Nevada casinos to get $150 million back from comp meals

Nevada casinos to get $150 million back from comp meals The Nevada Supreme Court will not reconsider its ruling on the case which could bring as much as $150 million back to the state's casinos from the tax coffins. The case, initiated by Sparks Nugget Casino, claimed that the casinos should be exempt from the tax on meals they had offered free to patrons and employees, seeking refund on the taxes already paid. The court in the original opinion agreed, saying no taxable event occurred between the tax-free purchase of the food and when the casino gave the meals away. The tax refund could go as high as $150 million, according to estimates, while Sparks Nugget Casino alone is seeking $1.3 million refund. The state could be liable for as much as one third of the total refund amount, while the local governments and schools would cover the rest. The Nevada Department of Taxation says requests for refunds flooded his agency after the initial decision.

Published on 07/19/2008