Is Nevada barred from disclosing details about Tesla's request for tax breaks until three days before the vote?
Nevada signed a non-disclosure agreement that prevents the governor’s economic development office from releasing Tesla's tax-abatement request for its Gigafactory expansion until Feb. 27 — three days before it’s voted on by the office.
The office’s communications director Greg Bortolin said NDAs help Nevada compete with other states vying for companies’ business.
In 2014, Tesla received a $1.25 billion tax break after investing $3.5 billion to build an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Storey County.
In January, Tesla announced an additional $3.6 billion investment in the plant, adding 3,000 employees and two factories.
To receive tax abatements in Nevada, companies must set a minimum wage of at least $23 per hour and provide health insurance. Companies are audited annually for compliance.
Bortolin said approved companies typically receive a 10-year waiver of their payroll, personal and real property taxes and a 20-year decrease of their sales tax to 4.85%.