New Jersey Town Takes Verizon to Court for Unpaid Taxes

By Joseph M. Donegan

Verizon may soon be required to pay one New Jersey town hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes if the court rules that an old statute no longer applies.

West Milford is filing a tax appeal against telecom giant Verizon for $194,000 in unpaid taxes, which the company says it does not owe due to a New Jersey tax law provision that exempts telecommunications agencies that do not hold a majority presence from paying taxes, according to NorthJersey.com. The company began its tax rescission strategy in 2008, and contacted 31 towns in New Jersey to inform them that the company would stop paying business property tax payments under the statute.