'We never applied or received anything,' Questions remain after state says OKC taco shop claimed over $238,000,000 in tax credits
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – One small taco shop in Oklahoma City claimed nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in tax credits, according to the state’s online database.
Tacos San Pedro is listed, with big corporations like OG&E and Phillips 66, on a state website that tracks companies that claimed tax credits. According to that database, the company claimed $238,578,500 for Fiscal Year 2021.
The specific credit is for Investments/New Jobs New Tax Credit Package.
“This tax credit provides growing manufacturers with a substantial tax credit based on either an investment in depreciable property or on the addition of full-time-equivalent employees engaged in manufacturing, processing or aircraft maintenance,” described the website.
The taco shop has one location, valued around $264,000, and when we walked in on Monday, there were under a dozen employees.
“We never applied or received anything,” said Eva Gil, co-owner of Tacos San Pedro, in a text message.
The company’s claim is the largest one under that credit type.
How the company made the list is still undetermined.
“The OTC [Oklahoma Tax Commission] is not at liberty to divulge any of the specifics surrounding this confidential taxpayer information,” said Emily Haxton, Public Information and Press Liaison.
Haxton added in the statement that without “a waiver of confidentiality from the taxpayer, we cannot provide any further information pertaining to this matter.”
KFOR asked Eva Gil in a phone conversation if she had intentions to sign a waiver to reveal more information about the application process.
Gil said she hadn’t contacted the OTC yet but planned on it this week.
Nowhere on the state’s websites does it show if companies qualified for the credit or if they were paid out by the state.
“Please note that this is a list of taxpayers who have claimed a particular tax credit and not necessarily a verified list of taxpayers who have accurately claimed the tax credit pursuant to the applicable provisions of state law,” said Haxton.