HLS 17RS-966 ORIGINAL 2017 Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO. 300 BY REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS AND SENATOR MORREL L TAX CREDITS: Provides relative to the amount of the research and development tax credit and authorizes transferability of the credit under certain circumstances 1 AN ACT 2To amend and reenact R.S. 47:6015(C)(2), (D), and (J) relative to the research and 3 development tax credit program; to provide for credit rates; to provide for 4 transferability of credits; to provide for application; and to provide for related 5 matters. 6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 7 Section 1. R.S. 47:6015(C)(2), (D), and (J) are hereby amended and reenacted to 8read as follows: 9 ยง6015. Research and development tax credit 10 * * * 11 C. 12 * * * 13 (2) The amount of the credit authorized in this Section shall be equal to 14 either: 15 (a) Eight Five percent of the difference, if any, of the Louisiana qualified 16 research expenses for the taxable year minus the base amount, if the taxpayer is an 17 entity that employs one hundred fifty or more persons. 18 (b) Twenty percent of the difference, if any, of the Louisiana qualified 19 research expenses for the taxable year minus the base amount, if the taxpayer is an 20 entity that employs fifty to ninety-nine persons. Page 1 of 4 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 17RS-966 ORIGINAL HB NO. 300 1 (c) Forty Thirty percent of the difference, if any, of the Louisiana qualified 2 research expenses for the taxable year minus the base amount, if the taxpayer is an 3 entity that employs less than fifty persons. 4 * * * 5 D.(1) A taxpayer who receives a federal Small Business Innovation Research 6 Grant as created by the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P.L. 7 97-219), reauthorized by the Small Business Research and Development 8 Enhancement Act (P.L. 102-564), and reauthorized again by the Small Business 9 Reauthorization Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-554), shall be allowed a tax credit in an 10 amount equal to forty thirty percent of the award received during the tax year. 11 (2) In addition to the credit utilization allowed by Paragraph (C)(3) of this 12 Section, research and development tax credits that are based on participation in the 13 Small Business Innovation Research Grant program and that were not previously 14 claimed by any taxpayer against his income or corporation franchise tax may be 15 transferred or sold to another Louisiana taxpayer, subject to the following conditions: 16 (a) A single transfer or sale may involve one or more transferees. The 17 transferee of the tax credits may transfer or sell such tax credits subject to the 18 conditions of this Paragraph. 19 (b) Transferors and transferees shall submit to the Department of Revenue 20 in writing, a notification of any transfer or sale of tax credits within ten business days 21 after the transfer or sale of such tax credits. No transfer or sale of tax credits shall 22 be effective until recorded in the tax credit registry in accordance with R.S. 47:1524. 23 The notification shall include the transferor's tax credit balance prior to transfer, a 24 copy of any tax credit certification letter issued by the Department of Economic 25 Development, the transferor's remaining tax credit balance after transfer, all tax 26 identification numbers for both transferor and transferee, the date of the transfer, the 27 amount transferred, a copy of the credit certificate, the price paid by the transferee 28 to the transferor, and any other information required by the Department of Revenue. Page 2 of 4 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 17RS-966 ORIGINAL HB NO. 300 1 (c) Failure to comply with this Paragraph shall result in the disallowance of 2 the tax credit until the taxpayers are in full compliance. 3 (d) The transfer or sale of this credit does not extend the time in which the 4 credit can be used. The carryforward period for a credit that is transferred or sold 5 begins on the date on which the credit was earned. 6 * * * 7 J. No credit shall be allowed pursuant to this Section for research 8 expenditures incurred or Small Business Innovation Research Grant funds received 9 after December 31, 2019 2021. 10 * * * 11 Section 2. The provisions of this Act shall apply to tax years beginning on or after 12January 1, 2017. 13 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not 14signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature 15by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If 16vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become 17effective on the day following such approval. 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 300 Original 2017 Regular Session Davis Abstract: Reduces the credit amount for research and development tax credits and allows for transferability of the Small Business Innovation Research Grant credit. Present law authorizes an income and corporation franchise tax credit for certain taxpayers who employ 50 or more persons and claim a federal income tax credit for increasing research activities. This tax credit is also available for tax payers who employ fewer than 50 employees if the employer meets certain eligibility requirements. Present law authorizes the following credits as a percentage of increased research expenses for a taxpayer who employs the following number of employees: Page 3 of 4 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 17RS-966 ORIGINAL HB NO. 300 Number of EmployeesTax Credit 100 or more 8% 50-99 20% fewer than 50 40% Proposed law authorizes the following credits: Number of EmployeesTax Credit 50 or more 5% fewer than 50 30% Present law allows a taxpayer receiving a federal Small Business Innovation Research Grant a tax credit in an amount equal to 40% of the award received during the tax year. Proposed law reduces the tax credit from 40% to 30% of the award received during the tax year. Proposed law authorizes credits based upon participation in the Small Business Innovation Research Grant program to be transferred or sold to one or more La. taxpayers. To utilize the transferred tax credit, proposed law requires transferors and transferees to submit to the Dept. of Revenue written notification of any transfer or sale of this tax credit within 10 business days after the transfer or sale. Proposed law specifies the information to be included in the notification. Proposed law further requires that a sale or transfer of this tax credit shall not be effective until recorded in the tax credit registry in accordance with present law. Proposed law allows the credit to carry forward beginning on the date on which the credit was earned, regardless of when the credit was transferred or sold. Present law provides that no credit shall be allowed for research expenditures incurred or Small Business Innovation Research Grant funds received after Dec. 31, 2019. Proposed law extends the credit availability to research expenditures incurred on or before Dec. 31, 2021. Proposed law shall apply to tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2017. Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action. (Amends R.S. 47:6015(C)(2), (D), and (J)) Page 4 of 4 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.