Musk-Controlled Tesla Seeks $330-M Extra Tax Breaks From Nevada

Tesla may receive over $300 million in tax abatements over the next two decades for an expansion of its Nevada facility, the product of a 2014 deal for when the company first came to the area on the promise of new jobs and major investments in the area, Gabe Stern reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The proposed tax abatements have been the subject of scrutiny by some lawmakers in Nevada’s Democratic-controlled legislature.

The long-awaited sum — kept quiet for a month due to a nondisclosure agreement with state officials — will be voted on Thursday by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Tesla projects it will bring in 3,000 jobs at an average rate of $33.49 per hour and invest $3.6 billion into the economy. It will cover health insurance for 91% of its employees, per its application.

Elon Musk, who controls Tesla, has been opposed to government regulation but has benefited from state subsidies and the Nevada tax abatements prove that he salivates for government support for a carmaker he did not establish.

Combined with both its 2014 investment and project expansion where the company received over $1 billion in tax breaks, Tesla is set for over $10 billion in capital investments in northern Nevada between 2014 and 2028, which economic development board director Tom Burns called “ground zero for the energy transition” in a Monday release.

The company projected over $750 million in direct and indirect tax revenue from the proposed tax breaks and those approved in 2014.

“On behalf of Tesla and its 7,000+ Nevada team members, we are grateful to you and your team for your partnership on this critical project,” Chris Reilly, Tesla’s director of workforce and recruiting, wrote to Burns on Thursday.

The company could also be reimbursed for upwards of $80 million in sales and use taxes over two decades, which would not be part of the $330 million in already-abated taxes.

In recent weeks, however, the proposed tax abatements have been the subject of scrutiny by some lawmakers in Nevada’s Democratic-controlled legislature, where some have questioned the authority that the board should have over such massive investments and requested to delay the Thursday vote to give more time for public comment.

Concerns rose over a lack of oversight for the board to provide such massive tax breaks, as well as some Tesla employees being on Medicaid, despite the average hourly wage being much higher than the qualifying income. Some democratic lawmakers requested Thursday’s meeting be postponed, though it appears to still be on schedule.

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