1 SB43 2 216233-1 3 By Senator Jones (Constitutional Amendment) 4 RFD: Finance and Taxation Education 5 First Read: 11-JAN-22 Page 0 1 216233-1:n:01/11/2022:LSA-BY/jmb 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, the state imposes sales 9 or use taxes upon certain persons, firms, or 10 corporations. Sales of certain items are taxed at a 11 reduced rate. Sales of other items are exempt from 12 the taxes. 13 This bill would exempt sales of food from 14 state sales and use taxes beginning January 1, 15 2023. 16 Under existing law, individual income 17 taxpayers are allowed to deduct the amount of 18 federal income taxes paid or accrued within the 19 year. 20 This bill would amend Amendment 225 to the 21 Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as 22 Section 211.04 of the Official Recompilation of the 23 Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended; to 24 limit the amount of federal income taxes paid or 25 accrued an individual income taxpayer can deduct to 26 a maximum of $4,000 for individuals filing as 27 single, head of household, and married filing Page 1 1 separately and $8,000 for individuals filing as 2 married filing jointly. 3 4 A BILL 5 TO BE ENTITLED 6 AN ACT 7 8 To propose an amendment to the Constitution of 9 Alabama of 1901, as amended; to exempt sales of food from 10 state sales and use taxes; and to amend Amendment 225 to the 11 Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 12 211.04 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of 13 Alabama of 1901, as amended; limiting the amount of federal 14 income taxes paid or accrued an individual income taxpayer can 15 deduct. 16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: 17 Section 1. The following amendment to the 18 Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, is proposed and 19 shall become valid as a part thereof when approved by a 20 majority of the qualified electors voting thereon and in 21 accordance with Sections 284, 285, and 287 of the Constitution 22 of Alabama of 1901, as amended: 23 PROPOSED AMENDMENT 24 Part I. (a) For purposes of this constitutional 25 amendment, the following term is defined as follows: 26 FOOD. Food as defined in 7 U.S.C ยง 2011, et seq., 27 for the purposes of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Page 2 1 Assistance Program regardless of where or by what means food 2 is sold. In the event that the federal Supplemental Nutrition 3 Assistance Program definition no longer exists, the 4 Legislature shall provide a new definition of food by general 5 law. 6 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for 7 taxable periods beginning on and after January 1, 2023, gross 8 receipts from the sale or use of food shall be exempt from 9 state sales and use taxes. Local governments shall continue to 10 collect sales taxes on food at the same rate collected for the 11 local portion of the retail sales tax. 12 Part II. Amendment 225 of the Constitution of 13 Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 211.04 of the 14 Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, 15 is hereby amended to read as follows: 16 "Amendment No. 225 17 "In computing net income for state income tax 18 purposes for the calendar year 1965 and each year thereafter, 19 a resident individual taxpayer shall be allowed to deduct from 20 his gross income the amount of federal income tax paid or 21 accrued within the taxable year. A nonresident individual 22 income taxpayer shall be allowed to deduct only that amount of 23 federal income tax paid or accrued in the taxable year on 24 income received from sources within the state. For tax years 25 that begin after December 31, 2022, an individual taxpayer 26 filing as single, head of household, and married filing 27 separately shall not deduct more than four thousand dollars Page 3 1 ($4,000) in federal income tax paid or accrued within the 2 taxable year. For tax years that begin after December 31, 3 2022, an individual taxpayer filing as married filing jointly 4 shall not deduct more than eight thousand dollars ($8,000) in 5 federal income taxes paid or accrued within the taxable year." 6 Section 2. An election upon the proposed amendment 7 shall be held in accordance with Sections 284 and 285 of the 8 Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Sections 284 9 and 285 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of 10 Alabama of 1901, as amended, and the election laws of this 11 state. 12 Section 3. The appropriate election official shall 13 assign a ballot number for the proposed constitutional 14 amendment on the election ballot and shall set forth the 15 following description of the substance or subject matter of 16 the proposed constitutional amendment: 17 "Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of 18 Alabama of 1901, to exempt sales of food from state sales and 19 use taxes; to amend Amendment 225 of the Constitution of 20 Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 211.04 of the 21 Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, 22 as amended, to limit the amount an individual taxpayer filing 23 as single, head of household, and married filing separately 24 can deduct in federal income taxes paid to a maximum of four 25 thousand dollars ($4,000); and to limit the amount an 26 individual taxpayer filing as married filing jointly can Page 4 1 deduct in federal income taxes paid to a maximum of eight 2 thousand dollars ($8,000)." 3 "Proposed by Act ________." 4 This description shall be followed by the following 5 language: 6 "Yes ( ) No ( )." 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