CPA services for Hillsboro and the Silicon Forest
The City of Hillsboro calls itself the epicenter of the Silicon Forest, and the description fits. The city says it is home to Intel's largest site in the world for research and manufacturing, and it names semiconductor manufacturing, microelectronics, bioscience, software and information technology as the high tech fields it is known for. The Washington County courthouse is here too, on N First Ave.
That economy shapes the tax questions a Hillsboro household brings to a CPA. Pay often includes bonuses and company stock on top of salary. Two earner homes may have two sets of benefits, two retirement plans and two brokerage accounts. Some people also run a consulting business or a rental on the side.
None of that has to be complicated, but it does reward planning and a CPA who has seen the same patterns before. Tell us what you need and a licensed CPA who works with people like you gets in touch with a clear, fixed quote.
Tax preparation in Hillsboro when stock is part of your pay
Restricted stock units (RSUs) and employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) shares leave a paper trail across several forms. Your W-2 shows the value that was counted as pay. Your brokerage sends its own form when you sell. Plan statements from the stock administrator fill in the dates and prices in between. A CPA lines these up so each share is taxed once, not twice.
The hard part is usually record keeping, not math. Shares bought or vested in different years each have their own cost basis, which is the amount you are treated as having paid. If you have sold shares from several grants, or moved shares between brokers, the basis on the broker's form can be incomplete. Fixing it before you file is far easier than fixing it after a notice arrives.
Timing matters too. A large vest or sale can land in the same year as a bonus, and that combination can push a Hillsboro household over local tax thresholds for the first time. Looking at the year as a whole in the fall gives you room to adjust withholding or estimated payments before the 4/15 deadline.
Many of these forms arrive in late winter, and corrected brokerage forms can arrive after that. Waiting until every form is in hand, rather than filing on the first W-2, avoids an amended return later.
What we help people in Hillsboro with
- Federal and Oregon individual returns
- RSU and ESPP cost basis reconciliation
- Metro SHS return for Hillsboro residents
- PFA nonresident return when a spouse works in Multnomah County
- Midyear tax projections for vest and bonus years
- Estimated payment planning for federal, Oregon and local taxes
- TriMet payroll tax and CAT questions for local businesses
Metro SHS, Preschool for All and a Washington County address
Hillsboro is one of the 24 cities inside Metro's service boundary, so the Metro Supportive Housing Services (SHS) personal income tax applies to residents. For tax year 2025, it is 1% of taxable income above $125,000 single or $200,000 joint. For tax year 2026, those thresholds rise to $128,000 and $205,000. The return, Form MET-40 for full year residents, goes to the City of Portland Revenue Division rather than to the state.
Hillsboro is in Washington County, so the Multnomah County Preschool for All (PFA) tax does not apply to residents' full income the way it does in Portland's Multnomah County neighborhoods. As nonresidents of the county, Hillsboro households owe PFA only on income sourced in Multnomah County. A person who lives and works in Hillsboro will usually never file it. That is one of the clearest differences between a Hillsboro return and a Gresham one.
A household where one spouse commutes to an office in Multnomah County is the exception. Then part of that spouse's wages can count as county income, and a nonresident return on Form MC-40-NP may be needed once the household passes the threshold.
Moving into Hillsboro from Multnomah County during the year changes the math. Part year residents are taxed on all income earned while they were residents, plus sourced income while they were not, so the move date matters.
Hillsboro small businesses, suppliers and contractors
Business licenses in Hillsboro are handled by the city's Finance Department at 150 E Main St. The city's application starts by sorting out the type of business before working out the total cost, so it is worth confirming with the city before you open, especially for a home based business or a company that works in Hillsboro from a base elsewhere.
The TriMet district covers only part of Hillsboro. TriMet lists both 97123 and 97124 as ZIP codes that are partly inside its district, which means two businesses in the same ZIP code can have different payroll tax obligations. Employers and self employed people inside the district pay the TriMet transit payroll tax, which TriMet lists at 0.8237% of wages and net self employment earnings for work done there.
Suppliers and service companies that grow alongside the region's larger employers should also keep an eye on Oregon's Corporate Activity Tax (CAT). Registration is required once Oregon commercial activity reaches $750,000. Above $1 million, the tax is $250 plus 0.57% of taxable commercial activity over $1 million. At the same scale, the Metro SHS business income tax applies at 1% to businesses in Metro with gross receipts above $5 million.
Small business owners in Hillsboro who report business income on a personal return should also know that sole proprietors are not subject to the Metro SHS business income tax. They pay the SHS personal tax instead, so business profit is part of the personal threshold calculation.
Planning a high income year in Hillsboro
The useful time to talk with a CPA is before December, not in March. If you know a large vest, a bonus or a home sale is coming, a midyear look lets you estimate federal, Oregon and Metro tax together and decide how to cover it.
For tax year 2026, the City of Portland Revenue Division raises its quarterly estimated payment threshold for local personal income taxes to $5,000. If you expect to owe SHS above that amount and your withholding does not cover it, quarterly payments may be expected. Asking HR whether your employer withholds these local taxes is a simple first step.
Side businesses deserve the same attention. Net self employment earnings for work in the TriMet district carry the transit tax, and a profitable consulting business can raise your total income enough to change which local thresholds you cross.
Working with a Portland CPA from Hillsboro
Our office is at 515 NW Saltzman Rd in Portland. We do not have a Hillsboro office. Most clients work with their CPA online, sending documents online and talking by email or video, and meetings are arranged when needed.
When you request a quote, mention your employer's stock plans, any side business and whether anyone in the house works in Multnomah County. That helps the right CPA give you a fixed quote that reflects the work your return actually needs.
It also helps to have a recent pay stub and your last year's returns on hand. They show how much federal, Oregon and local tax is already being withheld, which is the starting point for any plan.
Who we work with here
- Semiconductor, software and bioscience employees
- Households with RSUs, ESPP shares or stock options
- Two earner families with different workplaces
- Suppliers and contractors growing toward CAT thresholds
- Consultants with a side business
Common questions
Do Hillsboro residents pay the Metro SHS tax?
Yes, once taxable income passes the threshold. Hillsboro is inside Metro's boundary. For tax year 2025 the threshold is $125,000 single or $200,000 joint, and SHS is 1% of the amount above it.
Do I owe Preschool for All if I live in Hillsboro?
Only on income sourced in Multnomah County. Hillsboro is in Washington County, so residents are nonresidents of Multnomah County for PFA purposes.
Is all of Hillsboro inside the TriMet district?
No. TriMet lists ZIP codes 97123 and 97124 as only partly inside its district. Employers should check the exact work address with TriMet's district map.
Can you help me reconcile stock sales from work?
Yes. A CPA in our network matches your W-2, brokerage forms and plan statements so the cost basis on each sale reflects the income already reported as pay.
When should I plan for a big vest or bonus year?
Before year end. A projection in the fall shows whether withholding covers federal, Oregon and Metro tax, and leaves time to make estimated payments.
Do you have an office in Hillsboro?
No. Our office is at 515 NW Saltzman Rd in Portland. Most clients work with their CPA online, with meetings arranged when needed.