Indiana Tax Court Upheld Nestle Facility Assessments

A judge has affirmed property tax assessments for a Madison County facility after a multi-year dispute with Nestle.

Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Manufacturing

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing a simplified geometric industrial facade, representing the structural clarity of a recent court ruling on tax assessments. — The Indiana Tax Court has ruled in favor of Madison County, affirming property tax valuations for a manufacturing facility owned by Nestle USA Inc. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Indiana Tax Court has ruled against Nestle USA Inc. regarding property tax valuations for its manufacturing facility in Madison County. Judge Justin L. McAdam upheld decisions that favor the county assessor's figures over those proposed by the company.

Why it matters

The ruling provides legal clarity on property valuation disputes between major industrial manufacturers and local tax authorities. It confirms the Indiana Board of Tax Review's authority to validate assessor figures over taxpayer-proposed valuations.

The disputed assessments for the coffee creamer manufacturing facility ranged from $48.6 million to $54.2 million set by the Madison County Assessor. Nestle had argued for valuations between $32 million and $33.9 million.

The players

Nestle USA Inc.

This is a major multinational food and beverage corporation that operates a coffee creamer manufacturing facility in Madison County.

Justin L. McAdam

He is the Indiana Tax Court judge who authored the opinion upholding the property tax assessments against the company.

Indiana Board of Tax Review

This is the state-level administrative body that initially reviewed the assessments and whose findings were affirmed by the court.

The details

Judge Justin L. McAdam rejected arguments presented by Nestle and affirmed the Indiana Board of Tax Review's decision to maintain higher valuation figures. The court's order effectively solidifies the tax assessments across the six-year period from 2018 through 2023.

The tax years under dispute spanned from 2018 to 2023.
The Indiana Tax Court judge issued the ruling on September 23, 2026.

Market Landscape

This ruling highlights the ongoing tension between industrial corporations and local governments over property tax valuations. It signals a trend where courts are deferring to established tax board methodologies when reviewing industrial facility assessments.

The ruling confirms that the higher tax assessments for the facility will stand, which impacts the county tax base. Residents and local businesses may see stability in regional tax revenue as a result of the court's decision.

The takeaway

Large industrial facilities remain subject to state-validated tax assessment figures when disputes cannot be settled through negotiation. Companies often engage in multi-year litigation to challenge such valuations, but this case underscores the difficulty of overturning board-affirmed assessor data.