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Universal Orlando still claiming tax breaks meant to help struggling communities
Originally published Sept. 18, 2020 In April, after it had been forced to shut down by the coronavirus pandemic but before it began...
Oct 4, 20203 min read
Universal Orlando seeking $350 million in corporate tax breaks
Originally published Dec. 11, 2019 Universal Orlando is in line for nearly $350 million worth of state tax breaks to build a new...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Universal to get state money to build road to new Epic Universe park
Originally published Aug. 22, 2019 A few days before Christmas last year, after he was elected to the U.S. Senate but before he’d left...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Universal Orlando launches lobbying campaigns for $125 million in public money
Originally published Dec. 13, 2019 By Jason Garcia and Stephen Hudak As Orange County leaders prepare to vote on a controversial $125...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Universal Orlando’s new road deal with Orange County is lopsided, critics say
Originally published Oct. 3, 2019 Universal Orlando and Orange County are negotiating a final deal to split the tab for a new road to the...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Amid Florida’s budget shortfall, corporations lobby for more tax cuts
Originally published Aug. 27, 2020 This spring, PetMed Express Inc., a nationwide pet pharmacy that sells nearly $300 million a year...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Investment company writes Florida incentive laws, then profits from them
Originally published Jan. 8, 2020 On a Thursday afternoon in the middle of last year’s legislative session, Sen. Bill Montford appeared...
Oct 4, 20201 min read
Video-game company helps write Florida tax-incentive law, saves itself millions
Originally published Dec. 30, 2012 During the past three years, even as it has struggled with shrinking tax revenue, the Florida...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Loophole lets theme parks cut tax bills
Originally published May 25, 2011 Disney is avoiding some state and local taxes by selling theme-park tickets and other items to itself....
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Large companies getting small-business loans want to spend less of the money paying workers
Originally published April 17, 2020 The Pennsylvania investment firm that owns the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove in Miami has applied for as...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Debt-ridden hotels lobby for taxpayer bailout
Originally published Aug. 13, 2020 In late 2018, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach completed a $1 billion mortgage refinancing. A year later,...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
Thriving companies getting hundreds of millions in federal coronavirus tax breaks
Originally published May 21, 2020 Corporations across America have booked more than $7 billion in savings using tax breaks that Congress...
Oct 4, 20202 min read
In Florida, 99% of companies pay no corporate income tax — with lawmakers’ blessing
Big Profits, Tiny Taxes || Part 1 Originally published Nov. 13, 2019 EBay Inc., the online auction company with 180 million buyers around...
Oct 3, 20202 min read
Big businesses cut their Florida taxes by using income-shifting strategies
Big Profits, Tiny Taxes || Part 2 Originally published Nov. 14, 2019 For years, the company that makes Dr. Pepper soda and Snapple iced...
Oct 3, 20201 min read
Companies pass profits out of Florida, costing the state millions
Big Profits, Tiny Taxes || Part 3 Originally published Nov. 20, 2019 Launched in 2000 as a partnership between American and British...
Oct 3, 20201 min read
Big companies have lots of Florida customers — but sidestep state income taxes
Big Profits, Tiny Taxes || Part 4 Originally published Nov. 26, 2019 Every time someone wins an auction on eBay.com, the company takes a...
Oct 3, 20201 min read
Florida loses $50M a year to vague business deductions
Big Profits, Tiny Taxes || Part 5 Originally published Dec. 4, 2019 Six years ago, the world’s largest beer company sold off its stake in...
Oct 3, 20201 min read
Corporate loopholes mean Florida taxpayers subsidize jobs in other states
Big Profits, Tiny Taxes || Part 6 Originally published Dec. 11, 2019 In 1981, the Florida Legislature gave the banking industry a tax...
Oct 3, 20202 min read
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