The highest business taxpayer in town doesn’t have a huge storefront or sales galore. Instead, the merchant paying the highest property taxes, Texas Eastern Transmission, runs miles of natural gas pipeline underground.

The pipeline company, which is part of Spectra Energy, paid about $1,329,579.08 in taxes in 2011, for seven locations in town that are designated vacant land, industrial and commercial properties.

The lack of storefront businesses on the town’s highest commercial taxpayers list is a trend that extends to many of the spots on the list with many industrial locations included.

The second highest business taxpayer in town, KD Hillsborough 44A, Inc., which owns the Hillsborough Promenade complex on Route 206 and Falcon Road, is one of two traditional storefront locations on the list. The complex is home to Kohl’s, Lowes and HomeGoods big-box stores. Meanwhile, smaller retailers—including branches of girl’s clothing store chain Justice, GameStop, Payless Shoes and, until January 2012, Learning Express Toys—occupy other spots in the shopping center.  According to the township’s tax documents, the group pays $892,936.32 in taxes.

The other traditional storefront location, Nelson’s Corner Associates, on Amwell Road and Route 206, paid about $481,745.81 in taxes in 2011, according to the Township Tax Assessor. It occupies the fifth spot on the list, behind Reckitt Benckiser Inc., which pays $498,434.81 in taxes. The household cleaner, healthcare and hygiene manufacturer operates a plant on Homestead Road.

Two apartment complexes, Beekman Gardens Associates, on Gemini Drive, and Hillsborough Gardens Associates, on Triangle Road and Farm Road, paid $456,492.02 and $414,215.3 in property taxes in 2011.

Duke Farms, operated by the Duke Farms Foundation, has property on River, Road, Roycefield Road, Dukes Parkway East and West, New Center Road and Beekman Lane, that claim the last spot on the list. It paid $339,860 in taxes in 2011.