Transparency of Tennessee business tax refund law in question

AT&T was among the corporations getting tax rebates from the state of Tennessee. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

Tennessee’s newly-released listing of companies netting a business tax refund creates the appearance of transparency without providing the public a true picture, according to an open government advocate.

Deborah Fisher, executive director of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, said Tuesday the information posted May 31 on the Department of Revenue website should contain more exact amounts of refunds to the 60,000 companies that received an estimated total of $1.5 billion. The lists also should remain available for more than 30 days because removal lends itself to “secrecy,” Fisher said.

When lawmakers passed the Republican-backed measure in 2024 at the request