Jacko's Neverland may have got illegal tax breaks
Michael Jackson may have violated zoning rules on his Neverland Ranch when he claimed a tax break for preserving agricultural land, Santa Barbara County officials have said.
The officials plan to visit Jackson’s home in the Santa Ynez Valley over the next month to investigate whether the singer has broken development rules.
Santa Barbara County supervising planner Larry Appel said he would present the results to the county’s Agricultural Preserve Advisory Committee in April. He is due to report his initial findings tomorrow.
Jackson can develop two of the roughly 2,600 acres on his property for non-agricultural uses and still claim major tax breaks. But Appel said the entertainer used nearly three times that amount.
Neverland’s structures include a guard house, recreational buildings, barns, a playground and amusement rides.
The value of the Neverland Ranch, assessed in 2002-03, was £7.7m (€11.3m) , according to Chris Lyons of the Santa Barbara County Assessor’s Office.
Jackson’s property taxes this year are estimated at about £8,000 (€11,760).
Without the tax break, the property’s value, for tax purposes, would increase by about £3.8m (€5.7m), Lyons said.
If the county finds Jackson violated zoning regulations, he may need to reduce the number of buildings on his ranch or lose the tax break.
