Tax Code

President Obama Visits Largest Photovoltaic Plant In U.S. In Nevada

President Obama proclaimed in his 2014 State of the Union address that his “all the above” energy strategy is working. He then directed the focus to one specific renewable energy source, stating the following: “Now, it’s not just oil and natural gas production that’s booming; we’re becoming a global leader in solar too. Every four… Keep reading →

Senate Resumes Deliberations On FY2014 Budget Resolution

As Beltway types rush to make their opinions known on Senator Max Baucus’ energy tax revision proposals before a response deadline at the end of this month, financiers are scrambling to get deals together that can support renewable energy projects already underway. Tax policy has been a major component of energy policy in the US… Keep reading →

Activists Hold Demonstration Against California Big Oil Producers

ExxonMobil’s Ken Cohen highlights the tax payments made by some of the largest US-based oil companies, three of which – Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips – appear in a list of the Top 10 corporate tax payers in 2012 compiled by 24/7 Wall Street.  “In fact, ExxonMobil and Chevron are ranked #1 and #3 respectively, with… Keep reading →

Last-Minute Tax Filers Rush To Finish Returns

Tax reform may not be the sexiest topic, but it’s an extremely important issue for oil and gas companies with strict investment criteria and some of the highest up-front costs of any industry. The words “subsidies” and “incentives” are often mixed up and thrown around in the energy business to either promote or denounce policies… Keep reading →

McConnell And GOP Leaders Discuss Democrats' Health Care Reform Proposal

You’d be forgiven for ignoring the latest round of crisis manufacturing underway in Washington, DC; the current set of politicians in power, like oversized kindergarteners with cable news spots, seem able to operate only by continually threatening to close the government down and walk away. The markets and the citizenry have seen so many rounds… Keep reading →

Obama Nominates New Energy Secretary, New EPA Administrator

The US federal government has long had a hand in guiding development of the country’s energy sector. In some cases, such as the Department of Energy’s role in the early stages of research and development that helped usher in the shale boom, this has been hailed as a success. In others, such as the highly-publicized… Keep reading →


Tax code reform is expected to be high on the US political agenda this year and the issue of tax breaks or subsidies for Big Oil is often tossed around as part of the discussion. However, despite receiving various tax incentives, oil companies pay more in taxes than many other US-based multinational firms.

In their dogged pursuit of sensational headlines, media companies love to make a big deal about the largest US company by market capitalization, a title that ExxonMobil and Apple have traded for the past few years. Exxon recently reported its fourth quarter and full-year 2012 financials and on net income of roughly $45 billion last year, which is slightly higher than Apple’s approximately $42 billion, the oil company paid about twice as much in income taxes. Keep reading →


The US government needs to stop giving subsidies to Big Oil! This is such a common rallying cry that few stop to consider what it really means.

The idea appears simple: Oil companies make so much money the government should not support them. But is the government giving oil companies money? How does the system really work? Keep reading →