House Study Bill 751



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
                                            ECONOMIC GROWTH BILL BY
                                            CHAIRPERSON HOFFMAN)


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to software and technology=related incentives and
  2    tax credits and including effective and retroactive
  3    applicability date provisions.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 6433YC 81
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  15E.361  SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TAX
  1  2 CREDIT.
  1  3    For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2006, a tax
  1  4 credit shall be allowed against the taxes imposed in chapter
  1  5 422, divisions II and III, equal to twenty percent of the
  1  6 total gross sales during the tax year on software developed
  1  7 and used by the taxpayer originally for internal purposes.  In
  1  8 order to claim a tax credit under this section, a taxpayer
  1  9 must receive approval from the department that the software
  1 10 for which a tax credit is claimed was developed and used by
  1 11 the taxpayer originally for internal purposes.  Upon approval,
  1 12 the department of economic development shall notify the
  1 13 department of revenue that approval has been given for the
  1 14 software.  An individual may claim a tax credit under this
  1 15 section of a partnership, limited liability company, S
  1 16 corporation, estate, or trust electing to have income taxed
  1 17 directly to the individual.  The amount claimed by the
  1 18 individual shall be based upon the pro rata share of the
  1 19 individual's earnings from the partnership, limited liability
  1 20 company, S corporation, estate, or trust.  Any tax credit in
  1 21 excess of the taxpayer's tax liability for the tax year may be
  1 22 credited to the tax liability for the following five years or
  1 23 until depleted, whichever occurs first.  A tax credit shall
  1 24 not be carried back to a tax year prior to the tax year in
  1 25 which the taxpayer claims the tax credit.
  1 26    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  15E.362  ENTREPRENEURIAL GRANT
  1 27 PROGRAM == FUND.
  1 28    1.  The department shall establish and administer an
  1 29 entrepreneurial grant program for purposes of encouraging
  1 30 start=up companies in the areas of information technology and
  1 31 other targeted industries designated by the department through
  1 32 the awarding of grants from moneys in the entrepreneurial
  1 33 grant fund created in subsection 2.  In awarding grants under
  1 34 the program, the department shall consult with a statewide
  1 35 member=based association focusing on the technology industry.
  2  1 A grant under the program shall not exceed twenty=five
  2  2 thousand dollars per start=up business.  In order to be
  2  3 eligible to receive a grant under the program, an applicant
  2  4 must meet all of the following criteria:
  2  5    a.  The applicant must be a graduate of a college or
  2  6 university located in the state.
  2  7    b.  The applicant must have successfully completed a
  2  8 recognized entrepreneurial venture development curriculum.
  2  9    2.  An entrepreneurial grant fund is created in the state
  2 10 treasury under the control of the department and consisting of
  2 11 any moneys appropriated by the general assembly and any other
  2 12 moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the department
  2 13 for placement in the fund.  Payments of interest and
  2 14 recaptures of grants shall be deposited in the fund.  The fund
  2 15 shall be used to provide grants under the entrepreneurial
  2 16 grant program established in subsection 1.  Moneys in the fund
  2 17 are not subject to section 8.33.  Notwithstanding section
  2 18 12C.7, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be
  2 19 credited to the fund.
  2 20    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  422.11M  SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TAX
  2 21 CREDIT.
  2 22    The taxes imposed under this division, less the credits
  2 23 allowed under sections 422.12 and 422.12B, shall be reduced by
  2 24 a software development tax credit authorized pursuant to
  2 25 section 15E.361.
  2 26    Sec. 4.  Section 422.33, Code Supplement 2005, is amended
  2 27 by adding the following new subsection:
  2 28    NEW SUBSECTION.  20.  The taxes imposed under this division
  2 29 shall be reduced by a software development tax credit
  2 30 authorized pursuant to section 15E.361.
  2 31    Sec. 5.  EFFECTIVE AND RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY DATES.
  2 32 This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect
  2 33 upon enactment and applies retroactively to January 1, 2006,
  2 34 for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2006.
  2 35                           EXPLANATION
  3  1    This bill relates to software and technology=related
  3  2 incentives and tax credits.
  3  3    The bill allows a taxpayer to claim a tax credit equal to
  3  4 20 percent of the total gross sales during the tax year on
  3  5 software developed and used by the taxpayer originally for
  3  6 internal purposes.  The tax credit is allowed against personal
  3  7 and corporate income tax liabilities.  The bill provides that,
  3  8 in order to claim the tax credit, a taxpayer must receive
  3  9 approval from the department of economic development that the
  3 10 software for which a tax credit is claimed was developed and
  3 11 used by the taxpayer originally for internal purposes.  The
  3 12 bill provides that any tax credit in excess of the taxpayer's
  3 13 tax liability for a tax year may be credited to the tax
  3 14 liability for the following five years or until depleted,
  3 15 whichever occurs first.  The bill provides that a tax credit
  3 16 shall not be carried back to a tax year prior to the tax year
  3 17 in which the taxpayer claims the tax credit.
  3 18    The bill requires the department to establish and
  3 19 administer an entrepreneurial grant program for purposes of
  3 20 encouraging start=up companies in the areas of information
  3 21 technology and other targeted industries designated by the
  3 22 department through the awarding of grants from moneys in the
  3 23 entrepreneurial grant fund.  The bill provides that a grant
  3 24 under the program shall not exceed $25,000 per start=up
  3 25 business.  The bill provides that, in order to be eligible to
  3 26 receive a grant under the program, an applicant must be a
  3 27 graduate of a college or university located in the state and
  3 28 must have successfully completed a recognized entrepreneurial
  3 29 venture development curriculum.  The bill creates an
  3 30 entrepreneurial grant fund in the state treasury under the
  3 31 control of the department to be used for purposes of the
  3 32 entrepreneurial grant program.
  3 33    The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies
  3 34 retroactively to January 1, 2006, for tax years beginning on
  3 35 or after January 1, 2006.
  4  1 LSB 6433YC 81
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