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TAXATION AND REVENUE SYSTEMS—OREGON.
B. POLL TAXES.
The city council has power to impose a poll tax of
not exceeding $1 on all able-bodied males between the
ages of 21 and 60 years, and the trustees of towns are
authorized to levy a poll tax of $1 on all able-bodied
males over 21 and under 50 years of age.
C AND D. INHERITANCE AND CORPORATION TAXES.
There are no municipal inheritance or corporation
taxes.
E. BUSINESS TAXES, LICENSES, AND FEES.
The city council and the town board of trustees have authority to
levy and collect a license tax on auctioneers, contractors, druggists,
hawkers, peddlers, bankers, brokers, pawnbrokers, merchants of
all kinds, grocers, confectioners, restaurants, butchers, taverns,
public boarding houses, billiard tables, bowling alleys, and other
amusement devices; drays, hacks, and other vehicles used in the
city for pay; hay scales, lumber dealers, furniture dealers, saddle
and harness dealers, stationers, jewelers, livery stable keepers;
real estate agents, express companies, life and fire insurance com
panies or agencies, telegraph companies, theaters, etc.; doctors,
dentists, blacksmiths, all manufacturing establishments, cotton
gins, mills and elevators, plumbers and tinners; male dogs, $1;
female dogs, $2.
School Revenues.
School funds of the state are apportioned to the
various counties in proportion to school population.
The county school fund consists in a levy not to exceed
2 mills on the dollar of the taxable property of the
county, of which not over 1 mill shall be for high
schools, which, with the proceeds of all moneys col
lected from fines, forfeitures, escheats, proceeds from
the sale of estrays, penalties, and money collected
from marriage licenses, is apportioned to the school
districts. Additional funds may also be provided by
local district levies not to exceed 5 mills.
One-half the amount received from the inheritance
tax is also used for the public schools of the state.
LEGISLATION AFFECTING REVENUE LAWS! 1913.
The following fees were added: Registration of trained nurses,
$10; veterinary registration, $15; dentists from other states, $25;
certificate of standing for dentist desiring a change of residence, $5;
farmers’ mutual fire association registration fee, $10; annual cer
tificate of renewal, $3; agents’ certificate of authority, 50 cents.
In all counties the total levy for current expenses of each county,
city, and town or school district was fixed as follows: County levy
The revenues of the state are derived from the gen
eral property tax, income from deposits of state funds,
inheritance tax, corporation license fees, and licenses
on gross earnings of certain classes of corporations, and
other minor sources.
1 This compilation is derived mainly from the following sources:
Lord’s Oregon Laws, 1909.
Session Laws of 1910-1913.
Annual Reports of State Officers, 1912.
not more than 4 mills, and not exceeding 1 mill additional in aid
of the common schools; where the assessed valuation is less than
$4,000,000 the county levy is not to exceed 6 mills for current ex
penses, and 1 mill in aid of common schools; where the assessed
valuation is less than $10,000,000 and not less than $4,000,000, the
county levy is not to exceed 5 mills for current expenses, and 1 mill
for common schools; city levy not to exceed 6 mills; incorporated
towns not to exceed 4 mills; township levy not to exceed 1J mills.
“Current expenses” do not include any payment to be made on
the bonded indebtedness or any judgment against such county
or minor civil divisions.
Building and loan associations obtain certificates of authority
for periods of six months each, upon the payment of $2.50; they
also pay certain examination fees.
All corporations organized for profit other than public service
corporations, including National and state banks and trust com
panies, are assessed in the county, town, district, or city where
located upon the net value of their moneyed capital, surplus, and
undivided profit as the same exist on the first day of January of
each year less the assessed valuation of any real estate located in
the state and listed separately in the name of such corporations.
All persons, firms, associations, or corporations engaged in the
production of petroleum or other minerals, oil or natural gas, pay
state tax of f of 1 per cent of the gross value of the output.
All interstate transportation and transmission companies pay an
annual tax of 4 per cent of their gross receipts. This tax is in lieu
of all other taxes payable by such companies in the state.
All persons, firms, associations, joint stock companies, or corpora
tions owning any land in the state in excess of an aggregate of 640
acres, pay upon the excess the following annual license tax for the
purpose of the general expenses of the state government: For each
dollar of valuation as assessed for ad valorem taxes in the preceding
year the following schedules: 1 mill where such excess does not
exceed 640 acres; 2 mills on over 640 acres and not exceeding 1,280
acres; 3 mills on over 1,280 acres and not over 1,920 acres; 5 mills
on over 1,920 acres and not over 2,560 acres; 10 mills on over 2,560
acres and not over 3,200 acres; 15 mills on all exceeding 3,200 acres.
Lands of the assessed value of $10,000 may be exempted to any
person in lieu of the 640 acres. Such of the funds received from
these taxes as are not used for state current expenses are turned
into the common school fund. For delinquency a penalty of 18
per cent per annum and not less than 5 per cent for any part of a
year is added after 30 days from the date the tax is payable.
One-half of the annual 2 per cent premium tax paid by foreign
fire insurance companies is set aside as a firemen’s relief fund.
In lieu of the ad valorem tax on real estate mortgages and the
indebtedness thereby secured, a registration tax is imposed as fol
lows: Fifty cents for each $100 or less of the principal debt or obliga
tion and for each remaining fraction over $100 when such mortgage
is for five years or more; 30 cents for each $100 when such mortgage
is for less than five years and not more than three years, and 20
cents when it is for less than three years. This tax is for all mort
gages recorded on or after July 1, 1913. The record owner of any
real estate mortgage placed on record prior to July 1, 1913, may
elect to pay this registration tax in lieu of any and all other taxes.
ON. 1
The general supervision of the taxation system is
vested in a board of state tax commissioners.
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS.
ARTICLE I.
Sec. 32. No tax or duty shall be imposed without the consent of
the people or their representatives in the legislative assembly; and
all taxation shall be equal and uniform.