Oregon

Poor Families in Oregon Are Subject to the Income Tax

 

Oregon’s 1999 income tax threshold — the income level at which families begin paying income tax:	Ranking among 42 states with income taxes
For two-parent families of four: $14,400.	15th lowest
For single-parent families of three: $12,400.	15th lowest (tie)
Oregon’s 1999 income tax on working-poor and near-poor families:
For families of four with incomes at the poverty line ($17,028): $256.	9th highest
For families of three with incomes at the poverty line ($13,290): $67.	13th highest
For families of three with minimum-wage earnings ($13,520): $84.	9th highest
For families of four with incomes at 125% of the poverty line ($21,285): $679.	4th highest
For families of three with incomes at 125% of the poverty line ($16,613): $376.	6th highest
Despite progress, Oregon continues to tax families with incomes below the poverty line. Oregon’s tax threshold for families of four increased in 1997 with the adoption of a low-income tax credit. However, it remains below the poverty line. In 1991, a family of four owed tax when its income exceeded 73 percent of the poverty line. For 1999, Oregon’s tax threshold is 85 percent of the poverty line.