701—43.4 (68A,422,456A) Optional designations of funds by taxpayer.
	 43.4(1) Iowa fish and game protection fund. The taxpayer may designate an amount to be donated to the Iowa fish and game protection fund. The donation must be $1 or more, and the designation must be made on the original return for the current year. The donation is allowed only after obligations of the taxpayer to the department of revenue, the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services, the college student aid commission, the office of investigations of the department of human services, the district courts, other state agencies, and the Iowa election campaign checkoff have been satisfied. The designation to the fund is irrevocable and cannot be made on an amended return. If the amount of refund claimed on the original return or the payment remitted with the return is adjusted by the department, the amount of the designation to the fund may be adjusted accordingly.
Example A:  Overpayment as shown on the original return is $50. $25 is designated to the fund. Due to an error on the return, only $20 is an overpayment. The taxpayer would not receive any refund and all $20 of the overpayment would be credited to the fund.
Example B:  Overpayment as shown on the original return is $50. $25 is designated to the fund. Due to an error on the return, no overpayment occurred, but instead the taxpayer owes $20. No money would be credited to the fund in this instance.
Example C:  Amount shown due on return is $30. $20 is designated to the fund. A $50 payment was made with the return. Due to an error on the return, the taxpayer owes $40. Only $10 would be credited to the fund in this situation.
	 43.4(2) Iowa election campaign fund. A person with a tax liability of $1.50 or more on the Iowa individual income tax return may direct or designate that a $1.50 contribution be made to a specific political party or that the contribution be made to the Iowa election campaign fund to be shared by all political parties as clarified further in this paragraph. In the case of married taxpayers filing a joint Iowa individual return with a tax liability of $3.00 or more, each spouse may direct or designate that a $1.50 contribution be made to a specific political party or that a $1.50 contribution be made to the Iowa election campaign fund as a contribution to be shared by all political parties. The designation or direction of a contribution to a political party or to the election campaign fund is irrevocable and cannot be changed on an amended return. The designation to a political party or the election campaign fund is allowed only after obligations of the taxpayer to the department of revenue, the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services, the college student aid commission, the office of investigations of the department of human services, the district courts and other state agencies are satisfied. Note that for purposes of this subrule, “political party” means a party as defined in Iowa Code section 43.2.
In a tax year when there are two political parties for purposes of the Iowa election campaign fund, all undesignated contributions to the fund made on individual income tax returns for that tax year are to be divided equally between the two parties. In a tax year where there are more than two political parties for purposes of the Iowa election campaign fund, all undesignated contributions to the fund made on income tax returns for that tax year are to be divided among the political parties on the basis of the number of registered voters for a particular political party on December 31 of that tax year to the total number of registered voters on December 31 of that tax year that have declared an affiliation with any of the recognized political parties.
Thus, if there were 400,000 registered voters for “x” political party, 500,000 registered voters for “y” political party, and 100,000 registered voters for “z” political party on December 31 of a tax year where there were three recognized political parties, 40 percent of the undesignated political contributions on 1997 returns would be paid to “x” political party since 40 percent of the registered voters with an affiliation to a political party on December 31 had an affiliation with party “x” on that day.
	 43.4(3) Domestic abuse services checkoff. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1991, but before January 1, 1996, and for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1997, but before January 1, 2000, a taxpayer filing a state individual income tax return can designate a checkoff of $1 or more to the general fund of the state to be used for the purposes of providing services to victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault. If the overpayment on the return or the payment made with the filing of the return is not sufficient to cover the amount designated to the domestic abuse services checkoff, the amount credited to the domestic abuse services checkoff will be reduced accordingly. The designation to the domestic abuse services checkoff is irrevocable and cannot be revised on an amended return.
A designation to the domestic abuse services checkoff may be allowed only after obligations of the taxpayer to the department of revenue, the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services, the college student aid commission, the office of investigations of the department of human services, the district courts, other state agencies, the Iowa election campaign checkoff, the Iowa fish and game protection fund checkoff, and the state fair foundation checkoff are satisfied.
On or before January 31 of the year following the year in which returns with domestic abuse services checkoff are due, the department of revenue is to certify the total amount designated to the domestic abuse services checkoff to the state treasurer.
	 43.4(4) State fair foundation checkoff. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1993, a taxpayer filing a state individual income tax return can designate a checkoff of $1 or more to the Iowa state fair foundation. If the overpayment on the return or the payment made with the filing of the return is not sufficient to cover the amount designated to the state fair foundation checkoff, the amount credited to the state fair foundation checkoff will be reduced accordingly. The designation to the state fair foundation checkoff is irrevocable.
A designation to the state fair foundation checkoff may be allowed only after obligations of the taxpayer to the department of revenue, the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services, the college student aid commission, the office of investigations of the department of human services, the district courts, other state agencies, the Iowa election campaign checkoff, the Iowa fish and game protection fund checkoff and the domestic abuse services checkoff are satisfied.
On or before January 31 of the year following the year in which returns with the state fair foundation checkoff are due, the department of revenue shall transfer the total amount designated to the state fair foundation to the state fair foundation fund.
	 43.4(5) Limitation of checkoffs on the individual income tax return. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1995, but before January 1, 2004, no more than three checkoffs are allowed on the individual income tax return. The election campaign fund checkoff is not considered for purposes of limiting the number of checkoffs on the income tax return. When the same three checkoffs have been provided on the income tax return for three consecutive years, the checkoff for which the least amount has been contributed in the aggregate for the first two years and through March 15 of the third tax year will be repealed.
For example, the 1999 Iowa individual income tax return due in 2000 includes checkoffs A, B and C which also were shown on the Iowa returns for 1997, 1998 and 1999. Through March 15, 2000, $90,000 was contributed on the 1997, 1998 and 1999 returns for checkoff A, $60,000 was contributed for checkoff B and $120,000 for checkoff C. Since the least amount contributed in the aggregate was for checkoff B, that checkoff is repealed and will not appear on the 2000 Iowa income tax return to be filed in 2001.
For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2004, no more than four checkoffs are allowed on the individual income tax return. The election campaign fund checkoff is not considered for purposes of limiting the number of checkoffs on the income tax return. When the same four checkoffs have been provided on the income tax return for two consecutive years, the two checkoffs for which the least amount has been contributed in the aggregate for the first year and through March 15 of the second tax year will be repealed.
If more checkoffs are enacted in the same session of the general assembly than there is space for inclusion on the individual income tax return form, the earliest enacted checkoffs for which there is space will be included on the income tax return form, and all other checkoffs enacted during that session of the general assembly are repealed. If the same session of the general assembly enacts more checkoffs on the same day than there is space for inclusion on the individual income tax form, the director of revenue shall determine which checkoffs shall be included on the individual income tax form.
	 43.4(6) Keep Iowa beautiful fund checkoff. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2001, but before January 1, 2006, a taxpayer filing an individual income tax return can designate a checkoff of $1 or more to the keep Iowa beautiful fund. If the refund due on the return or the payment remitted with the return is insufficient to pay the additional amount designated by the taxpayer to the keep Iowa beautiful fund, the amount credited to the keep Iowa beautiful fund will be reduced accordingly. Once the taxpayer has designated a contribution to the keep Iowa beautiful fund on an individual income tax return filed with the department of revenue, the taxpayer cannot amend the designation.
A designation to the keep Iowa beautiful checkoff may be allowed only after obligations of the taxpayer to the department of revenue, the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services, the college student aid commission, the office of investigations of the department of human services, the district courts, other state agencies, the Iowa election campaign checkoff, the Iowa fish and game protection fund checkoff and the state fair foundation checkoff are satisfied.
On or before January 31 of the year following the year in which Iowa income tax returns with contributions to the keep Iowa beautiful fund are due, the department of revenue shall transfer the total amount designated to the keep Iowa beautiful fund.
	 43.4(7) Volunteer firefighter preparedness fund checkoff. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2004, but before January 1, 2006, a taxpayer filing an individual income tax return can designate a checkoff of $1 or more to the volunteer firefighter preparedness fund. If the refund due on the return or the payment remitted with the return is insufficient to pay the additional amount designated by the taxpayer to the volunteer firefighter preparedness fund, the amount credited to the volunteer firefighter preparedness fund will be reduced accordingly. Once the taxpayer has designated a contribution to the volunteer firefighter preparedness fund on an individual income tax return filed with the department of revenue, the taxpayer cannot amend that designation.
A designation to the volunteer firefighter preparedness fund checkoff may be allowed only after obligations of the taxpayer to the department of revenue, the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services, the college student aid commission, the office of investigations of the department of human services, the district courts, other state agencies, the Iowa election campaign checkoff, the Iowa fish and game protection fund checkoff, the state fair foundation checkoff and the keep Iowa beautiful fund checkoff are satisfied.
On or before January 31 of the year following the year in which Iowa income tax returns with contributions to the volunteer firefighter preparedness fund are due, the department of revenue is to certify to the state treasurer the amount designated to the volunteer firefighter preparedness fund on those returns.
	 43.4(8) Veterans trust fund checkoff. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2006, a taxpayer filing an individual income tax return can designate a checkoff of $1 or more to the veterans trust fund. If the refund due on the return or the payment remitted with the return is insufficient to pay the additional amount designated by the taxpayer to the veterans trust fund, the amount credited to the veterans trust fund will be reduced accordingly. Once the taxpayer has designated a contribution to the veterans trust fund on an individual income tax return filed with the department of revenue, the taxpayer cannot amend that designation.
A designation to the veterans trust fund checkoff may be allowed only after obligations of the taxpayer to the department of revenue, the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services, the college student aid commission, the office of investigations of the department of human services, the district courts, other state agencies, the Iowa election campaign checkoff, the Iowa fish and game protection fund checkoff and the state fair foundation checkoff are satisfied.
On or before January 31 of the year following the year in which Iowa income tax returns with contributions to the veterans trust fund are due, the department of revenue shall transfer the total amount designated to the veterans trust fund.
	 43.4(9) Joint keep Iowa beautiful fund and volunteer firefighter preparedness fund checkoff. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2006, a taxpayer filing an individual income tax return can designate a checkoff of $1 or more to the joint keep Iowa beautiful fund and volunteer firefighter preparedness fund. If the refund due on the return or the payment remitted with the return is insufficient to pay the additional amount designated by the taxpayer to the joint keep Iowa beautiful fund and volunteer firefighter preparedness fund, the amount credited to the joint keep Iowa beautiful fund and volunteer firefighter preparedness fund will be reduced accordingly. Once the taxpayer has designated a contribution to the joint keep Iowa beautiful fund and volunteer firefighter preparedness fund on an individual income tax return filed with the department of revenue, the taxpayer cannot amend that designation.
A designation to the joint keep Iowa beautiful fund and volunteer firefighter preparedness fund checkoff may be allowed only after obligations of the taxpayer to the department of revenue, the child support recovery unit of the department of human services, the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services, the college student aid commission, the office of investigations of the department of human services, the district courts, other state agencies, the Iowa election campaign checkoff, the Iowa fish and game protection fund checkoff, the state fair foundation checkoff and the veterans trust fund checkoff are satisfied.
On or before January 31 of the year following the year in which Iowa income tax returns with contributions to the joint keep Iowa beautiful fund and volunteer firefighter preparedness fund are due, the department of revenue shall transfer one-half of the total amount designated to the keep Iowa beautiful fund, and the remaining one-half will be transferred to the volunteer firefighter preparedness fund.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 422.12D and section 422.12E as amended by 2007 Iowa Acts, House File 923.