Amazon challenge of data centers’ value could reduce tax payments to Madison County by millions
By Katherine Lin | Originally published by Mississippi Today
Madison County residents were told that Amazon’s data centers would pay significant property taxes that would boost school and government budgets. But the actual amount may be lower than was projected, with Amazon challenging the tax valuation of its properties.
Amazon Web Services recently challenged the Madison County tax assessor’s valuation of its data centers in Canton claiming that the county’s assessment is too high. The lower assessment Amazon is claiming would mean $5 million to $6 million less in tax dollars next year for schools and the county, according to the tax assessor’s office, down from an estimated payment of over $28 million.
At an August county Board of Supervisors meeting, the company argued that each of its five buildings is worth $69 million, while the assessor put the value at $292 million per building.
The board upheld the tax assessor’s valuation but Amazon could appeal the decision to Circuit Court.
In the next few years, Amazon plans to build 34 data centers in Madison County, expected to bring in tens of millions of new tax dollars each year.
Amazon representative James Polianski said the company’s valuation came from industry standards. But Madison County Tax Assessor Norman Cannady, argued that Amazon’s buildings are unique and should be evaluated as such.
“They’re highly specialized data centers,” Cannady told the board. “And this is not simply a conventional building or shell. The real property includes specialized building systems that are integral to the facility. And their construction involves significant electrical, specialized structural requirements, mechanical cooling, redundancy, and supporting infrastructure. ”
Cannady said that when calculating the value of a building, Amazon used replacement costs but his office estimated the actual costs associated with constructing the building.
Cannady added that Amazon had refused to share data about the actual construction costs with his office. Polianski said that it was company policy not to share those documents as it “may put Amazon at a competitive disadvantage.”
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
