Oil Industry Gains Billions of Dollars in Government Subsidies

Oil Industry Gains Billions of Dollars in Government Subsidies


Oil industry lobbyists are decrying a proposed new tax on the industry to pay for the cleanup of the Gulf of Mexico disaster—while at the same time their clients reap huge subsidies from the federal government.

An investigation by The New York Times led to the conclusion that the oil industry is “among the most heavily subsidized businesses, with tax breaks available at virtually every stage of the exploration and extraction process.”

For instance, BP was able to write off 70% of the cost of leasing the Deepwater Horizon oil platform from owner Transocean.

A report by the Congressional Budget Office from 2005 showed the industry pays about 9% tax on oil field leases and drilling equipment—“significantly lower than the overall rate of 25% for businesses in general and lower than virtually any other industry, wrote The New York Times.

Total tax breaks for the oil industry average $4 billion a year.

http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/Oil_Industry_Gains_Billions_of_Dollars_in_Government_Subsidies_100707

who am I kidding--

in Washington just fed up with it all?