Living in OR but working in WA (Vancouver: sales, apartment)

[maiden.jade]

Wonder what are the pros and cons about it? I did a search before posting. One thread discussed about living in WA but working in OR, and the thread was about a year old. Maybe some facts still apply but things can change within a year.

I haven't got a job yet but am thinking about it in the near future. Would appreciate some insights.

[bodozer]

I don't know if there are any benefits but if you live in OR then you pay OR property taxes and no OR sales tax versus WA property taxes and WA sales tax. In the long run it probably equals out in general. The reverse of living in WA and working in OR you get double dinged with income tax and sales tax. Good luck.

[Lillietta]

I think it might be a pro that most of the traffic is going the other way except on Friday nights.

[StealthRabbit]

You WILL pay OR income tax on your WA income if OR is your 'domicile' (home / residence / taxing entity). Traffic flow is 'slightly' better, but depends how far you have to go. I know several folks working and living on both sides. It really depends on your social / school needs and desires. ... tho the cheapest is to live AND work in WA, preferably in a low property tax house, or rental, or one that escalates in value faster than taxes go up. (if you have the cash flow to pay the property taxes... ~ 1.2% of value/ yr)

[Ultrarunner]

My brother manages a large apartment in Vancouver WA and he told me a lot of the residents live in WA and work in Oregon, with many in Portland

[diggitydot]

If you're going to work in WA, it's best to also live there. Between saving on your costs in transportation (wear and tear on the car, gas, etc), you also save yourself having to pay the Oregon income tax. OR taxes all their residents, regardless of which state their income was earned. They also tax non-residents if they work in Oregon. Another thing to keep in mind is that many people living in WA and working in OR do so because the wages in Portland tend to pay higher, enough to offset the income tax paid by non-residents.

Heck, at one time, Oregon even tried to tax spouses of non-residents who worked in Oregon, no matter where that non-resident spouse worked. Imagine that you work in Oregon, your wife works in Vancouver, and you both reside in Vancouver. Oregon wanted to not only tax your income, but also that of your spouse who works in WA. Yeah, didn't go over well.

Here's a break down on 4 living/taxing scenarios:

Living in OR and working in WA you'll pay:

• Oregon income tax (because you're taxed if you live there even if your work is in another state)
• WA sales tax on any items you purchase in WA (But you can avoid the WA sales taxes simply by showing your OR ID when going to purchase an item in WA.)
• Oregon property taxes if you own your home

Living in WA and working in OR you'll pay:

• Oregon income tax (because Oregon also taxes everyone who works in the state, no matter where they live)
• Washington property taxes if you own your home
• Washington sales taxes on your purchases in WA (You can avoid sales taxes if you cross over into OR to do your shopping.)

If you live and work in OR you'll pay:

• Oregon income tax
• Oregon property tax

If you live and work in WA you'll pay:

• Property taxes if you own your own home
• Sales tax if you purchase items in WA (You can avoid sales taxes if you cross over into OR to do your shopping.)

Also, if you have kids or if kids will be a consideration in the future, most Clark County schools have significantly better tax bases than their Oregon counterparts. School funding is a fairly major issue for many Oregon school districts.