SENATE BILL No. 89

 

 

January 27, 2009, Introduced by Senator CASSIS and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 2007 PA 36, entitled

 

"Michigan business tax act,"

 

by amending section 429 (MCL 208.1429).

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 429. (1) A taxpayer may claim a credit against the tax

 

imposed by this act for 1 or more of the following as applicable:

 

     (a) The credit allowed under subsection (2).

 

     (b) The credit allowed under subsection (5).

 

     (2) A taxpayer that is certified under the Michigan next

 

energy authority act, 2002 PA 593, MCL 207.821 to 207.827, as an

 

eligible taxpayer may claim a nonrefundable credit for the tax year

 

equal to the amount determined under subdivision (a) or (b),

 

whichever is less:


 

     (a) The amount by which the taxpayer's tax liability

 

attributable to qualified business activity for the tax year

 

exceeds the taxpayer's baseline tax liability attributable to

 

qualified business activity.

 

     (b) Ten percent of the amount by which the taxpayer's adjusted

 

qualified business activity performed in this state outside of a

 

renaissance zone for the tax year exceeds the taxpayer's adjusted

 

qualified business activity performed in this state outside of a

 

renaissance zone for the 2001 tax year under section 39e of former

 

1975 PA 228.

 

     (3) For any tax year in which the eligible taxpayer's tax

 

liability attributable to qualified business activity for the tax

 

year does not exceed the taxpayer's baseline tax liability

 

attributable to qualified business activity, the eligible taxpayer

 

shall not claim the credit allowed under subsection (2).

 

     (4) A taxpayer that claims a credit under subsection (2) shall

 

attach a copy of each of the following as issued pursuant to the

 

Michigan next energy authority act, 2002 PA 593, MCL 207.821 to

 

207.827, to the annual return required under this act for each tax

 

year in which the taxpayer claims the credit allowed under

 

subsection (2):

 

     (a) The proof of certification that the taxpayer is an

 

eligible taxpayer for the tax year.

 

     (b) The proof of certification of the taxpayer's tax liability

 

attributable to qualified business activity for the tax year.

 

     (c) The proof of certification of the taxpayer's baseline tax

 

liability attributable to qualified business activity.


 

     (5) A taxpayer that is a qualified alternative energy entity

 

may claim a credit for the taxpayer's qualified payroll amount. A

 

taxpayer shall claim the credit under this subsection after all

 

allowable nonrefundable credits under this act.

 

     (6) If the credit allowed under subsection (5) exceeds the tax

 

liability of the taxpayer for the tax year, that portion of the

 

credit that exceeds the tax liability shall be refunded.

 

     (7) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Adjusted qualified business activity performed in this

 

state outside of a renaissance zone" means either of the following:

 

     (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii), the taxpayer's

 

payroll for qualified business activity performed in this state

 

outside of a renaissance zone.

 

     (ii) For a partnership, limited liability company, S

 

corporation, or individual, the amount determined under

 

subparagraph (i) plus the product of the following as related to the

 

taxpayer:

 

     (A) Business income.

 

     (B) The apportionment factor as determined under chapter 3.

 

     (C) The alternative energy business activity factor.

 

     (b) "Alternative energy business activity factor" means a

 

fraction, the numerator of which is the ratio of the value of the

 

taxpayer's property used for qualified business activity and

 

located in this state outside of a renaissance zone for the year

 

for which the factor is being calculated to the value of all of the

 

taxpayer's property located in this state for that year plus the

 

ratio of the taxpayer's payroll for qualified business activity


 

performed in this state outside of a renaissance zone for that year

 

to all of the taxpayer's payroll in this state for that year and

 

the denominator of which is 2.

 

     (c) "Alternative energy marine propulsion system",

 

"alternative energy system", "alternative energy vehicle", and

 

"alternative energy technology" mean those terms as defined in the

 

Michigan next energy authority act, 2002 PA 593, MCL 207.821 to

 

207.827.

 

     (d) "Alternative energy zone" means a renaissance zone

 

designated as an alternative energy zone by the board of the

 

Michigan strategic fund under section 8a of the Michigan

 

renaissance zone act, 1996 PA 376, MCL 125.2688a.

 

     (e) "Baseline tax liability attributable to qualified business

 

activity" means the taxpayer's tax liability for the 2001 tax year

 

under former 1975 PA 228 multiplied by the taxpayer's alternative

 

energy business activity factor for the 2001 tax year under former

 

1975 PA 228. A taxpayer with a 2001 tax year of less than 12 months

 

under former 1975 PA 228 shall annualize the amount calculated

 

under this subdivision as necessary to determine baseline tax

 

liability attributable to qualified business activity that reflects

 

a 12-month period.

 

     (f) "Eligible taxpayer" means a taxpayer that has proof of

 

certification of qualified business activity under the Michigan

 

next energy authority act, 2002 PA 593, MCL 207.821 to 207.827.

 

     (g) "Payroll" means total salaries and wages before deducting

 

any personal or dependency exemptions.

 

     (h) "Qualified alternative energy entity" means a taxpayer


 

located in an alternative energy zone.

 

     (i) "Qualified business activity" means research, development,

 

or manufacturing of an alternative energy marine propulsion system,

 

an alternative energy system, an alternative energy vehicle,

 

alternative energy technology, or renewable fuel.

 

     (j) "Qualified employee" means an individual who is employed

 

by a qualified alternative energy entity, whose job

 

responsibilities are related to the research, development, or

 

manufacturing activities of the qualified alternative energy

 

entity, and whose regular place of employment is within an

 

alternative energy zone.

 

     (k) "Qualified payroll amount" means an amount equal to

 

payroll of the qualified alternative energy entity attributable to

 

all qualified employees in the tax year of the qualified

 

alternative energy entity for which the credit under subsection (6)

 

is being claimed, multiplied by the tax rate for that tax year.

 

     (l) "Renaissance zone" means a renaissance zone designated

 

under the Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996 PA 376, MCL 125.2681

 

to 125.2696.

 

     (m) "Renewable fuel" means 1 or more of the following:

 

     (i) Biodiesel or biodiesel blends containing at least 20%

 

biodiesel. As used in this subparagraph, "biodiesel" means a diesel

 

fuel substitute consisting of methyl or ethyl esters produced from

 

the transesterification of animal or vegetable fats with methanol

 

or ethanol.

 

     (ii) Biomass. As used in this subparagraph, "biomass" means

 

residues from the wood and paper products industries, residues from


 

food production and processing, trees and grasses grown

 

specifically to be used as energy crops, and gaseous fuels produced

 

from solid biomass, animal wastes, municipal waste, or landfills.

 

     (n) "Tax liability attributable to qualified business

 

activity" means the taxpayer's tax liability multiplied by the

 

taxpayer's alternative energy business activity factor for the tax

 

year.

 

     (o) "Tax rate" means the rate imposed under section 51e 51 of

 

the income tax act of 1967, 1967 PA 281, MCL 206.51e 206.51,

 

annualized as necessary, for the tax year in which the qualified

 

alternative energy entity claims a credit under subsection (6) (5).