Comcast’s disputed property taxes finally go to escrow!
In the 2017 Legislative Session we proposed and passed House Bill 2407, which prevents huge corporations like Comcast from withholding millions in property taxes for years while on appeal, with free use of the money! Now they must place disputed taxes in escrow, which keeps property tax appeals from being a profit center for businesses, levels the playing field between the public and corporations, and might even discourage their tax appeals.
Comcast fights more than $147 million Oregon tax bill, extending seven-year dispute
Comcast has extended a eight-year tax fight worth as much as $147 million to Oregon schools and local governments, asking the state’s tax court to reduce its liability under an obscure application of tax law. Comcast also asked the court to rule it eligible for Oregon’s new “gigabit” tax break, after the Oregon Department of Revenue declined to grant the tax exemption to the company. Going to court, while keeping the use of the money they owe has become a Comcast pattern, HB 2407 should change that. Here’s the information we gave legislators.
| County | Comcast | Charter | Wave Broadband |
Direct TV | Bend Broadband |
Dish | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton | $4,660,778 | $4,660,778 | |||||
| Clackamas | $20,549,159 | $600,057 | $21,149,216 | ||||
| Deschutes | $770,022 | $770,022 | |||||
| Hood River | $341,624 | $25,730 | $48,020 | $415,374 | |||
| Jackson | $4,468,424 | $177,326 | $160,517 | $4,806,267 | |||
| Lane | $17,891,207 | $17,891,207 | |||||
| Lincoln | $1,827,207 | $1,827,207 | |||||
| Linn | $5,741,543 | $5,741,543 | |||||
| Marion | $10,797,963 | $1,273,214 | $12,071,177 | ||||
| Multnomah | $53,285,940 | $68,923 | $53,354,863 | ||||
| Polk | $2,129,370 | $2,129,370 | |||||
| Tillamoook | $277,236 | $277,236 | |||||
| Washington | $29,156,000 | $457,805 | $29,613,805 | ||||
| Yamhill | $3,172,357 | $3,172,357 | |||||
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | $147,384,317 | $6,914,491 | $1,273,214 | $1,260,918 | $770,022 | $277,460 | $157,880,422 |
Pass HB 2407 A. Businesses will no longer get the use of the taxes while they are under appeal. Instead the money will be held in a escrow account and go to whomever prevails.
Information gathered by volunteers calling each county assessor. Data has not been collected for some counties with smaller amounts deferred: Baker, Columbia, Curry, Douglass, Harney, Josephine, Lake, Tillamook and Union. Deferred Property Taxes as of 2016-17 Tax Year