From Local 3 News: A Tennessee lawmaker is proposing a three-year pause on new data center tax exemption certificates while the state works to improve how it tracks the financial impact of those exemptions.
State Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) says she plans to file the bill for the 2027 legislative session.
The proposal would require the Tennessee Department of Revenue to report the total cost of the exemptions each year, identify facilities receiving them and provide information on compliance and revoked exemptions.
Under current state law (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-6-206), qualified data centers can receive sales tax exemptions on certain computer equipment, repair services, and backup power infrastructure. They can also purchase electricity at a reduced 1.5% tax rate after investing at least $100 million and creating 15 full-time jobs.
Behn's office says the Department of Revenue and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development confirmed there are currently 25 active data center exemption certificates statewide.
The departments also said they do not track how much revenue the state has lost through the sales tax exemption.
“It’s time Tennessee started caring about Tennesseans as much as it cares about data centers,” said Behn. “We’re handing multi-million-dollar corporations an exemption our Department of Revenue can’t quantify due to inaction from the Legislature, while working people in this state are struggling to pay for groceries.”
Behn is also inviting the public to a free community event about the impact of data centers on Thursday, September 10, from 6 to 8:00pm at the Scarritt Bennett Center’s Harambee Auditorium in Nashville.
State Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) says she plans to file the bill for the 2027 legislative session.
The proposal would require the Tennessee Department of Revenue to report the total cost of the exemptions each year, identify facilities receiving them and provide information on compliance and revoked exemptions.
Under current state law (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-6-206), qualified data centers can receive sales tax exemptions on certain computer equipment, repair services, and backup power infrastructure. They can also purchase electricity at a reduced 1.5% tax rate after investing at least $100 million and creating 15 full-time jobs.
Behn's office says the Department of Revenue and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development confirmed there are currently 25 active data center exemption certificates statewide.
The departments also said they do not track how much revenue the state has lost through the sales tax exemption.
“It’s time Tennessee started caring about Tennesseans as much as it cares about data centers,” said Behn. “We’re handing multi-million-dollar corporations an exemption our Department of Revenue can’t quantify due to inaction from the Legislature, while working people in this state are struggling to pay for groceries.”
Behn is also inviting the public to a free community event about the impact of data centers on Thursday, September 10, from 6 to 8:00pm at the Scarritt Bennett Center’s Harambee Auditorium in Nashville.
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