SB2748 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB099 18723 HLH 43107 b

99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB2748

Introduced 2/16/2016, by Sen. Karen McConnaughay

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

35 ILCS 5/211
35 ILCS 10/5-5
35 ILCS 10/5-15
35 ILCS 10/5-45
215 ILCS 5/405.1 new

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Authorizes taxpayers to sell, assign, or transfer credits awarded under the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that credits awarded under the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act may also be taken against privilege and retaliatory taxes paid under the Illinois Insurance Code. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning revenue.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Income Tax Act is amended by changing Section 211 as follows:

(35 ILCS 5/211)

Sec. 211. Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1999, a Taxpayer who has entered into an Agreement under the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act is entitled to a credit against the taxes imposed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of this Act and the taxes imposed under Sections 409, 444, and 444.1 of the Illinois Insurance Code in an amount to be determined in the Agreement. If the Taxpayer is a partnership or Subchapter S corporation, the credit shall be allowed to the partners or shareholders in accordance with the determination of income and distributive share of income under Sections 702 and 704 and subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code. The Department, in cooperation with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, shall prescribe rules to enforce and administer the provisions of this Section. This Section is exempt from the provisions of Section 250 of this Act.

The credit shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the Agreement and the following limitations:

(1) The tax credit shall not exceed the Incremental Income Tax (as defined in Section 5-5 of the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act) with respect to the project.

(2) The amount of the credit allowed during the tax year plus the sum of all amounts allowed in prior years shall not exceed 100% of the aggregate amount expended by the Taxpayer during all prior tax years on approved costs defined by Agreement.

(3) The amount of the credit shall be determined on an annual basis. Except as applied in a carryover year pursuant to Section 211(4) of this Act, the credit may not be applied against any State income tax liability in more than 10 taxable years; provided, however, that (i) an eligible business certified by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity under the Corporate Headquarters Relocation Act may not apply the credit against any of its State income tax liability in more than 15 taxable years and (ii) credits allowed to that eligible business are subject to the conditions and requirements set forth in Sections 5-35 and 5-45 of the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act.

(4) The credit taken against the taxes imposed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of this Act may not exceed the amount of taxes imposed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of this Act. Any credit that is unused in the year the credit is computed may be carried forward and applied to the tax liability of the 5 taxable years following the excess credit year or may be taken as a credit against the taxes imposed under Section 409, 444, or 444.1 of the Illinois Insurance Code, as provided in the Agreement. Credits that are carried forward The credit shall be applied to the earliest year for which there is a tax liability. If there are credits from more than one tax year that are available to offset a liability, the earlier credit shall be applied first.

(5) No credit shall be allowed with respect to any Agreement for any taxable year ending after the Noncompliance Date. Upon receiving notification by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity of the noncompliance of a Taxpayer with an Agreement, the Department shall notify the Taxpayer that no credit is allowed with respect to that Agreement for any taxable year ending after the Noncompliance Date, as stated in such notification. If any credit has been allowed with respect to an Agreement for a taxable year ending after the Noncompliance Date for that Agreement, any refund paid to the Taxpayer for that taxable year shall, to the extent of that credit allowed, be an erroneous refund within the meaning of Section 912 of this Act.

(5.5) A sale, assignment, or transfer of the tax credit award may be made by the taxpayer in accordance with rules adopted by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(6) For purposes of this Section, the terms "Agreement", "Incremental Income Tax", and "Noncompliance Date" have the same meaning as when used in the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)

Section 10. The Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act is amended by changing Sections 5-5, 5-15, and 5-45 as follows:

(35 ILCS 10/5-5)

Sec. 5-5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Agreement" means the Agreement between a Taxpayer and the Department under the provisions of Section 5-50 of this Act.

"Applicant" means a Taxpayer that is operating a business located or that the Taxpayer plans to locate within the State of Illinois and that is engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling, warehousing, or distributing products, conducting research and development, providing tourism services, or providing services in interstate commerce, office industries, or agricultural processing, but excluding retail, retail food, health, or professional services. "Applicant" does not include a Taxpayer who closes or substantially reduces an operation at one location in the State and relocates substantially the same operation to another location in the State. This does not prohibit a Taxpayer from expanding its operations at another location in the State, provided that existing operations of a similar nature located within the State are not closed or substantially reduced. This also does not prohibit a Taxpayer from moving its operations from one location in the State to another location in the State for the purpose of expanding the operation provided that the Department determines that expansion cannot reasonably be accommodated within the municipality in which the business is located, or in the case of a business located in an incorporated area of the county, within the county in which the business is located, after conferring with the chief elected official of the municipality or county and taking into consideration any evidence offered by the municipality or county regarding the ability to accommodate expansion within the municipality or county.

"Committee" means the Illinois Business Investment Committee created under Section 5-25 of this Act within the Illinois Economic Development Board.

"Credit" means the amount agreed to between the Department and Applicant under this Act, but not to exceed the Incremental Income Tax attributable to the Applicant's project.

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Full-time Employee" means an individual who is employed for consideration for at least 35 hours each week or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment. An individual for whom a W-2 is issued by a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is a full-time employee if employed in the service of the Applicant for consideration for at least 35 hours each week or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment to Applicant.

"Incremental Income Tax" means the total amount withheld during the taxable year from the compensation of New Employees under Article 7 of the Illinois Income Tax Act arising from employment at a project that is the subject of an Agreement.

"New Employee" means:

(a) A Full-time Employee first employed by a Taxpayer in the project that is the subject of an Agreement and who is hired after the Taxpayer enters into the tax credit Agreement.

(b) The term "New Employee" does not include:

(1) an employee of the Taxpayer who performs a job that was previously performed by another employee, if that job existed for at least 6 months before hiring the employee;

(2) an employee of the Taxpayer who was previously employed in Illinois by a Related Member of the Taxpayer and whose employment was shifted to the Taxpayer after the Taxpayer entered into the tax credit Agreement; or

(3) a child, grandchild, parent, or spouse, other than a spouse who is legally separated from the individual, of any individual who has a direct or an indirect ownership interest of at least 5% in the profits, capital, or value of the Taxpayer.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subsection (b), an employee may be considered a New Employee under the Agreement if the employee performs a job that was previously performed by an employee who was:

(1) treated under the Agreement as a New Employee; and

(2) promoted by the Taxpayer to another job.

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Department may award Credit to an Applicant with respect to an employee hired prior to the date of the Agreement if:

(1) the Applicant is in receipt of a letter from the Department stating an intent to enter into a credit Agreement;

(2) the letter described in paragraph (1) is issued by the Department not later than 15 days after the effective date of this Act; and

(3) the employee was hired after the date the letter described in paragraph (1) was issued.

"Noncompliance Date" means, in the case of a Taxpayer that is not complying with the requirements of the Agreement or the provisions of this Act, the day following the last date upon which the Taxpayer was in compliance with the requirements of the Agreement and the provisions of this Act, as determined by the Director, pursuant to Section 5-65.

"Pass Through Entity" means an entity that is exempt from the tax under subsection (b) or (c) of Section 205 of the Illinois Income Tax Act.

"Professional Employer Organization" (PEO) means an employee leasing company, as defined in Section 206.1(A)(2) of the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act.

"Related Member" means a person that, with respect to the Taxpayer during any portion of the taxable year, is any one of the following:

(1) An individual stockholder, if the stockholder and the members of the stockholder's family (as defined in Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code) own directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively, in the aggregate, at least 50% of the value of the Taxpayer's outstanding stock.

(2) A partnership, estate, or trust and any partner or beneficiary, if the partnership, estate, or trust, and its partners or beneficiaries own directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively, in the aggregate, at least 50% of the profits, capital, stock, or value of the Taxpayer.

(3) A corporation, and any party related to the corporation in a manner that would require an attribution of stock from the corporation to the party or from the party to the corporation under the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code, if the Taxpayer owns directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively at least 50% of the value of the corporation's outstanding stock.

(4) A corporation and any party related to that corporation in a manner that would require an attribution of stock from the corporation to the party or from the party to the corporation under the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code, if the corporation and all such related parties own in the aggregate at least 50% of the profits, capital, stock, or value of the Taxpayer.

(5) A person to or from whom there is attribution of stock ownership in accordance with Section 1563(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, except, for purposes of determining whether a person is a Related Member under this paragraph, 20% shall be substituted for 5% wherever 5% appears in Section 1563(e) of the Internal Revenue Code.

"Taxpayer" means an individual, corporation, partnership, or other entity that has any Illinois Income Tax liability or any liability under Section 409, 444, or 444.1 of the Illinois Insurance Code.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06; 95-375, eff. 8-23-07.)

(35 ILCS 10/5-15)

Sec. 5-15. Tax Credit Awards. Subject to the conditions set forth in this Act, a Taxpayer is entitled to a Credit against or, as described in subsection (g) of this Section, a payment towards (i) taxes imposed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act that may be imposed on the Taxpayer for a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 1999, (ii) taxes imposed on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly pursuant to Section 409, 444, or 444.1 of the Illinois Insurance Code, or (iii) both (i) and (ii), if the Taxpayer is awarded a Credit by the Department under this Act for that taxable year.

(a) The Department shall make Credit awards under this Act to foster job creation and retention in Illinois.

(b) A person that proposes a project to create new jobs in Illinois must enter into an Agreement with the Department for the Credit under this Act.

(c) The Credit shall be claimed for the taxable years specified in the Agreement.

(d) The Credit shall not exceed the Incremental Income Tax attributable to the project that is the subject of the Agreement.

(e) Nothing herein shall prohibit a Tax Credit Award to an Applicant that uses a PEO if all other award criteria are satisfied.

(f) In lieu of the Credit allowed under this Act against the taxes imposed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act for any taxable year ending on or after December 31, 2009, the Taxpayer may elect to claim the Credit against its obligation to pay over withholding under Section 704A of the Illinois Income Tax Act.

(1) The election under this subsection (f) may be made only by a Taxpayer that (i) is primarily engaged in one of the following business activities: water purification and treatment, motor vehicle metal stamping, automobile manufacturing, automobile and light duty motor vehicle manufacturing, motor vehicle manufacturing, light truck and utility vehicle manufacturing, heavy duty truck manufacturing, motor vehicle body manufacturing, cable television infrastructure design or manufacturing, or wireless telecommunication or computing terminal device design or manufacturing for use on public networks and (ii) meets the following criteria:

(A) the Taxpayer (i) had an Illinois net loss or an Illinois net loss deduction under Section 207 of the Illinois Income Tax Act for the taxable year in which the Credit is awarded, (ii) employed a minimum of 1,000 full-time employees in this State during the taxable year in which the Credit is awarded, (iii) has an Agreement under this Act on December 14, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 96-834), and (iv) is in compliance with all provisions of that Agreement;

(B) the Taxpayer (i) had an Illinois net loss or an Illinois net loss deduction under Section 207 of the Illinois Income Tax Act for the taxable year in which the Credit is awarded, (ii) employed a minimum of 1,000 full-time employees in this State during the taxable year in which the Credit is awarded, and (iii) has applied for an Agreement within 365 days after December 14, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 96-834);

(C) the Taxpayer (i) had an Illinois net operating loss carryforward under Section 207 of the Illinois Income Tax Act in a taxable year ending during calendar year 2008, (ii) has applied for an Agreement within 150 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, (iii) creates at least 400 new jobs in Illinois, (iv) retains at least 2,000 jobs in Illinois that would have been at risk of relocation out of Illinois over a 10-year period, and (v) makes a capital investment of at least $75,000,000;

(D) the Taxpayer (i) had an Illinois net operating loss carryforward under Section 207 of the Illinois Income Tax Act in a taxable year ending during calendar year 2009, (ii) has applied for an Agreement within 150 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, (iii) creates at least 150 new jobs, (iv) retains at least 1,000 jobs in Illinois that would have been at risk of relocation out of Illinois over a 10-year period, and (v) makes a capital investment of at least $57,000,000; or

(E) the Taxpayer (i) employed at least 2,500 full-time employees in the State during the year in which the Credit is awarded, (ii) commits to make at least $500,000,000 in combined capital improvements and project costs under the Agreement, (iii) applies for an Agreement between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011, (iv) executes an Agreement for the Credit during calendar year 2011, and (v) was incorporated no more than 5 years before the filing of an application for an Agreement.

(1.5) The election under this subsection (f) may also be made by a Taxpayer for any Credit awarded pursuant to an agreement that was executed between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011, if the Taxpayer (i) is primarily engaged in the manufacture of inner tubes or tires, or both, from natural and synthetic rubber, (ii) employs a minimum of 2,400 full-time employees in Illinois at the time of application, (iii) creates at least 350 full-time jobs and retains at least 250 full-time jobs in Illinois that would have been at risk of being created or retained outside of Illinois, and (iv) makes a capital investment of at least $200,000,000 at the project location.

(1.6) The election under this subsection (f) may also be made by a Taxpayer for any Credit awarded pursuant to an agreement that was executed within 150 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, if the Taxpayer (i) is primarily engaged in the operation of a discount department store, (ii) maintains its corporate headquarters in Illinois, (iii) employs a minimum of 4,250 full-time employees at its corporate headquarters in Illinois at the time of application, (iv) retains at least 4,250 full-time jobs in Illinois that would have been at risk of being relocated outside of Illinois, (v) had a minimum of $40,000,000,000 in total revenue in 2010, and (vi) makes a capital investment of at least $300,000,000 at the project location.

(1.7) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the election under this subsection (f) may also be made by a Taxpayer for any Credit awarded pursuant to an agreement that was executed or applied for on or after July 1, 2011 and on or before March 31, 2012, if the Taxpayer is primarily engaged in the manufacture of original and aftermarket filtration parts and products for automobiles, motor vehicles, light duty motor vehicles, light trucks and utility vehicles, and heavy duty trucks, (ii) employs a minimum of 1,000 full-time employees in Illinois at the time of application, (iii) creates at least 250 full-time jobs in Illinois, (iv) relocates its corporate headquarters to Illinois from another state, and (v) makes a capital investment of at least $4,000,000 at the project location.

(2) An election under this subsection shall allow the credit to be taken against payments otherwise due under Section 704A of the Illinois Income Tax Act during the first calendar year beginning after the end of the taxable year in which the credit is awarded under this Act.

(3) The election shall be made in the form and manner required by the Illinois Department of Revenue and, once made, shall be irrevocable.

(4) If a Taxpayer who meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (f) elects to claim the Credit against its withholdings as provided in this subsection (f), then, on and after the date of the election, the terms of the Agreement between the Taxpayer and the Department may not be further amended during the term of the Agreement.

(g) A pass-through entity that has been awarded a credit under this Act, its shareholders, or its partners may treat some or all of the credit awarded pursuant to this Act as a tax payment for purposes of the Illinois Income Tax Act. The term "tax payment" means a payment as described in Article 6 or Article 8 of the Illinois Income Tax Act or a composite payment made by a pass-through entity on behalf of any of its shareholders or partners to satisfy such shareholders' or partners' taxes imposed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act. In no event shall the amount of the award credited pursuant to this Act exceed the Illinois income tax liability of the pass-through entity or its shareholders or partners for the taxable year.

(h) Effective July 1, 2016, any tax credits awarded under this Act and not previously claimed by a taxpayer against its income tax liability under Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act may be sold, assigned, or transferred, in whole or in part, to another Illinois taxpayer subject to all of the following conditions:

(1) A taxpayer awarded an income tax credit under this Act may make only a single sale, assignment, or transfer of the tax credit earned in a taxable year; however, the credit may be sold, assigned, or transferred to one or more transferees.

(2) The tax credit earned by the transferor may be transferred before the due date, including extensions, of the Illinois income tax return of the transferor. The amount of the credit transferred to the transferee or transferees may not exceed the amount of the credit earned by the transferor in the transferor's taxable year.

(3) Written notification of the transfer or sale of credits awarded under this Act shall be submitted to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Department of Revenue within 30 days after the sale, assignment, or transfer. The Department of Revenue shall provide by rule the information required to be provided in such written notification.

(4) The transfer or sale of tax credits under this subsection does not extend the time during which those tax credits can be used. The carry-forward period for a tax credit that is transferred or sold shall begin on the date on which the tax credit was originally earned.

(5) A transferee shall have only those rights to claim and use the tax credit that were available to the taxpayer that earned the credit, except that credits sold or transferred may not be used against a transferee's withholding tax liability.

(6) If the taxpayer earning the credit fails to comply with the terms and requirements of the Agreement, and, pursuant to the provisions of Section 5-65 of this Act, notice is provided to the Department of Revenue of the taxpayer's non-compliance, the Department shall hold the transferor liable for any tax, penalty, or interest due as a result of non-compliance with the Agreement.

(Source: P.A. 96-834, eff. 12-14-09; 96-836, eff. 12-16-09; 96-905, eff. 6-4-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 96-1534, eff. 3-4-11; 97-2, eff. 5-6-11; 97-636, eff. 6-1-12.)

(35 ILCS 10/5-45)

Sec. 5-45. Amount and duration of the credit.

(a) The Department shall determine the amount and duration of the credit awarded under this Act. The duration of the credit may not exceed 10 taxable years. The credit may be stated as a percentage of the Incremental Income Tax attributable to the applicant's project and may include a fixed dollar limitation.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), and except as the credit may be applied in a carryover year pursuant to Section 211(4) of the Illinois Income Tax Act, the credit may be applied against the State income tax liability, or the tax liability under Section 409, 444, or 444.1 of the Illinois Insurance Code, in more than 10 taxable years but not in more than 15 taxable years for an eligible business that (i) qualifies under this Act and the Corporate Headquarters Relocation Act and has in fact undertaken a qualifying project within the time frame specified by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity under that Act, and (ii) applies against its State income tax liability and insurance tax liability, during the entire 15-year period, no more than 60% of the maximum credit per year that would otherwise be available under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)

Section 15. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by adding Section 405.1 as follows:

(215 ILCS 5/405.1 new)

Sec. 405.1. Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit. Credits may be granted against the taxes imposed under Section 409, 444, or 444.1 of this Act on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly as provided in Section 211 of the Illinois Income Tax Act or the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.