The Oregon Emergency Communications (E911) tax rate will increase from $.75 cents to $1, beginning January 1, 2020. This is the first increase to the E911 tax since 1995.
Phone companies and retailers are required to collect the tax and pay it to the Oregon Department of Revenue. The E911 tax provides about 24 percent of the total operating costs for 9-1-1 centers in Oregon.
Examples of products or services subject to the E911 tax include:
- Landline telephone service.
- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.
- Wireless telephone prepaid or postpaid service.
- Additional prepaid minutes, regardless if the purchase is made at a retailer’s physical location, online, or over the phone.
Examples of products or services not subject to the E911 tax include:
- Phone accessories such as batteries, chargers, phone covers, etc.
- Ringtones.
- Long-distance phone cards.
For more information on the state 9-1-1 program and how Oregon E911 tax revenue is used, see “Emergency Communications Tax” on the Oregon Office of Emergency Management website:
https://www.oregon.gov/oem/911/Pages/911-Tax-Distribution.aspx