Amazon was the recipient of record tax credits this year, as a combination of tax exemptions, local grants, and other incentives saw the behemoth take $650 million USD ($889 million AUD) from local and state governments who wanted them to expand their one-day or same-day delivery networks around America in order to create jobs.
This is according to DC-based economic development watchdog Good Jobs First, who crunched the numbers. They also note that the clandestine nature of such deals makes theirs a very modest estimate. The real amount of tax breaks Amazon gets is likely to be much higher.
“Amazon should stop seeking any kind of incentive,” Cassia Tarchinska, a research analyst at Good Jobs First, said.
Amazon defended this practice, explaining it leads to local job creation.
“These incentives are usually available to all companies that meet the criteria, and they don’t receive a penny until they create a job and make a capital investment,” Amazon said.
“In 2020 alone, Amazon has invested $150 billion in the United States, opened more than 100 sites, and created more than 400,000 jobs in more than 40 states.”
