HOUSE BILL No. 6318

 

July 23, 2008, Introduced by Rep. Miller and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 1993 PA 330, entitled

 

"State real estate transfer tax act,"

 

by amending section 6 (MCL 207.526), as amended by 2003 PA 128.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 6. The following written instruments and transfers of

 

property are exempt from the tax imposed by this act:

 

     (a) A written instrument in which the value of the

 

consideration for the property is less than $100.00.

 

     (b) A written instrument evidencing a contract or transfer

 

that is not to be performed wholly within this state only to the

 

extent the written instrument includes land lying outside of this

 

state.

 

     (c) A written instrument that this state is prohibited from

 

taxing under the United States constitution or federal statutes.


 

     (d) A written instrument given as security or an assignment or

 

discharge of the security interest.

 

     (e) A written instrument evidencing a lease, including an oil

 

and gas lease, or a transfer of a leasehold interest.

 

     (f) A written instrument evidencing an interest that is

 

assessable as personal property.

 

     (g) A written instrument evidencing the transfer of a right

 

and interest for underground gas storage purposes.

 

     (h) Any of the following written instruments:

 

     (i) A written instrument in which the grantor is the United

 

States, this state, a political subdivision or municipality of this

 

state, or an officer of the United States or of this state, or a

 

political subdivision or municipality of this state, acting in his

 

or her official capacity.

 

     (ii) A written instrument given in foreclosure or in lieu of

 

foreclosure of a loan made, guaranteed, or insured by the United

 

States, this state, a political subdivision or municipality of this

 

state, or an officer of the United States or of this state, or a

 

political subdivision or municipality of this state, acting in his

 

or her official capacity.

 

     (iii) A written instrument given to the United States, this

 

state, or 1 of their officers acting in an official capacity as

 

grantee, pursuant to the terms or guarantee or insurance of a loan

 

guaranteed or insured by the grantee.

 

     (i) A conveyance from a husband or wife or husband and wife

 

creating or disjoining a tenancy by the entireties in the grantors

 

or the grantor and his or her spouse.


 

     (j) A conveyance from an individual to that individual's

 

child, stepchild, or adopted child.

 

     (k) A conveyance from an individual to that individual's

 

grandchild, step-grandchild, or adopted grandchild.

 

     (l) A judgment or order of a court of record making or ordering

 

a transfer, unless a specific monetary consideration is specified

 

or ordered by the court for the transfer.

 

     (m) A written instrument used to straighten boundary lines if

 

no monetary consideration is given.

 

     (n) A written instrument to confirm title already vested in a

 

grantee, including a quitclaim deed to correct a flaw in title.

 

     (o) A land contract in which the legal title does not pass to

 

the grantee until the total consideration specified in the contract

 

has been paid.

 

     (p) A written instrument evidencing the transfer of mineral

 

rights and interests.

 

     (q) A written instrument creating a joint tenancy between 2 or

 

more persons if at least 1 of the persons already owns the

 

property.

 

     (r) A transfer made pursuant to a bona fide sales agreement

 

made before the date the tax is imposed under sections 3 and 4, if

 

the sales agreement cannot be withdrawn or altered, or contains a

 

fixed price not subject to change or modification. However, a sales

 

agreement for residential construction may be adjusted up to 15% to

 

reflect changes in construction specifications.

 

     (s) A written instrument evidencing a contract or transfer of

 

property to a person sufficiently related to the transferor to be


 

considered a single employer with the transferor under section

 

414(b) or (c) of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. USC

 

414.

 

     (t) A written instrument conveying an interest in property for

 

which an exemption is claimed under section 7cc of the general

 

property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7cc, if the state equalized

 

valuation of that property is equal to or lesser than the state

 

equalized valuation on the date of purchase or on the date of

 

acquisition by the seller or transferor for that same interest in

 

property. If after an exemption is claimed under this subsection,

 

the sale or transfer of property is found by the treasurer to be at

 

a value other than the true cash value, then a penalty equal to 20%

 

of the tax shall be assessed in addition to the tax due under this

 

act to the seller or transferor.

 

     (u) A written instrument transferring an interest in property

 

pursuant to a foreclosure of a mortgage including a written

 

instrument given in lieu of foreclosure of a mortgage. This

 

exemption does not apply to a subsequent transfer of the foreclosed

 

property by the entity that foreclosed on the mortgage.

 

     (v) A written instrument conveying an interest from a

 

religious society in property exempt from the collection of taxes

 

under section 7s of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL

 

211.7s, to a religious society if that property continues to be

 

exempt from the collection of taxes under section 7s of the general

 

property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7s.

 

     (w) A written instrument transferring an interest in property

 

that meets all the following:


 

     (i) The property contains a newly constructed residential

 

dwelling.

 

     (ii) The property is classified as residential real property

 

under section 34c of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL

 

211.34c.

 

     (iii) The property or any portion of the property has not

 

previously received an exemption under this subdivision.