Oregon Ranks 44th in Nation for Entrepreneur-Friendliness

Date: January 22, 2015

Taxes a drag on small business, study says.

Oregon fared poorly in a new study ranking the states on small business friendliness.

The Small Business Policy Index 2014 rated Oregon 44th in the nation for most entrepreneur-friendly states.

The index measures 42 factors regarding taxes, regulations, government spending and debt, and other government activities. Categories where Oregon did poorly include top personal income tax rates (48th in nation) and top individual capital gains tax rates (49th). However, it ranked best in the country in sales taxes and wireless taxes.

Overall, the index rated South Dakota best for entrepreneurs, and California last. Oregon ranked 42nd on 2013’s list, though the criteria has changed since then.

The study also linked the better performing states, on average, to better economic growth and population growth.

“Make no mistake, tax, regulatory, government spending, and other governmental performance and cost measures matter state by state,” Raymond J. Keating, SBE Council’s chief economist and author of the study, said in a statement. “Consider that when it comes to economic growth, population growth and shifts in population among the states, for example, the top 25 states on the index perform, on average, far better than the bottom 25 states.”

Is Oregon a small business-friendly state? Tell us why or why not in the comments section below.


Related Content: Small Business News | Economy | Oregon

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