#ncga: Tax trickery for the solar goons?
They dump tons of money on legislators. In return, they get all kinds of cash for planting unsightly solar panels across the countryside and pumping up our utility bills. Now, 
thanks to Jimmy Dixon, John Bell, Brenden Jones, and Pat McElraft, the solar goons are getting a tax hit on their solar panels. (Or ARE they?)
Here’s HB 171 :
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO CHANGE THE PROPERTY TAX EXCLUSION FOR SOLAR ENERGY ELECTRIC SYSTEMS. The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: SECTION 1. G.S. 105-275(45) reads as rewritten: Ҥ 105-275. Property classified and excluded from the tax base. The following classes of property are designated special classes under Article V, Sec. 2(2), of the North Carolina Constitution and are excluded from tax:
… (45)
Eighty percent (80%)Sixty percent (60%) of the appraised value of a solar energy electric system. For purposes of this subdivision, the term “solar energy electric system” means all equipment used directly and exclusively for the conversion of solar energy to electricity.”SECTION 2. This act becomes effective July 1, 2017, and applies to taxes imposed 15 for taxable years beginning on or after that date.
Then along comes HB172 — sponsored by Jimmy Dixon, John Bell, Jeff Collins and Mark Brody:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO INCLUDE CERTAIN SOLAR ENERGY PROPERTY AS NONSYSTEM PROPERTY.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: SECTION 1. G.S. 105-333(12) reads as rewritten: Ҥ 105-333. Definitions. The following definitions apply in this Article unless the context requires a different meaning:
… (12) Nonsystem property. – The real and tangible personal property owned by a public service company but not used in its public service activities.
Real and personal property used directly and exclusively for the conversion of solar energy to electricity shall be treated as nonsystem property.”
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective July 1, 2017, and applies to taxes imposed for taxable years beginning on or after that date.
I sure didn’t know that these people were only paying tax on 20 percent of their equipment’s value. No wonder these solar panels are sprouting like mushrooms across the countryside.
Part of me wants to think this is unfavorable to the solar goons. But with our buddy Jimmy Dixon — a favorite of the solar goons — right in the middle of all of it, my spidey-sense is tingling. *SOMETHING is up, here.*
If Chris Millis did not sign on to this I know its a scam. He is the biggest opponent of solar subsidies in Raleigh. If this was good news he would have been on it.
That is correct on Millis. If he is not for this, it stinks.
The prostitution of some of the RINO legislators to the corrupt liberal special interest like the solar goons is a huge black mark on the GOP. They need bullseyes on them for the next primary. Taxpayers are being ripped off to put money into the corrupt pockets of this special interest. There is no good reason that these solar bandits should not be paying their full taxes. Their overpriced product is driving up the electric bills of the average Joe as it is.
The NCGOP platform opposes these subsidies to these corrupt special wind and solar special interests. These ”Republicans” are no better than Democrats.