PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission took an initial step Thursday to tighten up on tax compliance by OLCC-licensed recreational marijuana retailers.
The action by the Board of Commissioners during its monthly meeting comes after Governor Tina Kotek directed the OLCC to work with the Oregon Department of Revenue to get licensees paid up on delinquent taxes, or as a last resort to take away their licenses.
The commissioners also heard an update on the post-pandemic status of the hospitality industry, agreed to the governor’s request to not move forward with an additional 50-cents surcharge on distilled spirits and appointed three new small business owners to operate liquor stores around the state.
Despite its recent emergence as a legal business, the cannabis industry has one of the worst rates of tax compliance among Oregon businesses. According to DOR, the rate of unpaid taxes by cannabis retailers amounts to about 9% of what’s owed of the state’s marijuana sales tax.
So Thursday, in partnership with DOR, the Board of Commissioners approved temporary rules requiring marijuana retailers to obtain a Certificate of Tax Compliance from the DOR; the certificate will now be required as a condition for acquiring or renewing a cannabis retailer license, as well as for changes of ownership or adding someone to a license.
The OLCC will undertake permanent rulemaking this summer to develop tax requirements to…
