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About Coast river business journal. (Astoria, OR) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 2020)
12 • JANUARY 2020 BUSINESS NEWS COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL New Oregon business laws to know for 2020 SALEM — Several new Oregon laws took effect with the start of the new year, including some with a direct impact on businesses. When a new year starts, it can be easy to miss the memo on changes to the law. Igno- rance of the law is not a defense for break- ing it, however, so here are a few handy guidelines for 2020: mation about the time and place of each purchase, in addition to proof of residency. Each person is only allowed to apply for reimbursement once per calendar year, for taxes paid in the previous year. According to the Washington Depart- ment of Revenue’s media relations office, the necessary forms are online under the “general public” heading on their home page. Information can be found at dor. wa.gov/find-taxes-rates/retail-sales-tax/ sales-nonresidents. Sales tax Plastic bags In July 2019, Washington stopped grant- ing Oregonians an exemption to sales tax at the register. But as of Jan. 1, Oregon resi- dents who have been saving their receipts can file a tax return for the amount of sales tax they paid to Washington in 2019. To qualify, applicants must be a resident of a state that does not have sales tax, must have purchased the items for use outside of Washington, and must be requesting reim- bursement for more than $25 in taxes paid (at 6.5% state sales tax, that means spend- ing at least $384.62 on qualifying items). They will have to submit receipts and infor- As of Jan. 1, stores no longer give out single-use plastic bags at check-out, although bags used for meat and produce will be exempt. Stores are required to charge at least 5 cents per bag for paper, reusable bags or other alternatives. By JADE MCDOWELL EO Media Group Real ID As of Oct. 1, 2020, regular Oregon driv- er’s licenses will no longer be valid to board a commercial flight, enter a secure federal facility, such as a military base, or do other activities where a federally approved form of identification is required. We nance Business Equipment and MORE! Business Equipment Business Expansion Inventory Fleet Vehicles Commercial Real Estate 503.861.6555 EO MEDIA GROUP/DAILY ASTORIAN A plastic bag discarded near the Clatsop County Heritage Museum in Astoria. Plan the future of your business, call today! Long Beach | Ocean Park Cathlamet | Astoria | Seaside After Oct. 1, Oregonians who want to take a flight will have to use another form of approved identification, such as a passport, or apply for a new type of driver’s license called a Real ID. The state hopes to have the federally approved Real IDs available through the Department of Motor Vehicles starting in July after finishing a “major IT overhaul,” according to the department’s website. Real IDs will be optional, and those getting them will be required to pay the DMV’s fee for replacement of a driver’s license, plus a yet-to-be-determined addi- tional Real ID fee. The newly issued Real ID will have the same expiration date as the person’s current driver’s license, so people whose licenses expire soon after the Real IDs are available are advised they may want to wait until it is time to renew their license. Should someone choose not to upgrade to a Real ID, a standard Oregon driver’s licenses will still be good for activities, such as driving, purchasing alcohol, regis- tering to vote or applying for benefits. Employment www.BankofthePacic.com All loans subject to credit approval. Certain fees and restrictions may apply. Employees in Oregon received a variety of new protections as of Jan. 1. Pregnant workers are among those who receive new protections under the law. Employers are required to provide reason- able accommodations, such as assistance with manual labor or more frequent bath- room breaks, to pregnant employees. They are also prohibited from denying someone employment, requiring them to take a leave of absence or otherwise retaliating or dis- criminating against them for requesting accommodations for their pregnancy. Employers are required to create anti-ha- rassment policies for their workplace, and will no longer be allowed to force employ- ees to sign nondisclosure agreements restricting them from talking about harass- ment or discrimination they experienced at the company. Minimum wage Minimum wage will increase once again in July, as part of a law passed by the legislature in 2016 that set up regular increases through 2022. This year, mini- mum wage in Oregon will increase to $12 in “standard” counties (mostly found on the west side of the state, including Clat- sop), $13.25 in metro counties, such as Clackamas and Multnomah, and $11.50 in rural counties.
