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CSX sues South Carolina over increases in property tax assessments
Do any trucking firms pay the state $42.7 million?
That $42.7 million is truly obscene, especially when the truckers get their ROW taken care for them largely courtesy of the common motoring public. I know life’s not fair but this is ridiculous.
I’m not saying the tax is fair…but railroad do own property and will be taxed. I am sure truckers are taxed for the property their terminals sit on. Truckers pay road tax on diesel…I am pretty sure railroads do not…
So just looking at property tax is not a fair comparison
Mr Thomas the vast majority of trucking “companies” have no land in any state. There are many many one truck operations. Truckers do pay fuel taxes(the “IFTA” sticker on the side of the truck) as well as a tax based on the value of the vehicle(paid thru an apportioned registration). As well as a federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax. Fuel taxes IIRC amount to some $10,000 a year per truck.
When on has an 8 figure tax bill though, one tends to look at it closely.
Railroads have paid property taxes without protest, but when it’s demonstrably discriminatory as outlined in this story, they must take action to protect their interests. Truckers definitely pay a lot in taxes, but those taxes go to support the highway system (property acquisition, construction, maintenance). Truckers protest loudly when their contributions go to “other” uses. In contrast, the railroads’ property taxes do not come back to support the rail infrastructure.
Railroads do pay a fuel tax. The truckers fuel tax pays only a fraction of the damage they cause.
Why is it that only 1 type of transportation companyis taxed this way? Are airlines taxed on their property this way? What about water transport companies? Charleston has a lot of containers transloading from rail to ship. Seems blatantly discriminatory and certainly arbitrary at the very least.