SENATE BILL No. 296

 

 

March 9, 2005, Introduced by Senators THOMAS, SWITALSKI, BRATER, SCHAUER, JACOBS, CLARK-COLEMAN, BERNERO, PRUSI, CHERRY, LELAND, OLSHOVE, BASHAM, CLARKE and EMERSON and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1975 PA 228, entitled

 

"Single business tax act,"

 

(MCL 208.1 to 208.145) by adding chapter 5A; and to repeal acts and

 

parts of acts.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

                            CHAPTER 5A

 

     Sec. 101. The amendatory act that added this chapter shall be

 

known as the "Michigan jobs and investment act".

 

     Sec. 102. The legislature finds that reducing the tax rate and

 

broadening the tax base through the elimination of credits and

 

deductions and increased reliance on positive business income as

 

provided by this chapter improve the measurement of value added

 

from all forms of business activity within this state and maintain

 

the tax imposed under this act as a modified value added tax.


 

     Sec. 103. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Adjusted gross income" means adjusted business income as

 

defined in section 108.

 

     (b) "Business income" means federal taxable income plus the

 

amount of a deduction claimed under section 199 of the internal

 

revenue code related to domestic production activities, except that

 

for a person other than a corporation, business income means that

 

part of federal taxable income derived from business activity plus

 

the amount of a deduction claimed under section 199 of the internal

 

revenue code related to domestic production activities. For a

 

partnership, business income includes payments and items of income

 

and expense that are attributable to business activity of the

 

partnership and are separately reported to the partners of the

 

partnership.

 

     (c) "Client" means an entity whose employment operations are

 

managed by a professional employer organization.

 

     (d) "Corporation" means a taxpayer that is required or has

 

elected to file as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.

 

     (e) "Professional employer organization" means an organization

 

that provides the management and administration of the human

 

resources of another entity by contractually assuming substantial

 

employer rights and responsibilities through a professional

 

employer agreement that establishes an employer relationship with

 

the leased officers or employees assigned to the other entity by

 

doing all of the following:

 

     (i) Maintaining the right of direction and control of

 

employees' work, although this responsibility may be shared with


 

the other entity.

 

     (ii) Paying wages and employment taxes of the employees out of

 

its own accounts.

 

     (iii) Reporting, collecting, and depositing state and federal

 

employment taxes for the employees.

 

     (iv) Retaining the right to hire and fire employees.

 

     (f) "Temporary employee" means an employee who meets both of

 

the following criteria:

 

     (i) The wages and other compensation of the employee are

 

determined exclusively by the entity that supplies the temporary

 

employee.

 

     (ii) The employee is employed by an entity that provides the

 

employee primarily for the purpose of meeting temporary or seasonal

 

employee needs of the entity's customers.

 

     Sec. 104. For tax years that begin on or after January 1,

 

2006, the tax rate under section 31 shall be 1.2%.

 

     Sec. 105. For tax years that begin on or after January 1,

 

2006, all of the tax base, other than the tax base derived

 

principally from transportation, financial, or insurance carrier

 

services or specifically allocated shall be apportioned to this

 

state by multiplying the tax base by the sales factor.

 

     Sec. 106. (1) For tax years that begin on or after January 1,

 

2006, a taxpayer that is an industrial processor or a research and

 

development company may claim a credit equal to 35% of the property

 

taxes paid in the tax year by the taxpayer on tangible personal

 

property used for industrial processing, including research or

 

experimental activities. Except as otherwise provided in subsection


 

(9)(a), tangible personal property used by an industrial processor

 

or research and development company for industrial processing

 

includes property described in section 4t(4) of the general sales

 

tax act, 1933 PA 167, MCL 205.54t, and excludes property described

 

in section 4t(5) of the general sales tax act, 1933 PA 167, MCL

 

205.54t.

 

     (2) Personal property taxes paid on any tangible personal

 

property, including property used for industrial processing or

 

research or experimental activities, that has as its primary

 

purpose the support of sales at retail of tangible personal

 

property, other than sales to employees, or other commercial

 

activities shall not be used in the calculation of the credit under

 

subsections (4) to (6).

 

     (3) To qualify for the credit under this section for an item

 

of tangible personal property, a taxpayer that is otherwise

 

eligible to claim the credit allowed under this section shall file

 

within the time required the statement of personal property

 

described in section 19 of the general property tax act, 1893 PA

 

206, MCL 211.19, for that item of tangible personal property used

 

for industrial processing or for a research or experimental

 

activity for the location at which the tangible personal property

 

that is the basis of the credit allowed under this section is

 

located. Taxpayers shall claim and calculate the credit in the

 

manner prescribed in subsections (4) to (6).

 

     (4) For a taxpayer that is an industrial processor whose only

 

significant business activity is industrial processing and

 

activities that support its industrial processing, the amount of


 

personal property taxes used to calculate the credit allowed under

 

subsection (1) shall be 90% of the personal property taxes paid and

 

reported on personal property by the industrial processor.

 

     (5) A taxpayer that is an industrial processor that is not

 

subject to subsection (4) or (6) shall complete and file within the

 

time required by section 19 of the general property tax act, 1893

 

PA 206, MCL 211.19, statements of personal property separately for

 

both the property used for industrial processing and property used

 

for other purposes and shall claim the credit as provided in

 

subsection (1) on personal property used for industrial processing

 

and separately reported as required by this subsection.

 

     (6) A taxpayer that is a research and development company

 

shall complete and file within the time required the statement of

 

personal property described in section 19 of the general property

 

tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.19, separately for the property used

 

for research or experimental activities and the property used for

 

other purposes and shall calculate the credit allowed under

 

subsection (1) based on taxes paid for research or experimental

 

property and separately reported as required in this subsection.

 

     (7) If the credit allowed under this section exceeds the tax

 

liability of the taxpayer for the tax year, the excess shall be

 

refunded to the taxpayer. The state treasurer shall establish a

 

reserve account in the department to fund and provide for payment

 

of the amount of refunds for credits under this section that are

 

attributable to the fiscal years ending in the tax years for which

 

credits are claimed.

 

     (8) An affiliated group as defined in this act, a controlled


 

group of corporations as defined in section 1563 of the internal

 

revenue code and further described in 26 CFR 1.414(b)-1 and

 

1.414(c)-1 to 1.414(c)-5, or an entity under common control as

 

defined by the internal revenue code shall not claim the credit

 

allowed by this section as a research and development company

 

unless the business activities of the entities are consolidated for

 

the purpose of determining whether the taxpayer is a research and

 

development company. For purposes of this subsection, business

 

activities include all activities within and outside of this state.

 

     (9) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Industrial processing" means that term as defined in

 

section 4t(7)(a) of the general sales tax act, 1933 PA 167, MCL

 

205.54t, and described in section 4t(3) of the general sales tax

 

act, 1933 PA 167, MCL 205.54t, and excludes those activities

 

described in section 4t(6) of the general sales tax act, 1933 PA

 

167, MCL 205.54t, except that for purposes of this section,

 

industrial processing includes tangible personal property used for

 

the receiving and storage of materials purchased by an industrial

 

processor or used at a fixed location for the preservation,

 

maintenance, warehousing, or shipping of a finished good.

 

     (b) "Industrial processor" means that term as defined in

 

section 4t(7)(b) of the general sales tax act, 1933 PA 167, MCL

 

205.54t, but does not include a public utility.

 

     (c) "Property taxes" means a tax levied under any of the

 

following acts:

 

     (i) The general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to

 

211.157.


 

     (ii) 1974 PA 198, MCL 207.551 to 207.572.

 

     (iii) The obsolete property rehabilitation act, 2000 PA 146, MCL

 

125.2781 to 125.2797.

 

     (d) "Research or experimental activities" means that term as

 

defined in section 4t(7)(e) of the general sales tax act, 1933 PA

 

167, MCL 205.54t.

 

     (e) "Research and development company" means a taxpayer that

 

is exclusively performing research or experimental activities.

 

     Sec. 107. (1) For tax years that begin on or after January 1,

 

2006, a taxpayer that is a research and development company may

 

claim a credit against the tax imposed by this act equal to 1.2% of

 

compensation as defined in section 4 for services performed in this

 

state that are research or experimental activities.

 

     (2) An affiliated group as defined in this act, a controlled

 

group of corporations as defined in section 1563 of the internal

 

revenue code and further described in 26 CFR 1.414(b)-1 and

 

1.414(c)-1 to 1.414(c)-5, or an entity under common control as

 

defined by the internal revenue code shall not claim the credit

 

allowed by this section as a research and development company

 

unless the business activities of the entities are consolidated for

 

the purpose of determining whether the taxpayer is a research and

 

development company. For purposes of this subsection, business

 

activities include all activities within and outside of this state.

 

     (3) The credit allowed under this section for the tax year

 

shall not be refunded and shall not be carried forward as an offset

 

to the tax liability in subsequent tax years.

 

     (4) The credit under this section shall be claimed against the


 

taxpayer's tax liability as determined after the application of the

 

credit allowed under section 106.

 

     Sec. 108. (1) As used in this chapter:

 

     (a) "Active shareholder" means a shareholder who receives at

 

least $10,000.00 in compensation, director's fees, or dividends

 

from the business, and who owns at least 5% of the outstanding

 

stock.

 

     (b) "Adjusted business income" means business income as

 

defined in section 103 with all of the following adjustments:

 

     (i) Add compensation and director's fees of active shareholders

 

of a corporation.

 

     (ii) Make the adjustments provided in section 9(4)(a) and (b).

 

     (iii) Add compensation and director's fees of officers of a

 

corporation.

 

     (c) "Loss adjustment" means the amount by which adjusted

 

business income was less than zero in any of the 5 tax years

 

immediately preceding the tax year for which eligibility for the

 

credit provided by this section is being determined. In determining

 

the loss adjustment for a tax year, a taxpayer is not required to

 

use more of the taxpayer's total negative adjusted business income

 

than the amount needed to qualify the taxpayer for the credit under

 

this section. A taxpayer shall not be considered to have used any

 

portion of the taxpayer's negative adjusted business income amount

 

unless the portion used is necessary to qualify for the credit

 

under this section. A taxpayer shall not reuse a negative adjusted

 

business income amount used as a loss adjustment in a previous tax

 

year or use a negative adjusted business income amount from a year


 

in which the taxpayer did not receive the credit under this

 

section.

 

     (d) "Officer" means an officer of a corporation other than a

 

subchapter S corporation including the chairperson of the board,

 

president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, or persons

 

performing similar duties.

 

     (e) "Shareholder" means a person who owns outstanding stock in

 

the business or a member of a business entity that files as a

 

corporation for federal income tax purposes. An individual is

 

considered as the owner of the stock owned, directly or indirectly,

 

by or for family members as defined in section 318(a)(1) of the

 

internal revenue code.

 

     (f) "Subchapter S corporation" means a corporation electing

 

taxation under subchapter S of chapter 1 of subtitle A of the

 

internal revenue code, 26 USC 1361 to 1379.

 

     (2) The credit provided in this section shall be taken after

 

the credit allowed under section 35a but before any other credit

 

under this act, and is available to any person whose gross receipts

 

do not exceed $10,000,000.00 and whose adjusted business income

 

minus the loss adjustment does not exceed $475,000.00, subject to

 

the following:

 

     (a) An individual, a partnership, a business entity that files

 

as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, or a subchapter S

 

corporation is disqualified if the individual, any 1 partner of the

 

partnership, any 1 member of the business entity that files as a

 

partnership for federal income tax purposes, or any 1 shareholder

 

of the subchapter S corporation receives more than $115,000.00 as a


 

distributive share of the adjusted business income minus the loss

 

adjustment of the individual, the partnership, the business entity

 

that files as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, or the

 

subchapter S corporation.

 

     (b) A corporation other than a subchapter S corporation is

 

disqualified if either of the following occur for the respective

 

tax year:

 

     (i) Compensation and director's fees of a shareholder or

 

officer exceed $115,000.00.

 

     (ii) The sum of the following amounts exceeds $115,000.00:

 

     (A) Compensation and director's fees of a shareholder.

 

     (B) The product of the percentage of outstanding ownership or

 

of outstanding stock owned by that shareholder multiplied by the

 

difference between the sum of business income and the adjustments

 

provided in section 9(4)(a) and (b) minus the loss adjustment.

 

     (c) Subject to the provisions for determining the reduction

 

percentage under section 36d as it is applied through former

 

section 36, the credit determined under this subsection shall be

 

reduced by the following percentages in the following

 

circumstances:

 

     (i) If an individual, any 1 partner of the partnership, any 1

 

member of the business entity that files as a partnership for

 

federal income tax purposes, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter

 

S corporation receives as a distributive share of adjusted gross

 

income minus the loss adjustment of the individual, partnership,

 

business entity that files as a partnership for federal income tax

 

purposes, or subchapter S corporation; if compensation and


 

directors' fees of a shareholder or officer of a corporation other

 

than a subchapter S corporation are; or if the sum of the amounts

 

in subdivision (b)(ii)(A) and (B) is more than $95,000.00 but less

 

than $100,000.00, the credit is reduced by 20%.

 

     (ii) If an individual, any 1 partner of the partnership, any 1

 

member of a business entity that files as a partnership for federal

 

income tax purposes, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter S

 

corporation receives as a distributive share of adjusted gross

 

income minus the loss adjustment of the individual, partnership,

 

business entity that files as a partnership for federal income tax

 

purposes, or subchapter S corporation; if compensation and

 

directors' fees of a shareholder or officer of a corporation other

 

than a subchapter S corporation are; or if the sum of the amounts

 

in subdivision (b)(ii)(A) and (B) is $100,000.00 or more but less

 

than $105,000.00, the credit is reduced by 40%.

 

     (iii) If an individual, any 1 partner of the partnership, any 1

 

member of a business entity that files as a partnership for federal

 

income tax purposes, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter S

 

corporation receives as a distributive share of adjusted gross

 

income minus the loss adjustment of the individual, partnership,

 

business entity that files as a partnership for federal income tax

 

purposes, or subchapter S corporation; if compensation and

 

directors' fees of a shareholder or officer of a corporation other

 

than a subchapter S corporation are; or if the sum of the amounts

 

in subdivision (b)(ii)(A) and (B) is $105,000.00 or more but less

 

than $110,000.00, the credit is reduced by 60%.

 

     (iv) If an individual, any 1 partner of the partnership, any 1


 

member of a business entity that files as a partnership for federal

 

income tax purposes, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter S

 

corporation receives as a distributive share of adjusted gross

 

income minus the loss adjustment of the individual, partnership,

 

business entity that files as a partnership for federal income tax

 

purposes, or subchapter S corporation; if compensation and

 

directors' fees of a shareholder or officer of a corporation other

 

than a subchapter S corporation are; or if the sum of the amounts

 

in subdivision (b)(ii)(A) and (B) is $110,000.00 or more but less

 

than $115,000.00, the credit is reduced by 80%.

 

     (3) For the purposes of determining disqualification under

 

subsection (2), an active shareholder's share of business income

 

shall not be attributed to another active shareholder.

 

     (4) A person who qualifies pursuant to subsection (2) is

 

allowed a credit against the tax imposed by section 31. The credit

 

is the greater of the amount by which the tax imposed by section 31

 

exceeds 1.2% of adjusted business income or a percentage reduction

 

in tax liability.

 

     (5) The percentage reduction provided in subsection (4) is

 

calculated by subtracting from 100% the percentage computed by

 

dividing adjusted business income by 45% of the tax base.

 

     (6) If gross receipts exceed $9,000,000.00, the credit shall

 

be reduced by a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount of

 

gross receipts over $9,000,000.00 and the denominator of which is

 

$1,000,000.00. The credit shall not exceed 100% of the tax

 

liability imposed by section 31.

 

     (7) An affiliated group as defined in this act, a controlled


 

group of corporations as defined in section 1563 of the internal

 

revenue code and further described in 26 CFR 1.414(b)-1 and

 

1.414(c)-1 to 1.414(c)-5, or an entity under common control as

 

defined by the internal revenue code shall not take the credit

 

allowed by this section unless the business activities of the

 

entities are consolidated. For purposes of this subsection,

 

business activities include all activities within and outside of

 

this state.

 

     (8) The department shall permit a taxpayer who elects to claim

 

the credit allowed by this section based on the amount by which the

 

tax imposed by section 31 exceeds the percentage of adjusted

 

business income for the tax year as determined under subsection

 

(4), and who is not required to reduce the credit pursuant to

 

subsection (2) or (6), to file and pay the tax imposed by this act

 

without computing the tax imposed under section 31.

 

     (9) This section shall apply to tax years that begin on and

 

after January 1, 2006.

 

     Sec. 109. For tax years that begin on or after January 1,

 

2006, the tax base for a corporation other than an S corporation

 

shall be determined by adding the sum of the following amounts, if

 

the sum is greater than zero, multiplying that result by 2 and

 

adding the total to the tax base as calculated under section 9:

 

     (a) Business income as defined in section 103, reduced by the

 

amount of dividends deducted by the taxpayer for the tax year under

 

section 9(7).

 

     (b) The adjustment provided in section 9(4)(a).

 

     Sec. 110. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2), for tax


 

years that begin on and after January 1, 2006, compensation of a

 

client includes compensation paid by a professional employer

 

organization to the officers of the client.

 

     (2) For tax years that begin on or after January 1, 2006 with

 

respect to a professional employer organization that has 1% or more

 

of the common ownership with a client, a professional employer

 

organization in which a client has more than 1% ownership interest,

 

or a professional employer organization that has more than a 1%

 

ownership interest in a client, compensation of the client includes

 

compensation paid by the professional employer organization to the

 

officers of the client and to employees of the professional

 

employer organization who are assigned to and perform services for

 

the client. However, a professional employer organization and its

 

client may jointly elect, in a manner determined by the department,

 

not to be subject to the provisions of this subsection and to

 

include compensation that is required by this subsection to be

 

included in the tax base of the client to be included in the tax

 

base of the professional employer organization. Taxpayers making

 

this election shall not claim the credit under section 108.

 

     (3) For purposes of this section, officers and employees of

 

the client also includes employees for whom the professional

 

employer organization is required to withhold taxes for federal

 

income tax purposes. However, this subsection does not apply to

 

compensation paid to a temporary employee.

 

     (4) A professional employer organization to which subsection

 

(1) or (2) applies shall, within 30 days after the end of each

 

client’s tax year, submit to the client a statement reporting the


 

compensation as defined in section 4 paid to employees and officers

 

of the client that was reimbursed by the client. If the report

 

required by this subsection is not submitted, the amount of

 

compensation shall be considered to be the entire amount paid by

 

the client to the professional employer organization.

 

     (5) As used in this section, "officer" means that term as

 

defined in section 108.

 

     Sec. 111. (1) For tax years beginning after December 31, 2006,

 

each insurance company shall pay a tax determined under this

 

section.

 

     (2) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the tax

 

imposed by this act on each insurance company shall be a tax equal

 

to 2% of gross direct premiums written on property or risk located

 

or residing in this state. Direct premiums do not include any of

 

the following:

 

     (a) Premiums on policies not taken.

 

     (b) Returned premiums on canceled policies.

 

     (c) Receipts from the sale of annuities.

 

     (d) Receipts on reinsurance premiums if the tax has been paid

 

on the original premiums.

 

     (3) An insurance company is subject to the tax under

 

subsection (2) or under section 476a of the insurance code of 1956,

 

1956 PA 218, MCL 500.476a, if applicable, whichever is greater.

 

     (4) The tax year for an insurance company shall be the

 

calendar year.

 

     (5) Notwithstanding section 73, an insurance company shall

 

file the annual return required under this act before March 2 after


 

the end of the insurance company's tax year, and an automatic

 

extension under section 73(3) is not available.

 

     (6) For the purpose of calculating an estimated payment

 

required by section 71, the greater of the amount of tax imposed on

 

an insurance company under this act or under section 476a of the

 

insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.476a, shall be

 

considered the insurance company's tax liability for the

 

immediately preceding tax year.

 

     (7) The requirements of section 28(1)(f) of 1941 PA 122, MCL

 

205.28, that prohibit an employee or authorized representative of,

 

a former employee or authorized representative of, or anyone

 

connected with the department from divulging any facts or

 

information obtained in connection with the administration of a tax

 

do not apply to disclosure of a tax return required by this

 

section.

 

     (8) The tax calculated under this section is in lieu of all

 

other privilege or franchise fees or taxes imposed by any other law

 

of this state, except taxes on real and personal property, and

 

except as otherwise provided in this act and in the insurance code

 

of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.100 to 500.8302.

 

     (9) Section 35a does not apply to an insurance company subject

 

to tax under this section.

 

     Sec. 112. If a final order of a court of competent

 

jurisdiction for which all rights of appeal have been exhausted or

 

have expired determines that any provision of this act that

 

provides a deduction, credit, or exemption with respect to

 

employment, persons, services, taxes, investment, or any other


 

activity that is limited only to this state is unconstitutional or

 

applies to employment, persons, services, taxes, investment, or any

 

other activity outside of this state, then that deduction, credit,

 

or exemption shall be severed from this act in its entirety and

 

shall not be effective for any tax year for which the final ruling

 

applies and the remaining provisions of this act shall remain in

 

effect.

 

     Sec. 113. If a final order of a court of competent

 

jurisdiction for which all rights of appeal have been exhausted or

 

have expired determines that any provision of this act is subject

 

to the limitations of 15 USC 381(a), then all of the following

 

apply for any tax year for which the ruling applies:

 

     (a) Section 109 is severed from this act.

 

     (b) All of the remaining provisions of this act shall remain

 

in effect.

 

     (c) As a replacement for the portion of the tax levied under

 

section 31 attributable to the addition required under section 109,

 

there is imposed on corporations, other than S corporations, and

 

subject to the provisions of 15 USC 381(a), for the privilege of

 

doing business in this state, a separate levy equal to 2.4% of the

 

sum of the following amounts subject to consolidation as provided

 

in this act and apportioned as provided in section 105:

 

     (i) Business income as defined in section 103 and reduced by

 

the amount of dividends deducted under section 9(7).

 

     (ii) The adjustment provided in section 9(4)(a).

 

     Sec. 114. The following provisions of this act shall not be

 

effective for tax years that begin on or after January 1, 2006:


 

     (a) Section 4(4).

 

     (b) Section 3(3).

 

     (c) Sections 22a to 22f.

 

     (d) Section 31(2), (4), and (5).

 

     (e) Section 36.

 

     (f) Section 37.

 

     (g) Section 39.

 

     (h) Section 45.

 

     (i) Section 45a.

 

     Sec. 115. For purposes of this act, a taxpayer that has a 52-

 

or 53-week tax year beginning not more than 7 days before December

 

31 of any year is considered to have a tax year that begins after

 

December 31 of that year.

 

     Enacting section 1.  Enacting section 1 of 2002 PA 531 is

 

repealed.

 

     Enacting section 2.  Enacting section 3 of 1999 PA 115 is

 

repealed.

 

     Enacting section 3.  This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No. 295                                    

 

          of the 93rd Legislature is enacted into law.