Earlier this month a broad, bipartisan coalition representing hundreds of large and small businesses, consumers, taxpayers and leading organizations from across Oregon, including the Bend Chamber, announced its formal opposition to a costly ballot proposal to create a $6.8 Billion tax on sales in Oregon. 

Measure 118 qualified for the November 2024 ballot by the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division and will appear on the ballot this fall. The backers of this enormous tax on sales, who funded the signature-gathering effort that led to certification, are out of state advocates for so-called “universal basic income” programs. 

If passed by Oregon voters, Measure 118 would impose a 3% tax on a corporation’s annual gross sales over $25 million. The measure is essentially a gross receipts tax—it taxes sales, not profits, and businesses would be forced to pay regardless of whether they were making a large profit, small profit, or were losing money.  

As a business advocate, the Chamber closely follows laws and regulations pertaining to taxes, and the impact on the business community. The Chamber Board voted to oppose Measure 118 as it would have a devastating impact on businesses in Oregon, including many in our local community. 

Learn more about the efforts to oppose the initiative at: https://noonmeasure118.com/ and join us for What’s Brewing: Ballot Backfire—How Measure 118 will Hurt Business & Consumers on September 17 for a conversation with leaders from Oregon Business and Industry about the consequences should Measure 118 pass in November and learn more about the campaign to defeat the initiative.