Portlanders have until May 17 to pay their $35 Arts Education and Access Income Tax, which supports local arts programs and places more than 100 grade school arts and music teachers in Portland-area schools.
The City’s Revenue Division recently extended the due date to align with changes made by the Internal Revenue Service and the Oregon Department of Revenue.
This annual tax is due from all adult Portland residents with income of $1,000 or more. This includes anyone who moved into or out of Portland during 2020. Adults with income less than $1,000 during the tax year or who are below the federal poverty level may claim an exemption by filing the Arts Tax return.
Portland residents can file and pay the $35 Arts Tax online at Pro.Portland.gov. There is no requirement to create or log in to an account. It takes most people three to four minutes to complete the filing process and save or print their receipt.
Earlier this year, the Revenue Division mailed tax returns and reminders to every Portland address and will not be sending paper forms again for the 2020 tax year. An email reminder was recently sent to taxpayers who have previously provided an email address and had not already filed or paid by late February.
Because the Arts Tax is an income tax, there is no “bill”. Taxpayers must complete and file the Arts Tax return and pay the tax by May 17, 2021 to avoid a penalty.
While it is fast and easy to pay online, there are other ways to file and pay the Arts Tax:
- File online and choose to pay by mailing in a check with a voucher printed from the website.
- Print the Arts Tax form via leading tax preparation software products like H&R Block and TurboTax and mail it in with a payment.
- Download and print out a tax year 2020 Arts Tax form from the Revenue Division website. The form is also available in 10 additional languages.
Since 2012, the Arts Tax has generated over $87 million to support art and music instruction in Portland-area school districts and increase arts access through grants from the Regional Arts & Culture Council. Read about how the money has been invested.