Disney is suing over its property tax assessments — again

Image via AP.

Some things in this world are certain, like death and Disney fighting its taxes.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts recently filed a dozen lawsuits to appeal the 2022 property tax assessments done by the Orange County property appraiser.

It’s the second time this year Disney has turned to the courts to fight its tax bill. Disney, which has contested its property assessments in court for years, filed a series of lawsuits six months ago over the assessments for several resorts and administrative spaces.

In the newest round of Orange County lawsuits from this month, Disney argued against the property appraiser’s methodology for the assessments at the four theme parks, multiple resorts and some of Disney’s other buildings.

“The Appraiser failed  to comply with … Florida Statutes and professionally accepted appraisal practices in assessing the Subject Property. … The Appraiser has included the value of certain intangible property in the Assessments,” Disney said in court documents which didn’t provide details about what The Mouse claimed was done improperly.

In 2022, Epcot was assessed at about $521 million, Hollywood Studios at $479 million, the Magic Kingdom at $467 million and Animal Kingdom at $387 million, according to court documents.

Disney said it has fully paid the 2022 tax bills as it fights the assessments. Disney submitted its tax bills, which, for the No. 1 park in the world, the Magic Kingdom, was $12.8 million if paid by Nov. 30. Epcot’s tax bill was $14.3 million.

For Disney theme parks, 2022 was a banner year financially, with then-company CEO Bob Chapek praising the record financial results last month before he was ousted a short time later. The Disney Parks, Experiences and Products division reported $7.9 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter.

Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story.

Orange County’s previous Property Appraiser, Rick Singh, had said Disney was historically undervalued.

“It’s a matter of being fair and equitable,” Singh told the Associated Press in 2017. “If the single mother who is working two jobs has to be held accountable to pay her fair share, so should everybody else.”

Singh, who also dealt with well-publicized scandals in office, was later voted out of office and Amy Mercado took over as the new Appraiser in 2021.

Mercado has shown a willingness to make deals with Disney.

Last year, she reached a settlement with Disney that refunded the company about $9 million for the 2015-2020 tax bills for the four theme parks as well as several smaller properties including the Transportation and Ticket Center, the Wedding Pavilion at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Fantasia Fairways Miniature Golf Course.

Mercado’s office declined to comment Friday, but she said last year, “The whole purpose of our office, regardless of who is in it, is fair, equitable and just values. It doesn’t matter who the owners are. What I believe we need to do is remove all the political noise that has occurred throughout the years and give everyone, every property owner, their fair shake.”