Michael Jackson’s ranch got a farm tax break; in 2003, officials found zoo and rides in the program
In 2003, officials found Michael Jackson’s Neverland zoo and rides sat in a farmland tax program, and the exemption on developed land was set to shrink.
Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, a sprawling 2,600-acre property in California, was once home to a zoo, rides, and a lavish house. However, in 2003, it emerged that the property was receiving tax breaks it should not have been entitled to, according to an Associated Press report. The California Williamson Act, a program designed to protect farmland and encourage open space use, allowed local governments to enter agreements with private landowners, providing tax breaks for undeveloped land that adhered to agricultural or related open space uses.
Jackson's ranch was subject to such a contract, which stipulated that he pay lower taxes in exchange for keeping the land in its original condition. The inspection discovered that Jackson's house, amusement park, and zoo were included in the program, despite not fitting the agricultural or open space criteria. After an inspection, county officials were willing to accept Jackson's offer to remove the house, amusement park, and zoo from the farmland program, with the Board of Supervisors expected to approve the request during a closed session.
However, the story ends with the implication that county officials intended to take punitive action in collaboration with the state, as Supervisor Naomi Schwartz expressed the county's aim to preserve as much of the property as possible in agricultural use.
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