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General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: FuckRx on October 14, 2014, 01:14:03 PM

Title: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: FuckRx on October 14, 2014, 01:14:03 PM

It might be obvious but in case I'm missing something I decided to ask. I landed a job in Portland and I'm pretty close to Vancouver, Washington. Could I rent in Vancouver and thereby avoid state income taxes and work in Portland? The commute is still bikeable which is a big factor.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: gimp on October 14, 2014, 01:21:44 PM
I think you'll be paying the income tax to oregon where you work, otherwise everybody would live in Vancouver and work at Intel / Nike.

Not 100% sure. I lived in Portland. I can't imagine I'm wrong, though.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: Villanelle on October 14, 2014, 01:27:11 PM
I'm a Nevada resident, but I have to pay CA income taxes on any income derived in CA.  I am guess most states have similar requirements. 
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: bacchi on October 14, 2014, 01:34:32 PM
Legally, no. Practically, probably, if you're self employed and want to try hiding your income from Oregon Revenue. The main reason to live in the Couv is for lower housing costs. St. John's has low(er) rents, too, and then you're in Portland.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: ncornilsen on October 14, 2014, 01:41:38 PM
Oregon will take it's cut from your income, if you work in Oregon. Washington will want it's sales taxes... I think you're liable for those even if you buy your groceries in Oregon. (I'm not sure it's enforced though.)

Rents in Washington ought to be a little cheaper, but no way in HELL would I deal with crossing the Columbia during rush hour, not even if I had free rent up there. someday Portland will quit trying to force the crime trolley (aka MAX line) on Vancouver, and the new bridge will be built with more lanes of traffic to ease traffic problem.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: FuckRx on October 14, 2014, 01:41:47 PM
ok there goes that :)
thanks for all the info
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: hybrid on October 14, 2014, 01:42:44 PM
I did some work at Four Corners once and it was a total nightmare....
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: RH on October 14, 2014, 02:35:11 PM
Yeah, don't live in Vancouver WA and work in PDX. The commute would slowly kill you EVERY DAY. Live near your work in PDX...very bike and transit friendly. Rents will be more compared to Vancouver. Lots of fun, dynamic pocket neighborhoods to live in Portland. 
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: Lanthiriel on October 14, 2014, 04:44:30 PM
Another reason (besides the punishing commute) that you don't want to live in WA and work in OR: sales tax. Oregon doesn't have sales tax to offset its high income tax. Washington doesn't have income tax to offset its high sales tax. If you make your money in Oregon, they're automatically going to take out the income tax, and presumably if you live in Washington you're doing most of your shopping there and getting hit with sales tax. Portland is still a reasonably affordable city and some of its suburbs are just as cheap as Vancouver and easier to get to.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: TheCaptain on October 14, 2014, 05:46:10 PM
I've done the Vancouver to Portland commute and they definitely take out income tax, so you're out of luck. My wife and I just went the self-employment route and moved back to Vancouver after living in the Portland area for 8 years, saving us tons on income and self-employment  taxes.

Cheaper to live here, no state income taxes, hopefully a mustachian move - we do now have to be sales tax, but just hop over to Portland for any more expensive purchases.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: clifp on October 14, 2014, 08:29:59 PM
I guess they must have changed the rules. I had buddy that worked for HP in Corvallis, and lived in Vancouver WA. He didn't pay income tax, but that was back in the 80s.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: divinvestor on October 14, 2014, 09:34:52 PM
Oregon will take it's cut from your income, if you work in Oregon. Washington will want it's sales taxes... I think you're liable for those even if you buy your groceries in Oregon. (I'm not sure it's enforced though.)

Rents in Washington ought to be a little cheaper, but no way in HELL would I deal with crossing the Columbia during rush hour, not even if I had free rent up there. someday Portland will quit trying to force the crime trolley (aka MAX line) on Vancouver, and the new bridge will be built with more lanes of traffic to ease traffic problem.

No. Whether you would owe sales tax wholly depends on which state the place of business you bought the items from is in. If the business is located in Washington, you will owe sales tax. If it's in Oregon, you will not. I live in Portland by the way.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: sol on October 14, 2014, 09:38:35 PM
The usual way to exploit that border crossing is to earn your income in Washington, a state with no income tax, and do your shopping in Oregon, a state with no sales tax.  You're doing it backwards.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: Will on October 14, 2014, 09:57:56 PM
Oregon will take it's cut from your income, if you work in Oregon. Washington will want it's sales taxes... I think you're liable for those even if you buy your groceries in Oregon. (I'm not sure it's enforced though.)

Rents in Washington ought to be a little cheaper, but no way in HELL would I deal with crossing the Columbia during rush hour, not even if I had free rent up there. someday Portland will quit trying to force the crime trolley (aka MAX line) on Vancouver, and the new bridge will be built with more lanes of traffic to ease traffic problem.

No. Whether you would owe sales tax wholly depends on which state the place of business you bought the items from is in. If the business is located in Washington, you will owe sales tax. If it's in Oregon, you will not. I live in Portland by the way.

A couple of things.  First, the overwhelmingly vast majority of groceries are not taxed in Washington.  Second, is there any study that shows criminals make more use of public transit than anyone else (well, excepting those who've lost their right to drive because of DUI or suspended licenses or whatever) who would then hop on a train (as opposed to the bus, which already crosses over) to come over here and commit crimes?  And third: I work inside a retail establishment in Vancouver and see all kinds of Oregon residents get out of paying taxes in Washington because we are just oh so happy to have them here spending their money.  And the Oregonians will hold up the checkout line while the form gets completed so they can avoid paying 84 cents of tax on the one taxable item they are buying here, because God forbid they give my state ANY tax money at all ever!

The usual way to exploit that border crossing is to earn your income in Washington, a state with no income tax, and do your shopping in Oregon, a state with no sales tax.  You're doing it backwards.

I live and earn my income in Washington, and buy so little outside of groceries that I find little to no reason to even shop in Oregon.  It really isn't worth the effort to cross the river for those purposes, IMO.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: Undecided on October 14, 2014, 11:04:52 PM
Oregon will take it's cut from your income, if you work in Oregon. Washington will want it's sales taxes... I think you're liable for those even if you buy your groceries in Oregon. (I'm not sure it's enforced though.)

Rents in Washington ought to be a little cheaper, but no way in HELL would I deal with crossing the Columbia during rush hour, not even if I had free rent up there. someday Portland will quit trying to force the crime trolley (aka MAX line) on Vancouver, and the new bridge will be built with more lanes of traffic to ease traffic problem.

No. Whether you would owe sales tax wholly depends on which state the place of business you bought the items from is in. If the business is located in Washington, you will owe sales tax. If it's in Oregon, you will not. I live in Portland by the way.

That's an incomplete response, since a Washington resident is required to pay "use tax" on items bought in a state that has no sales tax. http://dor.wa.gov/content/FindTaxesAndRates/UseTax/
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: divinvestor on October 14, 2014, 11:08:11 PM
Well, there are some people who do occasionally buy things outside of groceries, perhaps more often than you, who might benefit from not paying any sales tax in Oregon. Do you have a flat screen tv? Did you buy it in Washington or Oregon?
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: Will on October 14, 2014, 11:20:06 PM
Well, there are some people who do occasionally buy things outside of groceries, perhaps more often than you, who might benefit from not paying any sales tax in Oregon. Do you have a flat screen tv? Did you buy it in Washington or Oregon?

We have a flat screen tv we bought in San Diego 7 years ago when we still lived there.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: FoundPeace on October 15, 2014, 04:17:19 AM
The commute isn't really that bad from Vancouver into Portland (if you can go to work early you can cut your commute time in half).

Some reasons I live in Vancouver:
1) cheaper rent
2) I do lots of travel for work (There is a tax loophole that makes it so that I don't have to pay Oregon income taxes for the time I spend working in other states--this includes days when I work from home.)
3) The Vancouver library system is spectacular. My wife and kids frequently walk to the library during rainy days (so, pretty much 1/2 the year) and they have a large indoor playground. They also don't have late fees and a couple other cool features

You will meet people from both sides of the river who are think people on the other side are crazy to live where they do. There are benefits for both sides. When i moved here for my job about 1 year ago, this just made the best sense to me.
Title: Re: Can I live in Washington and work in Oregon?
Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 15, 2014, 08:03:03 AM
This was fascinating.  In Canada you pay tax based on the province you live in.  So there are lots of people who live in Hull (Quebec side of the Ottawa River) and work in Ottawa (Ontario side of the Ottawa River) and vice versa. There is higher income tax in Quebec, but much lower Hydro rates, so it is basically a wash.  For large purchase items it can make a difference to point out to a Quebec vendor that you live in Ontario, they will adjust the sales tax.

Of course there are always details - if you work for a provincial agency (i.e. a teacher) Quebec deducts tax as if you live in Quebec, which means a big refund come tax time.  No way around it.