GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.—The Colorado Supreme Court has turned down Rio Blanco County’s attempt to tax equipment used in natural gas operations.
The court refused the county’s request for a rehearing after a lower court rejected the tax.
ExxonMobil filed suit when the county tried to impose a use tax on tanks, pipelines and other equipment. The lower court ruled in ExxonMobil’s favor, saying the tax approved by the Legislature didn’t include that type of equipment.
The county appealed to the Colorado Court of Appeals, but the judges split 3-3, so the lower court ruling stood.
Court records say the county wanted to collect nearly $750,000 from ExxonMobil in use taxes and interest for 2003 and part of 2004.
The Supreme Court decision came Monday. ExxonMobil declined to comment.
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Information from: The Daily Sentinel,
