Meta reportedly calls its AI data centers ‘pilot models’ — its research tax credits jumped from $700M to $3.9B

Getty Images, Shutterstock.com Meta (NASDAQ:META) cut its taxes by $3.9 billion in 2025 with research tax credits, up from $2 billion in 2024 and $700 million in 2023, according to the company's securities filings. A New York Times investigation published Sept. 30 reported that Meta classifies its AI data centers as "pilot models" for tax purposes — the term federal tax rules use for test versions of a product built to resolve open questions during development. The Times cited four people familiar with Meta's operations. Meta uses that label to claim a federal research tax credit on the Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) chips inside the data centers, a practice the Times dates to late 2024. Meta did not immediately respond to Moneywise's request for comment.