The Senate gave preliminary approval to a multi-million dollar tax break for Apple Computer Thursday.
The bill, approved 42 to 6, serves up $3 million in annual tax breaks that could grow to $12.5 million a year for the company to build a data center in North Carolina.
In exchange, the computer company is expected to invest $1 billion over nine years and create 50 jobs. Another 250 contractors could also get jobs.
The Senate is slated to cast a final vote on Monday. The House already approved the tax breaks.
State officials pushing for the incentives won't identify the company, but lawmakers widely refer to Apple as the intended recipient. The data center, a giant warehouse of computer servers, likely would support Apple's popular iTunes and other services.
UPDATE: Gov. Beverly Perdue is expected to sign the bill, once it passes, according to her press secretary, Chrissy Pearson.
Comments
Re: Apple moves closer to money tree
May 29, 2009 - 10:38am — seaknight8Let's see: $3 million a year for 50 jobs comes to $60,000 per job. Those are some mighty expensive server farmers.
When state employees are having to take pay cuts, it is not a time for the state to be reducing tax revenues from any source.