STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
532
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to the qualified solar and
energy storage manufacturer facilities and operations credit
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 210-B of the tax law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 53 to read as follows:
3 53. Qualified solar and energy storage manufacturer facilities and
4 operations credit. (a) A taxpayer that is whole or part of an entity
5 that serves as the principal operator of a facility primarily function-
6 ing to fabricate solar energy equipment or energy storage equipment and
7 that meets the eligibility requirements in paragraph (b) of this subdi-
8 vision, shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed by this arti-
9 cle. The amount of credit shall be equal to the sum of the amounts spec-
10 ified in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this subdivision attributable to the
11 taxpayer subject to the limitations in paragraph (e) of this subdivi-
12 sion. For the purposes of this subdivision solar energy equipment shall
13 mean the manufacturing of material components in New York state designed
14 to produce electricity utilizing solar radiation as the energy source
15 for such electricity; and energy storage equipment shall mean materials
16 and devices intended to store some form of energy related to new energy
17 technologies as described in subdivision one of section eighteen hundred
18 fifty-four of the public authorities law. Such equipment may employ
19 electrical, electrochemical, supercapacitor, compressed gas, mechanical,
20 thermal or other demonstrable means singly or in combination. The
21 determination of whether solar energy equipment or energy storage equip-
22 ment qualifies for eligible costs under this subdivision shall be deter-
23 mined by the commissioner and, if requested by the commissioner, the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03102-01-9
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1 president of the New York state energy research and development authori-
2 ty.
3 (b) An eligible taxpayer shall (i) have more than one hundred full-
4 time employees employed in New York state, and (ii) have a ratio of
5 research and development funds to net sales, as referred to in section
6 thirty-one hundred two-e of the public authorities law, which equals or
7 exceeds three percent during its taxable year.
8 (c) An eligible taxpayer shall be allowed a credit for twenty per
9 centum of the attributable cost or similar basis for federal income tax
10 purposes of research and development and manufacturing property as
11 defined in clause (B) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivi-
12 sion one of this section that is acquired by the taxpayer by purchase
13 as defined in section 179(d) of the internal revenue code and placed in
14 service during the taxable year. Provided, however, for the purposes of
15 this paragraph only, an eligible taxpayer shall be allowed a credit for
16 such percentage of the (i) attributable cost or similar basis for feder-
17 al income tax purposes for property used in the testing or inspection of
18 materials and products,
19 (ii) the attributable costs or expenses associated with quality
20 control of the research and development or manufacturing operations,
21 (iii) attributable fees for use of sophisticated technology facilities
22 and processes,
23 (iv) attributable fees for the production or eventual commercial
24 distribution of materials and products resulting from the qualified
25 manufacturing activities of an eligible taxpayer.
26 (v) The costs, expenses and other amounts for which a credit is
27 allowed and claimed under this paragraph shall not be used in the calcu-
28 lation of any other credit allowed under this article.
29 (d) An eligible taxpayer shall be allowed a credit for ten per centum
30 of "qualified research and manufacturing expenses" paid or incurred by
31 the taxpayer in the taxable year. For the purposes of this section, the
32 term "qualified research and manufacturing expenses" shall mean attrib-
33 utable expenses associated with in-house research and manufacturing
34 processes, and attributable costs associated with the dissemination of
35 the results of the products that directly result from such research and
36 development and/or manufacturing activities; provided, however, that
37 such costs shall not include advertising or promotion through paid
38 media. In addition, costs associated with the preparation of patent
39 applications, patent application filing fees, patent research fees,
40 patent examinations fees, patent post allowance fees, patent maintenance
41 fees, and grant application expenses and fees shall be eligible for such
42 credit. In no case shall the credit allowed under this paragraph apply
43 to expenses for litigation or the challenge of another entity's intel-
44 lectual property rights, or for contract expenses involving outside paid
45 consultants. The costs, expenses and other amounts for which a credit
46 is allowed and claimed under this paragraph shall not be used in the
47 calculation of any other credit allowed under this article.
48 (e) An eligible taxpayer may claim credits under this subdivision for
49 four consecutive taxable years. In no case shall the credit allowed by
50 this subdivision to a taxpayer exceed twenty-five million dollars per
51 year.
52 (f) The credit allowed under this subdivision for any taxable year
53 shall not reduce the tax due for such year to less than amount
54 prescribed in paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section two hundred
55 ten of this article. However, if the amount of credit allowed under
56 this subdivision for any taxable year reduces the tax to such amount,
A. 532 3
1 any amount of credit not deductible in such taxable year shall be treat-
2 ed as an overpayment of tax to be credited or refunded in accordance
3 with the provisions of section one thousand eighty-six of this chapter.
4 Provided, however, the provisions of subsection (c) of section one thou-
5 sand eighty-eight of this chapter notwithstanding, no interest shall be
6 paid thereon.
7 § 2. Section 606 of the tax law is amended by adding a new subsection
8 (jjj) to read as follows:
9 (jjj) Qualified solar and energy storage manufacturer facilities and
10 operations credit. (1) A taxpayer who is a member of an entity consist-
11 ing of one or more taxpayers that serves as the principal operator of a
12 facility primarily functioning to fabricate solar energy equipment or
13 energy storage equipment and that meets the eligibility requirements in
14 paragraph two of this subsection, shall be allowed a credit against the
15 tax imposed by this article. The amount of credit shall be equal to the
16 sum (or pro rata share of the sum in the case of a partnership) of the
17 amounts specified in paragraphs three and four of this subsection
18 subject to the limitations in paragraph five of this subsection. For the
19 purposes of this subsection solar energy equipment shall mean the manu-
20 facturing of material components in New York state designed to produce
21 electricity utilizing solar radiation as the energy source for such
22 electricity; and energy storage equipment shall mean materials and
23 devices intended to store some form of energy related to new energy
24 technologies as described in subdivision one of section eighteen hundred
25 fifty-four of the public authorities law. Such equipment may employ
26 electrical, electrochemical, supercapacitor, compressed gas, mechanical,
27 thermal or other means singly or in combination. The determination of
28 whether solar energy equipment or energy storage equipment qualifies for
29 eligible costs under this subsection shall be determined by the commis-
30 sioner, and, if requested by the commissioner, the president of the New
31 York state energy research and development authority.
32 (2) An eligible entity shall (i) have more than one hundred full-time
33 employees employed in New York state, and (ii) have a ratio of research
34 and development funds to net sales, as referred to in section thirty-one
35 hundred two-e of the public authorities law, which equals or exceeds
36 three percent during its taxable year.
37 (3) An eligible taxpayer shall be allowed a credit for twenty per
38 centum of the cost or similar basis for federal income tax purposes
39 incurred by the entity for research and development and manufacturing
40 property as defined in clause (B) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b)
41 of subdivision one of section two hundred ten-B of this chapter that is
42 acquired by purchase as defined in section 179(d) of the internal reven-
43 ue code and placed in service during the taxable year. Provided, howev-
44 er, for the purposes of this paragraph only, an eligible taxpayer shall
45 be allowed a credit for such percentage of the (i) cost or similar basis
46 for federal income tax purposes for property used in the testing or
47 inspection of materials and products,
48 (ii) the costs or expenses associated with quality control of the
49 research and development or manufacturing operations,
50 (iii) fees for use of sophisticated technology facilities and proc-
51 esses,
52 (iv) fees for the production or eventual commercial distribution of
53 materials and products resulting from the activities of an eligible
54 taxpayer as long as such activities fall under the activities listed in
55 paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section thirty-one hundred two-e of
56 the public authorities law.
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1 (v) The costs, expenses and other amounts for which a credit is
2 allowed and claimed under this paragraph shall not be used in the calcu-
3 lation of any other credit allowed under this article.
4 (4) An eligible taxpayer shall be allowed a credit for ten per centum
5 of "qualified research and manufacturing expenses" paid or incurred by
6 the entity in the taxable year. For the purposes of this section, the
7 term "qualified research and manufacturing expenses" shall mean expenses
8 associated with in-house research and manufacturing processes, and costs
9 associated with the dissemination of the results of the products that
10 directly result from such research and development and/or manufacturing
11 activities; provided, however, that such costs shall not include adver-
12 tising or promotion through paid media. In addition, costs associated
13 with the preparation of patent applications, patent application filing
14 fees, patent research fees, patent examinations fees, patent post allow-
15 ance fees, patent maintenance fees, and grant application expenses and
16 fees shall be eligible for such credit. In no case shall the credit
17 allowed under this paragraph apply to expenses for litigation or the
18 challenge of another entity's intellectual property rights, or for
19 contract expenses involving outside paid consultants. The costs,
20 expenses and other amounts for which a credit is allowed and claimed
21 under this paragraph shall not be used in the calculation of any other
22 credit allowed under this article.
23 (5) An eligible taxpayer may claim credits under this subsection for
24 four consecutive taxable years. In no case shall the credit allowed by
25 this subdivision to a taxpayer exceed twenty-five million dollars per
26 year. If the taxpayer is a partner in a partnership or shareholder of a
27 New York S corporation, then the cap imposed by this paragraph shall be
28 applied at the entity level, so that the aggregate credit allowed to all
29 the partners, shareholders, or other members of each such entity in the
30 taxable year does not exceed twenty-five million dollars per year for up
31 to four consecutive taxable years.
32 (6) If the amount of credit allowed under this subsection for any
33 taxable year shall exceed the taxpayer's tax for such year, the excess
34 shall be treated as an overpayment of tax to be credited or refunded in
35 accordance with the provisions of section six hundred eighty-six of this
36 article, provided, however, that no interest shall be paid thereon.
37 § 3. Subparagraph (B) of paragraph 1 of subsection (i) of section 606
38 of the tax law is amended by adding a new clause (xliv) to read as
39 follows:
40 (xliv) Credit forAmount of credit under
41 qualified solar and energy storage subdivision fifty-three
42 manufacturer facilitiesof section two hundred
43 and operations creditten-B
44 under subsection (jjj)
45 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to taxable
46 years commencing on or after January 1, 2020.