Amended in Senate March 16, 2015

Senate Bill No. 152

Introduced by Senator begin delete Huff end delete begin insert Vidak end insert

February 2, 2015

An act to begin delete amend Section 17003 of end delete begin insert add and repeal Section 17052.1 of end insert the Revenue and Taxation Code, relating to taxation begin insert , to take effect immediately, tax levy end insert .

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 152, as amended, begin delete Huff end delete   begin insert Vidak end insert . Personal income begin delete taxes. end delete begin insert taxes: earned income credit. end insert

The Personal Income Tax Law begin delete imposes taxes on income and provides a definition for the Franchise Tax Board for purposes of that law end delete begin insert allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including certain credits that are allowed in modified conformity to credits allowed by federal income tax laws end insert .

This begin delete bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that definition end delete begin insert bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, and before January 1, 2023, would allow a credit to a qualified taxpayer, as defined, computed by multiplying the federal earned income credit amount, as defined, by 15%. The bill would provide that the credit amount in excess of the qualified taxpayer’s liability would be paid to the qualified taxpayer upon appropriation by the Legislature. This bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to submit a report to the Legislature, beginning January 1, 2017, and each January 1 thereafter, until January 1, 2023, regarding the credit, as provided end insert .

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This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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begin insert The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following: end insert

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(a) California has the fifth largest Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) cash grant in the nation, and the second
largest amongst the 10 largest states, yet poverty remains a
persistent problem.

end insert begin insert

(b) In its Supplemental Poverty Measure report for the year
2013, released in October 2014, the United States Census Bureau
reported California’s rate of poverty to be 23.4%. This rate is the
highest among all 50 states.

end insert begin insert

(c) Using census data released in September 2014, the
California Budget Project reported that the economic recovery
from the Great Recession has largely bypassed low- and
middle-income Californians, with the bottom three-fifths of the
income distribution experiencing stagnating income gains. This
is contrasted with the top one-fifth of the income distribution
experiencing gains of 52.4%.

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(d) According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO),
evidence from academic studies suggests that the federal Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC) increases paid work participation to
be higher than if the federal EITC did not exist.

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(e) The LAO further states that the federal EITC also reduces
poverty to some extent for tens of millions of people.

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(f) The federal EITC has historically had a high level of
improper payments to people who claimed a bigger credit than
that for which they were eligible. As the federal EITC is a proven
antipoverty measure that encourages work, California should
adopt its own version of the EITC that includes appropriate
enforcement activities to reduce improper payments.

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begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

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begin insert Section 17052.1 is added to the end insert begin insert Revenue and Taxation
Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 17052.1. end insert   

(a) For each taxable year beginning on or after
January 1, 2016, and before January 1, 2023, there shall be
allowed to a qualified taxpayer a credit against the “net tax,” as
defined by Section 17039, an amount computed by multiplying the
federal earned income credit amount, as defined in subdivision
(b), by 15 percent.

(b) (1) For purposes of this section, except as provided in
paragraph (2), “federal earned income credit amount” means the
amount determined under Section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code,
as amended by Section 1002(a) of Public Law 111-5, as amended
by Section 219(a)(2) of Public Law 111-226, as amended by
Section 103(c) of Public Law 111-312, and as amended by Section
103(c) of Public Law 112-240.

(2) For each taxable year beginning on or after January 1,
2017, and before January 1, 2023, the Franchise Tax Board shall
recompute the amounts prescribed in Section 32(b) of the Internal
Revenue Code, relating to amounts, and Section 32(i) of the
Internal Revenue Code, relating to denial of credit for individuals
having excessive investment income. That computation shall be
made as follows:

(A) The California Department of Industrial Relations shall
transmit annually to the Franchise Tax Board the percentage
change in the California Consumer Price Index for all items from
June of the prior calendar year to June of the current calendar
year, no later than August 1 of the current calendar year.

(B) The Franchise Tax Board shall do both of the following:

(i) Compute an inflation adjustment factor by adding 100
percent to the percentage change figure that is furnished pursuant
to subparagraph (A) and dividing the result by 100.

(ii) Multiply the preceding taxable year income tax brackets by
the inflation adjustment factor determined in clause (i) and round
off the resulting products to the nearest one dollar ($1).

(c) For purposes of this section, “qualified taxpayer” means
an individual who is eligible for a credit, for federal income tax
purposes, under Section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code, as
amended by Section 1002(a) of Public Law 111-5, as amended by
Section 219(a)(2) of Public Law 111-226, as amended by Section
103(c) of Public Law 111-312, and as amended by Section 103(c)
of Public Law 112-240, for the taxable year in which the credit
allowed under this section is claimed, and who is legally working
in the state and possesses a valid social security number, legal
work authorization, or taxpayer’s identification number.

(d) Any simple error shall be treated as a mathematical error
appearing on the return.

(e) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) in the case where
the credit allowed under this section exceeds “net tax,” the excess
credit may be carried over to reduce the “net tax” in the following
taxable year, and succeeding taxable years, if necessary, until the
credit is exhausted.

(2) If the amount allowable as a credit under this section exceeds
the tax liability computed under this part, the excess shall be
credited against other amounts due, if any, and the balance, if any,
shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be paid from the
General Fund and refunded to the qualified taxpayer.

(3) Any amount paid to a qualified taxpayer pursuant to this
section shall not be included in income subject to tax under this
part.

(f) The credit allowed by this section may be claimed only on a
timely filed original return of the qualified taxpayer. The
determinations of the Franchise Tax Board with respect to the
date a return has been received by the Franchise Tax Board for
purposes of this subdivision may not be reviewed in any
administrative or judicial proceeding.

(g) Notwithstanding any other law, and to the extent permitted
by federal law, amounts paid pursuant to subdivision (e) shall be
treated the same as the federal earned income credit amount for
the purpose of determining eligibility to receive benefits under
Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and
Institutions Code or amounts of those benefits.

(h) For purposes of this section, the Franchise Tax Board shall
do the following:

(1) Administer enforcement activities to address improper
payments.

(2) Collaborate with the Employment Development Department
to develop criteria for, and a process to verify, taxpayer income
information using wage and withholding data.

(3) Establish criteria for, and a process to identify, high-risk
returns. High-risk returns may be subject to increased verification
procedures and payments pursuant to this section may be
suspended until the information is verified.

(4) (A) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government
Code, beginning January 1, 2017, and each January 1 thereafter,
until January 1, 2023, the Franchise Tax Board shall submit a
report on the use of the credit described in subdivision (a) to the
Legislature. The report shall include information regarding the
eligibility for the credit, use of the credit, and information
regarding improper payments.

(B) A report submitted pursuant to this paragraph shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.

(i) The Franchise Tax Board may prescribe rules, guidelines,
or procedures necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes
of this section. 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 rule, guideline, or procedure prescribed by the
Franchise Tax Board pursuant to this section.

(j) Section 41 does not apply to the credit allowed by this
section.

(k) This section shall remain in effect only until December 1,
2023, and as of that date is repealed.

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begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

This act provides for a tax levy within the meaning of
Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect.

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SECTION 1.  

Section 17003 of the Revenue and Taxation Code
is amended to read:

17003.  

“Franchise Tax Board” means the Franchise Tax Board
described in Part 10 (commencing with Section 15700) of Division
3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. “Board” means the State
Board of Equalization.

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