Senate Democrats Question Meta’s R&D Credits for AI Data Centers

Seven Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee asked Meta to explain whether Meta’s AI data center expansion qualifies for federal research and experimental (R&E) tax credits, arguing the projects may not fit the program’s purpose.

In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the senators said the credit is intended to support U.S. innovation and frontier research, not routine commercial expenses. They argued that treating Meta’s AI data center expansion as eligible could be a serious misapplication of federal tax law and warrants further investigation.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the committee’s top Democrat, led the letter with six other Democratic members. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., one of the signers, separately wrote IRS Commissioner Frank Bisignano last week seeking information on how Meta and other large technology companies use R&E tax credits.