Ohio Urges Justices to Reject Garbage Hauler’s Bid for Tax Break

A Republic Services Inc. subsidiary strains the meaning of an Ohio tax exemption in its quest for a $724,000 sales tax refund for fuel used to power garbage truck lifting arms, Ohio’s tax commissioner told the state’s high court.

“Republic’s proposed interpretation takes the plain words of the exemption on a detour far from their intended route,” Ohio Tax Commissioner Patricia Harris argued in a brief filed with the state’s Supreme Court on Tuesday. Republic is seeking to apply the exemption for “items attached to or incorporated in” motor vehicles that taxpayers use to transport the property of others by ...