Multnomah County & Metro Taxes: What High Earners Need to Know

“Tax planning is a year-round endeavor. It's not something to think about when you file your taxes in April.” This one goes out to all Portland taxpayers! It’s easy to get blindsided by these two local levies: the Metro Supportive Housing Services Tax and the Multnomah County Preschool For All Tax, which were both passed in 2020 and are still tripping up high earners five years later. Often, mismatched withholding trips up taxpayers. Employers only withhold once an individual crosses a set income threshold, so dual-income households can each stay under the line while their combined income lands well above it. Remote employees living in Multnomah County but paid by an out-of-state employer hit the same blind spot. The two taxes don't even share a footprint, as Supportive Housing covers the broader Metro area, while Preschool For All applies to Multnomah County specifically. This means neighbors just across a boundary can owe one tax and not the other. Both taxes require their own personal tax filings, not just an Oregon return line item, and quarterly estimated payments kick in once liability hits $1,000. It’s important to check pay stubs, compare withholding with your partner's, and treat tax planning as a year-round habit rather than an April surprise. Local taxes are proliferating, so if you want to avoid getting snuck up on, have a good plan in place! Key Topics: Two Sneaky Portland Taxes, Five Years Running (06:54) Why Employer Withholding Falls Short (11:02) Where the Supportive Housing Money Actually Goes (14:56) Doing the Math on a $3,270 Tax Bill (18:44) Preschool for All: Free Daycare, Different Numbers (21:31) Two Taxes, Two Thresholds, One Confusing System (23:14) Stacking to $8,000: Filing Rules and the Quarterly Payment Trap (26:24) Resources: Multnomah County & Metro Taxes: What Portland High Earners Need to Know: https://www.equalvoices.co/post/multnomah-county-metro-taxes-what-portland-high-earners-need-to-know Money Dates Episode 19: Why High-Income Households Still Struggle to Donate https://www.equalvoices.co/podcast-1/why-high-income-households-still-struggle-to-donate Metro boundary address lookup: https://gis.oregonmetro.gov/boundary-lookup-tools/metro-boundary-address-lookup Supportive Housing Services progress: https://www.oregonmetro.gov/what-metro-does/housing-and-homelessness/supportive-housing-services/progress Schedule Your Free Intro Chat: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact Schedule a Free Consultation Here: https://www.equalvoices.co/start Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest financial resources: https://www.equalvoices.co/contact Natalie Slagle, CFP®, and Dan Slagle, CFP®, are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Equal Voices Wealth https://www.equalvoices.co/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s, 40s, and 50s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together. At Equal Voices, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals. Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.equalvoices.co/legal