Apple reportedly building $1 billion server farm

North Carolina’s government is reportedly promising tax breaks to Apple in return for building a large server farm, eventually worth $1 billion, within the East coast state. A “state official” has told the Charlotte Observer that a bill nearing approval that would bend tax rules for a single, unnamed company are actually meant to accommodate a specific Apple project, which might otherwise be located in another state. The deal would give the tax breaks to companies with a minority market share in North Carolina, but with a disproportionately large amount of property and staff located in the region. Apple would stand to save as much as $46 million in the space of 10 years but, in return, would have to invest $1 billion within nine years and locate itself in one of the state’s poorer counties; Catawba and Cleveland counties are on the short list. – From Apple Insider