BILL NUMBER: SB 228 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Senator Wyland
FEBRUARY 9, 2011
An act to repeal and amend Section 17053.80 of the Revenue and
Taxation Code, relating to taxation.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 228, as introduced, Wyland. Income tax: credit: small
businesses.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the
taxes imposed by those laws, including a credit in an amount equal
to $3,000, prorated as provided, for each full-time employee hired
during the taxable year by a qualified employer, as defined.
This bill would repeal a duplicative provision in the Personal
Income Tax Law and make a technical, nonsubstantive change in the
remaining provision.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 17053.80 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, as
added by Section 3 of Chapter 10 of the 3rd Extraordinary Session of
the Statutes of 2009, is repealed.
17053.80. (a) For each taxable year beginning on or after January
1, 2009, there shall be allowed as a credit against the "net tax,"
as defined in Section 17039, three thousand dollars ($3,000) for each
net increase in qualified full-time employees, as specified in
subdivision (c), hired during the taxable year by a qualified
employer.
(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Acquired" includes any gift, inheritance, transfer incident
to divorce, or any other transfer, whether or not for consideration.
(2) "Qualified full-time employee" means:
(A) A qualified employee who was paid qualified wages by the
qualified employer for services of not less than an average of 35
hours per week.
(B) A qualified employee who was a salaried employee and was paid
compensation during the taxable year for full-time employment, within
the meaning of Section 515 of the Labor Code, by the qualified
employer.
(3) A "qualified employee" shall not include any of the following:
(A) An employee certified as a qualified employee in an enterprise
zone designated in accordance with Chapter 12.8 (commencing with
Section 7070) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code.
(B) An employee certified as a qualified disadvantaged individual
in a manufacturing enhancement area designated in accordance with
Section 7073.8 of the Government Code.
(C) An employee certified as a qualified employee in a targeted
tax area designated in accordance with Section 7097 of the Government
Code.
(D) An employee certified as a qualified disadvantaged individual
or a qualified displaced employee in a local agency military base
recovery area (LAMBRA) designated in accordance with Chapter 12.97
(commencing with Section 7105) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the
Government Code.
(E) An employee whose wages are included in calculating any other
credit allowed under this part.
(4) "Qualified employer" means a taxpayer that, as of the last day
of the preceding taxable year, employed a total of 20 or fewer
employees.
(5) "Qualified wages" means wages subject to Division 6
(commencing with Section 13000) of the Unemployment Insurance Code.
(6) "Annual full-time equivalent" means either of the following:
(A) In the case of a full-time employee paid hourly qualified
wages, "annual full-time equivalent" means the total number of hours
worked for the taxpayer by the employee (not to exceed 2,000 hours
per employee) divided by 2,000.
(B) In the case of a salaried full-time employee, "annual
full-time equivalent" means the total number of weeks worked for the
taxpayer by the employee divided by 52.
(c) The net increase in qualified full-time employees of a
qualified employer shall be determined as provided by this
subdivision:
(1) (A) The net increase in qualified full-time employees shall be
determined on an annual full-time equivalent basis by subtracting
from the amount determined in subparagraph (C) the amount determined
in subparagraph (B).
(B) The total number of qualified full-time employees employed in
the preceding taxable year by the taxpayer and by any trade or
business acquired by the taxpayer during the current taxable year.
(C) The total number of full-time employees employed in the
current taxable year by the taxpayer and by any trade or business
acquired during the current taxable year.
(2) For taxpayers who first commence doing business in this state
during the taxable year, the number of full-time employees for the
immediately preceding prior taxable year shall be zero.
(d) In the case where the credit allowed by this section exceeds
the "net tax," the excess may be carried over to reduce the "net tax"
in the following year, and succeeding seven years if necessary,
until the credit is exhausted.
(e) Any deduction otherwise allowed under this part for qualified
wages shall not be reduced by the amount of the credit allowed under
this section.
(f) For purposes of this section:
(1) All employees of the trades or businesses that are treated as
related under either Section 267, 318, or 707 of the Internal Revenue
Code shall be treated as employed by a single taxpayer.
(2) In determining whether the taxpayer has first commenced doing
business in this state during the taxable year, the provisions of
subdivision (f) of Section 17276, without application of paragraph
(7) of that subdivision, shall apply.
(g) (1) (A) Credit under this section and Section 23623 shall be
allowed only for credits claimed on timely filed original returns
received by the Franchise Tax Board on or before the cut-off date
established by the Franchise Tax Board.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the cut-off date shall be the
last day of the calendar quarter within which the Franchise Tax Board
estimates it will have received timely filed original returns
claiming credits under this section and Section 23623 that
cumulatively total four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000) for
all taxable years.
(2) The date a return is received shall be determined by the
Franchise Tax Board.
(3) (A) The determinations of the Franchise Tax Board with respect
to the cut-off date, the date a return is received, and whether a
return has been timely filed for purposes of this subdivision may not
be reviewed in any administrative or judicial proceeding
(B) Any disallowance of a credit claimed due to a determination
under this subdivision, including the application of the limitation
specified in paragraph (1), shall be treated as a mathematical error
appearing on the return. Any amount of tax resulting from such
disallowance may be assessed by the Franchise Tax Board in the same
manner as provided by Section 19051.
(4) The Franchise Tax Board shall periodically provide notice on
its Web site with respect to the amount of credit under this section
and Section 23623 claimed on timely filed original returns received
by the Franchise Tax Board.
(h) (1) The Franchise Tax Board may prescribe rules, guidelines or
procedures necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of
this section, including any guidelines regarding the limitation on
total credits allowable under this section and Section 23623 and
guidelines necessary to avoid the application of paragraph (2) of
subdivision (f) through split-ups, shell corporations, partnerships,
tiered ownership structures, or otherwise.
(2) Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of
Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code does not apply to any
standard, criterion, procedure, determination, rule, notice, or
guideline established or issued by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant
to this section.
(i) This section shall remain in effect only until December 1 of
the calendar year after the year of the cut-off date, and as of that
December 1 is repealed.
SEC. 2. Section 17053.80 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, as
added by Section 3 of Chapter 17 of the 3rd Extraordinary Session of
the Statutes of 2009, is amended to read:
17053.80. (a) For each taxable year beginning on or after January
1, 2009, there shall be allowed as a credit against the "net tax,"
as defined in Section 17039, three thousand dollars ($3,000) for each
net increase in qualified full-time employees, as specified in
subdivision (c), hired during the taxable year by a qualified
employer.
(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Acquired" includes any gift, inheritance, transfer incident
to divorce, or any other transfer, whether or not for consideration.
(2) "Qualified full-time employee" means:
(A) A qualified employee who was paid qualified wages by the
qualified employer for services of not less than an average of 35
hours per week.
(B) A qualified employee who was a salaried employee and was paid
compensation during the taxable year for full-time employment, within
the meaning of Section 515 of the Labor Code, by the qualified
employer.
(3) A "qualified employee" shall not include any of the following:
(A) An employee certified as a qualified employee in an enterprise
zone designated in accordance with Chapter 12.8 (commencing with
Section 7070) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code.
(B) An employee certified as a qualified disadvantaged individual
in a manufacturing enhancement area designated in accordance with
Section 7073.8 of the Government Code.
(C) An employee certified as a qualified employee in a targeted
tax area designated in accordance with Section 7097 of the Government
Code.
(D) An employee certified as a qualified disadvantaged individual
or a qualified displaced employee in a local agency military base
recovery area (LAMBRA) designated in accordance with Chapter 12.97
(commencing with Section 7105) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the
Government Code.
(E) An employee whose wages are included in calculating any other
credit allowed under this part.
(4) "Qualified employer" means a taxpayer that, as of the last day
of the preceding taxable year, employed a total of 20 or fewer
employees.
(5) "Qualified wages" means wages subject to Division 6
(commencing with Section 13000) of the Unemployment Insurance Code.
(6) "Annual full-time equivalent" means either of the following:
(A) In the case of a full-time employee paid hourly qualified
wages, "annual full-time equivalent" means the total number of hours
worked for the taxpayer by the employee (not to exceed 2,000 hours
per employee) divided by 2,000.
(B) In the case of a salaried full-time employee, "annual
full-time equivalent" means the total number of weeks worked for the
taxpayer by the employee divided by 52.
(c) The net increase in qualified full-time employees of a
qualified employer shall be determined as provided by this
subdivision:
(1) (A) The net increase in qualified full-time employees shall be
determined on an annual full-time equivalent basis by subtracting
from the amount determined in subparagraph (C) the amount determined
in subparagraph (B).
(B) The total number of qualified full-time employees employed in
the preceding taxable year by the taxpayer and by any trade or
business acquired by the taxpayer during the current taxable year.
(C) The total number of full-time employees employed in the
current taxable year by the taxpayer and by any trade or business
acquired during the current taxable year.
(2) For taxpayers who first commence doing business in this state
during the taxable year, the number of full-time employees for the
immediately preceding prior taxable year shall be zero.
(d) In the case where the credit allowed by this section exceeds
the "net tax," the excess may be carried over to reduce the "net tax"
in the following year, and succeeding seven years if necessary,
until the credit is exhausted.
(e) Any deduction otherwise allowed under this part for qualified
wages shall not be reduced by the amount of the credit allowed under
this section.
(f) For purposes of this section:
(1) All employees of the trades or businesses that are treated as
related under either Section 267, 318, or 707 of the Internal Revenue
Code shall be treated as employed by a single taxpayer.
(2) In determining whether the taxpayer has first commenced doing
business in this state during the taxable year, the provisions of
subdivision (f) of Section 17276, without application of paragraph
(7) of that subdivision, shall apply.
(g) (1) (A) Credit under this section and Section 23623 shall be
allowed only for credits claimed on timely filed original returns
received by the Franchise Tax Board on or before the cut-off date
established by the Franchise Tax Board.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the cut-off date shall be the
last day of the calendar quarter within which the Franchise Tax Board
estimates it will have received timely filed original returns
claiming credits under this section and Section 23623 that
cumulatively total four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000) for
all taxable years.
(2) The date a return is received shall be determined by the
Franchise Tax Board.
(3) (A) The determinations of the Franchise Tax Board with respect
to the cut-off date, the date a return is received, and whether a
return has been timely filed for purposes of this subdivision may not
be reviewed in any administrative or judicial proceeding
(B) Any disallowance of a credit claimed due to a determination
under this subdivision, including the application of the limitation
specified in paragraph (1), shall be treated as a mathematical error
appearing on the return. Any amount of tax resulting from such
disallowance may be assessed by the Franchise Tax Board in the same
manner as provided by Section 19051.
(4) The Franchise Tax Board shall periodically provide notice on
its Web site with respect to the amount of credit under this section
and Section 23623 claimed on timely filed original returns received
by the Franchise Tax Board.
(h) (1) The Franchise Tax Board may prescribe rules, guidelines
, or procedures necessary or appropriate to carry out the
purposes of this section, including any guidelines regarding the
limitation on total credits allowable under this section and Section
23623 and guidelines necessary to avoid the application of paragraph
(2) of subdivision (f) through split-ups, shell corporations,
partnerships, tiered ownership structures, or otherwise.
(2) Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of
Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code does not apply to any
standard, criterion, procedure, determination, rule, notice, or
guideline established or issued by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant
to this section.
(i) This section shall remain in effect only until December 1 of
the calendar year after the year of the cut-off date, and as of that
December 1 is repealed.