Advantages to living in Vancouver and working in Portland?

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

Nope, and if you show your driver's license before making a purchase, they'll even drop the sales tax.

Is it true WA doesn't take state taxes from residents?

If you show your OR license (or MT ...)
If you show your WA (residents) license they will gladly collect the tax.

The choice is...
WA residents pay 8% on consumption
OR pays 9% on income

[nephthys]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

Washington doesn't have an income tax, they have a sales tax. So if you live in Washington and work in Washington, you pay no state income tax. If you live in Washington and work in Oregon, you pay Oregon's income tax (with some limited exceptions). If you live in Oregon and work in Washington, you will pay Oregon income taxes. Most Washington employers will deduct Oregon income tax and send it to Oregon, but not all.

Thanks, I was curious about that.

[bigolwoody]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

Nope, and if you show your driver's license before making a purchase, they'll even drop the sales tax.

Did you see where some local lawmaker wants to start charging oregon residents tax who are shopping in washington?It will only kill the local vantucky businesses.

[KatrynS]

What if you have significant investment income? If you commute from WA, you'd only pay OR income tax on the part you earned in Oregon, right?

[cdelena]

Originally Posted by KatrynS

What if you have significant investment income? If you commute from WA, you'd only pay OR income tax on the part you earned in Oregon, right?

Correct... only your income earned in Oregon will be taxed. A Washington resident will not pay state income taxes on investment, retirement, etc.

[KatrynS]

How is the commute over the bridge? Slow traffic? How about when the weather gets nasty? Are the bridges especially hazardous then?

I know, just don't drive stupidly or during rush hour.

[StealthRabbit]

There are 2 bridges (I-5 (liftspan / draw bridge) and I-205 (tall...no drawbridge required))

205 is preferred, but can be windy at times. (Traffic is bottleneck on I-5 through the area close to bridge on Portland side (Shopping center / truck stops / freight route... too many high traffic exits in proximity). I have never seen either bridge closed due to bad weather, and there may be a rare event of an ice storm, when you don't really want to be out, and city streets are as bad as bridge. The temps are not low enough to have bridge surfaces freezing while roads do not (frequent in cold climates). There are some metal deck bridges in Portland that are slick in rain, and can be dangerous.

I would consider riding an 'express bus' for commuting. Driving can be tedious.

If you live in WA and your investment income is earned in OR (rental props, business investments) it will be taxed by OR. But for most investments you will be income tax free. For how long we do not know. Deficit is huge in WA, and the rumor on the WA news lines, is that Gov Christine is leveraging WA debt with the intent to force an income tax. She has a thing with growing gov agencies and expenses. Like some other politicians in the law business (Most) they already have their pot of gold, and would like to have yours too!

[Nell Plotts]

There appears to be recent agreement between the cities of Vancouver and Portland to replace the I-5 bridge with a 12 lane structure, google Columbia Crossing. It may happen in my lifetime, if it does the commute during construction will likely get worse.

[olga_2013]

so we live in portland, but i really want to move to vancouver, most people say it saves money on taxes. we live in multnomah county but am trying to figure out... would i really save any money living in vancouver? and how much is mult tax anyway? please help

[Nell Plotts]

Don't depend on the opinion of 'most people', run the numbers yourself. If you work in Oregon you will still pay Oregon income tax. Also remember that if you work in Portland you will have a hellish commute, if your time isn't worth much fuel and wear & tear on your car will be.

Multnomah tax is property tax, it is house specific. There was a year or two when Multnomah County tried an income tax but it was voted out.

When it comes to taxes you really need to drill down on the details because taxes include taxing districts that aren't city or county wide. Also, they can change as a result of votes (school district referendums for example) or EPA litigation (sewer district formation).