In race to attract data centers, states forfeit hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue to tech companies

In 2019, the Indiana legislature passed a bill that would offer eligible data centers significant sales tax exemptions. The legislation said facilities packed with state-of-the-art servers could avoid the state's 7% tax when purchasing equipment and power. The measure was a boon for large tech companies that have been rapidly building out data centers and was heavily backed by a trade association representing the industry. Similar tax incentives have been passed elsewhere. Today nearly all states that have ...