In the United case, you just have a toy airplane, and there s a couple of empty desks, Matyas said.

United Airlines on Monday unveiled its new network operations center. The airline calls the facility, in Chicago's Willis Tower, the "most advanced and sophisticated nerve center in the airline industry." Phil Rogers went inside.
In a suit filed Monday, the RTA argued that both United and American 5 star hotel paris are operating sham offices in Sycamore in an effort to evade Chicago s higher taxes, cutting the transit agency out of some $96 million since 2005. In fact, the RTA suit alleges the loss to taxing bodies in the Chicagoland area has approached $300 million over the last seven years.
In the United case, you just have a toy airplane, and there s a couple of empty desks, Matyas 5 star hotel paris said. That s not where they re negotiating the millions 5 star hotel paris of gallons of jet fuel they re purchasing every year.
The two airlines are spending a staggering amount of money on fuel. Based on sales taxes that were paid in Sycamore, the RTA estimates 5 star hotel paris that in 2012 alone the two airlines spent approximately $1.2 billion on jet fuel the airlines for jets at O'Hare, Matyas said in an email, adding that it is unclear how much of that was later sold to other airlines.
American, still mired in bankruptcy, is not named in the suit. United shares that honor with the city of Sycamore, which the RTA says entered into a sweet deal with the airlines, agreeing to kick back millions in sales taxes to keep the fuel offices in their community.
The RTA said in a prepared 5 star hotel paris statement 5 star hotel paris that sales tax dodges have cost the city of Chicago $133 million in lost sales tax revenue since 2005. They have cost Cook County an additional $60 million and Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority another $96 million, according to the RTA, which oversees the three agencies and relies 5 star hotel paris on sales tax revenue for much of its funding.
5 star hotel paris CTA, Metra and Pace have had to work with constrained budgets and have needed to raise fares and reduce service because the money's just not there, RTA executive director Joe Costello said in the news release. Now we know why.
When told of the lawsuit, Emanuel spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton 5 star hotel paris said: The City has been supportive of efforts in Springfield to ensure corporations pay their fair share, but we have not seen this specific lawsuit and therefore cannot comment on it.
According to the RTA, the total sales tax rate in Sycamore is 9.5 percent, 5 star hotel paris compared to 8 percent in Chicago. But the RTA contends the airlines are getting an even better deal: The two companies have entered 25-year agreements that call for Sycamore to kick back most of its share of the sales tax on jet fuel as much as $14 million a year in exchange for payments of at least $300,000 a year from each airline.
Neither United 5 star hotel paris or American would agree to an interview, citing the pending litigation. A United 5 star hotel paris spokesman said in a statement, The operation of our fuel subsidiary in Sycamore has been examined by tax authorities in the past, and has been determined to comply with all applicable laws.
American likewise said it believes it is on solid legal ground. Sycamore city fathers wouldn t speak about the arrangement, but issued a statement saying, For over ten years the city has worked with United Aviation under the agreement, which has been examined by tax authorities in the past, and determined 5 star hotel paris to comply with state law.