Amazon makes case for how it’s helped Seattle

Amazon is adding up its contributions to Seattle’s economy, after releasing 25 years of data.

Report: Amazon moving entire operations team to Bellevue

The Puget Sound Business Journal detailed the various contributions. That includes $4.5 billion “in capital investment” in business and infrastructure, $135 million in donations to nonprofits fighting homelessness, and $79 million in regional public transit provided through employee benefits.

The company also says it has contributed more than $32 billion dollars in income to local employees, and been responsible for a $25 billion dollar increase in income for non-Amazon employees.

The Journal says this information could help Amazon convince Seattle City Council that the private sector is making major contributions to the community, to help with some of the city’s biggest problems.

In February, the company caught flack from both sides of the aisle for paying $0 on $11.2 billion of profits.

“I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!” President Trump Tweeted.

How Bellevue wooed Amazon over to the Eastside

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders agreed, calling Amazon’s $0 tax bill “insane.”

In the months since, Amazon has argued that its contributions to the community go beyond tax dollars, outlined in the recent data released by the company. It also reportedly donated $200,000 to a Seattle committee that’s been active in contributing financially to city council campaigns since 2013.