Salem-area employers in manufacturing, tech and other targeted industries can apply for up to $10,000 in state tax credits for adding well-paying jobs, with the application window closing Oct. 31.

Business Oregon briefed the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue on the credit during September Legislative Days at the state Capitol.

The agency appeared before committee chair Sen. Anthony Broadman on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The credit, created by Senate Bill 1507 during the 2026 short session and amended by House Bill 4084, offers $1,000 per qualifying net new job. Employers can claim up to 10 jobs for a maximum of $10,000 per taxpayer each year.

The program runs through 2031 and carries a statewide annual cap of $12.5 million.

Each job must pay at least 150% of the county's Oregon minimum wage. In Marion and Polk counties, where the standard minimum wage rose to $15.55 per hour on July 1, that means a position must generally pay at least $23.33 per hour to qualify, according to the Salem Business Journal.

Seven industries are eligible: advanced manufacturing, bioscience, clean technology, food and beverage processing, forestry and wood products, high technology, and outdoor gear and apparel. Employers must get written certification from Business Oregon before claiming the credit on a tax return.

"If businesses want to pay $10,000 less in taxes, they should look at the new application for this credit and see if they are eligible," Broadman, a Bend Democrat who chairs the finance committee, said Sept. 9.

Applications opened Sept. 1 and close Oct. 31. Instructions are on Business Oregon's website.

Senior and disabled homeowner deferral expands

At a Sept. 10 hearing of the same committee, lawmakers received an update on the Disabled and Senior Homeowners Program, which defers property taxes until a home is sold. The program charges 6% simple interest and uses no general fund dollars.

Sen. Deb Patterson, a Salem Democrat on the finance committee, co-sponsored 2025 bipartisan legislation that raised the program's household income cap from $60,000 to $70,000 and increased the home market-value limits for eligibility.

State officials reported an 8% increase in applications in 2026, Patterson told the committee. In 2024, the program paid more than $11.5 million in property taxes for 3,382 seniors and 419 disabled homeowners statewide, according to the Oregon Department of Revenue.

To qualify, applicants must be 62 or older, or disabled and eligible for federal Social Security Disability benefits. They must have owned and lived in the home for at least five full years, and 2025 household income cannot exceed $70,000.

Applications are accepted through Dec. 1 at the county assessor's office, though filings after April 15 require a late fee. The next scheduled legislative committee hearings run Dec. 1 through Dec. 3.