Deploying SETS to Support Privilege Tax Collection in Oregon
In 2017, Oregon’s alcoholic beverage industry worked with Oregon legislators to pass legislation directing the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) to “allow manufacturers or importing distributors of wine, cider or malt beverages to file required statements and pay privilege taxes by electronic means,” according to Brew Public. Revenue from these privilege taxes plays a vital role in funding various priorities in Oregon; according to the OLCC, it “contributed more than $519 million to Oregon programs, cities and counties in 2017-2019. Of that, more than $260 million went to the General Fund to help pay for programs such as schools, police and public health programs.” While many states, including Oregon, face enormous budget challenges as a result of COVID-19, it is more important than ever that tax information and payments are accurate and protected.
SICPA was recently awarded a ten-year contract with the OLCC to implement its industry-leading SICPA Excise Tax Systems (SETS), in order to facilitate the online administration and collection of privilege taxes. SETS is a secure and transparent online platform for the payment, collection and tracking of excise taxes. Taxpayers in Oregon that use SETS will be able to submit payment and tax information through EDI file uploads, web-based entry, and XML web services. Under the new contract, SETS will provide officials in Oregon with accurate, transparent, and actionable tax information to meet extensive state security requirements.
“State budgets are stretched now more than ever, and SICPA is pleased to enter into this strategic partnership with the OLCC to optimize their alcohol privilege tax collections,” said Jane Lute, CEO of SICPA North America. “Through SETS, Oregon’s beer, wine and cider taxpayers will have an intuitive and secure online platform to submit tax information and payments, and the OLCC will benefit from significant efficiency gains and risk reduction to increase the timeliness and accuracy of tax collections for the State.”
You can read more about the new contract and the benefits of the SETS system in Oregon in Brew Public, here.
