PRINTER'S NO. 569 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL No.565 Session of 2025 INTRODUCED BY OLSOMMER, PICKETT, KENYATTA, ROWE AND ZIMMERMAN, FEBRUARY 12, 2025 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, FEBRUARY 12, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), entitled "An act relating to tax reform and State taxation by codifying and enumerating certain subjects of taxation and imposing taxes thereon; providing procedures for the payment, collection, administration and enforcement thereof; providing for tax credits in certain cases; conferring powers and imposing duties upon the Department of Revenue, certain employers, fiduciaries, individuals, persons, corporations and other entities; prescribing crimes, offenses and penalties," providing for employer health insurance contribution tax credit; and promulgating regulations. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows: Section 1. The act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, is amended by adding an article to read: ARTICLE XIX-L EMPLOYER HEALTH INSURANCE CONTRIBUTION TAX CREDIT Section 1901-L. Scope of article. This article establishes the Employer Health Insurance Contribution Tax Credit. Section 1902-L. Definitions. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 The following words and phrases when used in this article shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Aggregate contribution." The aggregate contribution that a qualified taxpayer makes to all employees during the taxable year for which the qualified taxpayer seeks the employer health insurance contribution tax credit established under this article, provided that only the first $500 in contributions per employee shall count toward the aggregate contribution. "Contribution." A payment made to a health insurance provider by an employer to subsidize an employee's eligible health insurance premiums. "Department." The Department of Revenue of the Commonwealth. "Eligible health insurance costs." Costs incurred by an employee for premiums of a health insurance provider that are incurred to enable the employee to be gainfully employed by a qualified taxpayer. "Employee." An individual employed by a qualified taxpayer. The term does not include: (1) An officer of an entity subject to tax under Article IV, VIII, XV or XX. (2) An officer of an insurance company subject to tax under Article IX. "Health insurance provider." The term shall have the same meaning as "insurer" under section 201-A of the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.789, No.285), known as The Insurance Department Act of 1921. "Pass-through entity." Any of the following: (1) A partnership as defined in section 301(n.0). (2) A Pennsylvania S corporation as defined in section 20250HB0565PN0569 - 2 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 301(n.1). (3) An unincorporated entity subject to section 307.21. "Qualified tax liability." Any of the taxes due under Article III, IV, VII, VIII, IX, XI, XV or XX or a tax under Article XVI of the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921. The term does not include any tax withheld by an employer from an employee under Article III. "Qualified taxpayer." An individual, partnership, association, corporation, governmental body or unit or agency or other entity that: (1) is subject to a tax imposed under Article III, IV, VII, VIII, IX, XI, XV or XX; and (2) is required under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Public Law 99-514, 26 U.S.C. ยง 1 et seq.) to withhold Federal income tax from wages paid to an employee. Section 1903-L. Employer health insurance contribution tax credit. (a) Credit.--A qualified taxpayer may claim the employer health insurance contribution tax credit for a contribution made during the taxable year toward an employee's eligible health insurance premium costs and may apply the tax credit against its qualified tax liability. (b) Application.--A qualified taxpayer applying to claim an employer health insurance contribution tax credit must complete and submit to the department a health insurance contribution tax credit application on a form and in a manner as determined by the department. The form shall require the qualified taxpayer to provide the following: (1) The names, addresses and Social Security numbers of 20250HB0565PN0569 - 3 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 all employees to which the qualified taxpayer made a contribution during the taxable year. (2) The names, addresses and employer identification numbers of the health insurance providers that provided health insurance services to each participating employee. (3) The amount contributed to each participating employee. (4) The aggregate contribution. (c) Amount of tax credit.--The tax credit amount shall be as follows: (1) If the contribution was made to less than 50 employees, the amount of the tax credit under subsection (a) shall be equal to 100% of the aggregate contribution made to employees during the tax year. (2) If the contribution was made to 50 or more employees but less than 100 employees, the amount of the tax credit under subsection (a) shall be equal to 75% of the aggregate contribution made to employees during the tax year. (3) If the contribution was made to more than 100 employees, the amount of the tax credit under subsection (a) shall be equal to 50% of the aggregate contribution made to employees during the tax year. Section 1904-L. Carryover, carryback, refund and assignment of credit. (a) Carryover, carryback and refund.--A qualified taxpayer is not entitled to carry forward, carry back or obtain a refund of all or a portion of an unused tax credit granted to the qualified taxpayer under this article. (b) Sale or assignment of tax credit.--A qualified taxpayer may not sell or assign a tax credit granted to the qualified 20250HB0565PN0569 - 4 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 taxpayer under this article. Section 1905-L. Pass-through entity. (a) Election.--If the qualified taxpayer is a pass-through entity, the qualified taxpayer may elect in writing, according to procedures established by the department, to transfer all or a portion of the credit to shareholders, members or partners in proportion to the share of the qualified taxpayer's distributive income to which the shareholders, members or partners are entitled or in any other manner designated by the qualified taxpayer in accordance with its governance documents and without regard to how distributive income, losses or credits are allocated for other tax purposes. (b) Limitation.--The same unused tax credit under subsection (a) may not be claimed by both the pass-through entity and a shareholder, member or partner of the pass-through entity. (c) Time.--A shareholder, member or partner of a pass- through entity under subsection (a) may only use a tax credit during a taxable year for which use of the credit is authorized. The shareholder, member or partner of the pass-through entity may not carry forward, carry back, obtain a refund of or sell or assign the tax credit. Section 1906-L. Exclusion from classes of income. The first $5,000 in contributions made under this article to an employee's eligible health insurance costs during the taxable year may not be included in any of the classes of income enumerated under section 303. Section 1907-L. Nondiscrimination in contributions. (a) Employees.--An employee who has incurred eligible health insurance costs shall have equal opportunity to receive a contribution from the employer. 20250HB0565PN0569 - 5 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 (b) Duty of employers.--If an employer chooses to make contributions to a health insurance provider for the purposes of claiming the tax credit, the employer shall make equal contributions during the tax year to any employee that has eligible health insurance costs. Section 1908-L. Regulations. (a) Promulgation.--The department shall promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this article. (b) Guidelines.--The department shall develop written guidelines for the implementation of this article. The guidelines shall be in effect until the department promulgates regulations for the implementation of the provisions of this article. Section 1909-L. Tax compliance. The provisions of Article XVII-A.1 apply to the application of this article. Section 1910-L. Applicability. The provisions of this article shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. 20250HB0565PN0569 - 6 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20