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Non-profit

Taxpayer Association of Oregon (TAO)

Website:

oregonwatchdog.com
Location:

Portland, OR
Tax ID:

93-1287270
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $268,259
Expenses: $244,090
Assets: $70,432
Type:

Nonprofit
Formation:

2000
Executive Director:

Jason Williams
Executive Director's Salary:

$53,905 1

References

  1. Taxpayers Association of Oregon, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.

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The Taxpayer Association of Oregon (TAO) is a right-leaning watchdog organization that promotes public awareness of issues related to taxes and government spending in Oregon. TAO aims to expose government waste, fraud, and abuse and advocates for lower taxes, government transparency, and liberty protections. 1

Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation is the sister organization of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon. 2

Activities

The Taxpayer Association of Oregon aims to expose and stop government waste, fraud, and abuse to save taxpayer dollars. TAO claims that the money wasted on needless government spending could be better used to support schools, police departments, and other public services. 3 To this end, the Taxpayer Association of Oregon maintains a page on its website cataloging what it deems government waste. In past years, TAO has exposed food stamp abuse; significant increases in fees for auto sales, registration, and titles; and funding for vacant state employee positions. 4

The Taxpayer Association of Oregon advocates for lowering taxes in Oregon, which is in the top 10 of high-tax states. TAO has been successful in stopping local taxes in some areas, including local sales taxes in Hood River County in 2019, local income taxes in Eugene in 2011, and local cell phone taxes in Portland in 2009. Additionally, the Taxpayer Association of Oregon played a key role in defeating Measure 28 in 2003, which would have increased income tax by 1% statewide, and in repealing Measure 30 in 2004, which included a $600 million income tax surcharge. 5

In 2022, the Taxpayer Association of Oregon advocated against measure 13-133 in Beaverton, which would approve a $790 million school bond with a property tax increase of 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. TAO claims that the school bond is priced almost double the average cost of building a school, would increase the Beaverton public schools property tax, and contains a highly questionable $50 million management fund. Additionally, the Taxpayer Association of Oregon points out that school enrollment is decreasing and that Oregon residents already pay higher-than-average property taxes. 6

People

Jason Williams is the executive director and a co-founder of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon and the Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation. 7

Tom Butler is the president of TAO and a former Republican Oregon State Representative. 8

Brendan N. O’Scannlain is the treasurer of the board and formerly worked as an editorial assistant for Policy Review magazine at the Heritage Foundation. 9

Eric Fruits is the vice president of research at the Cascade Policy Institute. 10

Other board members include Craig Flynn, secretary, Barbara Kanz, and Bill Schaub. 11

References

  1. “Who We Are.” Taxpayer Association of Oregon. Accessed June 6, 2022 https://oregonwatchdog.com/stage/whoweare.php.
  2. “Author Archives: Jason Williams.” Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation. Accessed June 4, 2022. http://oregontaxnews.com/author/oregontaxnews/.
  3. “What We Believe.” Taxpayer Association of Oregon. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://oregonwatchdog.com/stage/whatwebelieve.php.
  4. “Government Waste.” Taxpayer Association of Oregon. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://oregonwatchdog.com/stage/wastereports.php.
  5. Who We Are.” Taxpayer Association of Oregon. Accessed June 6, 2022 https://oregonwatchdog.com/stage/whoweare.php.
  6. “Beaverton School Report.” Taxpayer Association of Oregon. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://oregonwatchdog.com/stage/beavertonschoolreport.php.
  7. “Author Archives: Jason Williams.” Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation. Accessed June 4, 2022. http://oregontaxnews.com/author/oregontaxnews/.
  8. “Who We Are.” Taxpayers Association of Oregon. Accessed June 4, 2022. https://oregonwatchdog.com/stage/whoweare.php.
  9. “Brendan N. O’Scannlain.” Stoel Rives, 2022. Accessed June 4, 2022. https://www.stoel.com/people/brendan-n-o-scannlain.
  10. “Eric Fruits.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed June 4, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/fruits/
  11.  Taxpayers Association of Oregon, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: November 1, 2000

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2019 Dec Form 990 $268,259 $244,090 $70,432 $0 N $268,244 $0 $15 $56,355
    2018 Dec Form 990EZ $179,852 $183,605 $46,263 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2017 Dec Form 990 $222,714 $191,115 $50,016 $0 N $222,712 $0 $2 $31,750 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $392,857 $492,941 $18,417 $0 N $392,845 $0 $12 $42,400 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $291,611 $197,546 $118,501 $0 N $291,606 $0 $5 $35,650 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990EZ $111,122 $113,823 $24,436 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2013 Dec Form 990EZ $108,902 $97,184 $27,137 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2012 Dec Form 990EZ $88,801 $84,413 $15,419 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2011 Dec Form 990EZ $180,501 $182,729 $4,612 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Taxpayer Association of Oregon (TAO)


    Portland, OR