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Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes

255 points · 249 comments · gmays

  1. simonw · · focus · HN ↗
    > Under a tax credit created in the 1980s to spur innovation, companies can get a rebate for supplies, but only if they are being tested in an experimental effort, not standard business operations. Meta is claiming that the costly A.I. computer chips it buys from companies, including Nvidia, are entitled to a taxpayer-provided discount as part of the experiment. [...]

    > The company started claiming the credit for the data centers two years ago. Since then, Meta’s savings from the credit have soared, trimming almost $4 billion off its tax bill last year, filings show.

    Yeah... as a US citizen and taxpayer I think I'd like that $4 billion back.

    1. tt24 · · focus · HN ↗
      Don’t worry, you won’t be getting any of that money. It’ll be going in entirety to the utility monster (bottom quintile)
      1. danny_codes · · focus · HN ↗
        I don’t see the connection between the utility monster concept and poor people.

        Also I’m confused, do you want a regressive tax system?

        1. tt24 · · focus · HN ↗
          Yes, I’d prefer a regressive tax system.
          1. mcmcmc · · focus · HN ↗
            Ah, you must be one of those efficient evil types Thiel was talking about
            1. logicchains · · focus · HN ↗
              There's nothing good about taking from people who work hard to give to people who live off other people's hard effort while contributing nothing to society.
              1. mcmcmc · · focus · HN ↗
                You sound like you’ve never lived without money. Most people drawing welfare payments are working full time or multiple part time jobs that fail to pay a living wage. Taking money back from people who work hard to exploit and extract value from everyone beneath them merely rights a power imbalance. You know US workers are deprived of roughly $15B a year through wage theft? It’s also incredibly narrow minded to believe that the only measure of contributing to society is a person’s income.
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