HLS 15RS-1650 ORIGINAL 2015 Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO. 815 BY REPRESENTATIVE STOKES TAX CREDITS: Provides for the carry forward rather than the refund of the tax credit for ad valorem property taxes paid by telephone companies on certain property 1 AN ACT 2To amend and reenact R.S. 47:6014(D) and (E)(2), relative to income and corporation 3 franchise tax credits; to provide with respect to the tax credit for ad valorem taxes 4 paid on certain properties owned by telephone companies; to provide with respect 5 to authorization for issuance of refunds for tax credits which exceed taxpayer tax 6 liability; to provide for certain limitations; to provide for effectiveness; and to 7 provide for related matters. 8Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 9 Section 1. R.S. 47:6014(D) and (E)(2) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as 10follows: 11 ยง6014. Credit for property taxes paid by certain telephone companies; fund 12 * * * 13 D. The excess, if any, of the credit allowed by this Section over the 14 aggregate tax liabilities against which such allowable credit may be applied, as 15 provided in this Section, shall constitute an overpayment, as defined in R.S. 16 47:1621(A), and the secretary shall make a refund of such overpayment from the 17 current collections of the taxes imposed under Chapter 2 of Subtitle II of this Title, 18 together with interest as provided in R.S. 47:1624. The right to a refund of any such 19 overpayment shall not be subject to the requirements of R.S. 47:1621(B). Any such 20 refund, together with interest thereon, shall be paid by the secretary within ninety Page 1 of 3 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 15RS-1650 ORIGINAL HB NO. 815 1 days of receipt by the secretary of the return on which the credit allowed by this 2 Section is claimed. Failure of the secretary to pay such refund, in whole or in part, 3 shall entitle the aggrieved taxpayer to proceed with the remedies provided in R.S. 4 47:1625. If the amount of the credit exceeds the amount of tax liability for the tax 5 year, then any unused credit may be carried forward as a credit against subsequent 6 Louisiana income or corporation franchise tax liability for a period not to exceed five 7 years. 8 E. 9 * * * 10 (2) The monies in the fund shall be used solely and exclusively for the 11 purpose of providing funds to pay the credits or refunds as provided in this Section. 12 The treasurer shall annually transfer to the state general fund an amount equal to the 13 credits taken and refunds issued pursuant to this Section. 14 * * * 15 Section 2. The provisions of this Act shall be applicable to tax years beginning on 16or after January 1, 2015. DIGEST The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 815 Original 2015 Regular Session Stokes Abstract: Changes the tax credit for ad valorem tax paid on public service property owned by telephone companies from a refundable credit to a credit in which amounts of the credit above the tax liability may be carried forward and applied against subsequent tax liability for up to five years. Present law provides for an income or corporation franchise tax credit for ad valorem taxes paid to political subdivisions after Dec. 31, 2000, by a telephone company for public service property owned by the telephone company which is assessed by the La. Tax Commission at 25% of fair market value pursuant to present law. The amount of the credit shall be equal to 40% of the taxes paid to political subdivisions. Present law provides that the taxpayer is entitled to a refund for any allowable credit which exceeds the aggregate tax liability of the taxpayer. Further requires the Dept. of Revenue to refund the excess tax credit amount and interest to the taxpayer from current tax collections within 90 days of receiving a tax credit claim. Page 2 of 3 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 15RS-1650 ORIGINAL HB NO. 815 Proposed law changes the tax credit from a refundable credit to one in which credit amounts which exceed taxpayer liability may be carried forward against subsequent income or corporation franchise tax liability for up to five years. Proposed law deletes the requirement of paying refunds within 90 days of receiving a tax credit claim. Present law requires the avails of sales and use taxes collected on the furnishing of interstate and international telecommunication services to be deposited into the Telephone Company Property Assessment Relief Fund for payment of credits and refunds as provided for in present law. Proposed law retains present law but deletes references to the payment of refunds. Applicable to tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2015. (Amends R.S. 47:6014(D) and (E)(2)) Page 3 of 3 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.