rate for a sales tax. The more we raise Oregon lodging tax, the more neighboring states raise theirs. We want to attract visitor’s business, not drive them away.