Assessor Loses Latest Bid to Tax Satellites

The Los Angeles County assessor was rebuffed a second time by state tax officials Wednesday in his effort to tax satellites parked 22,300 miles above the equator.

The state Board of Equalization voted 5 to 0 for a rule that bans local and state government from imposing property taxes on satellites in space. The move affirmed a 5-0 vote by the board in July, before public hearings were held.

The ruling came after Los Angeles County Assessor Rick Auerbach sought legal advice on whether he could assess property taxes on several satellites made by El Segundo-based Hughes Electronics. Such a tax could have generated millions of dollars each year for the county, and Auerbach argued that satellites are the same as other movable, taxable property such as boats and construction equipment.