HB3640 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 11262 HLH 21597 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB3640

Introduced , by Rep. Ryan Spain

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

35 ILCS 10/5-5
35 ILCS 10/5-25
35 ILCS 10/5-40
35 ILCS 10/5-77

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that an employee of the Taxpayer who was previously employed in Illinois by the Taxpayer and whose employment was shifted to the project after the Taxpayer entered into the Agreement is not considered a new employee for purposes of the Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall not enter into any new EDGE Agreements after December 31, 2021 (currently, April 30, 2017). Removes a requirement that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall consider the magnitude of the cost differential between Illinois and the competing state when awarding credits. Makes changes concerning eligibility for the credit. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning revenue.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act is amended by changing Sections 5-5, 5-25, 5-40, and 5-77 as follows:

(35 ILCS 10/5-5)

Sec. 5-5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Agreement" means the Agreement between a Taxpayer and the Department under the provisions of Section 5-50 of this Act.

"Applicant" means a Taxpayer that is operating a business located or that the Taxpayer plans to locate within the State of Illinois and that is engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling, warehousing, or distributing products, conducting research and development, providing tourism services, or providing services in interstate commerce, office industries, or agricultural processing, but excluding retail, retail food, health, or professional services. "Applicant" does not include a Taxpayer who closes or substantially reduces an operation at one location in the State and relocates substantially the same operation to another location in the State. This does not prohibit a Taxpayer from expanding its operations at another location in the State, provided that existing operations of a similar nature located within the State are not closed or substantially reduced. This also does not prohibit a Taxpayer from moving its operations from one location in the State to another location in the State for the purpose of expanding the operation provided that the Department determines that expansion cannot reasonably be accommodated within the municipality in which the business is located, or in the case of a business located in an incorporated area of the county, within the county in which the business is located, after conferring with the chief elected official of the municipality or county and taking into consideration any evidence offered by the municipality or county regarding the ability to accommodate expansion within the municipality or county.

"Committee" means the Illinois Business Investment Committee created under Section 5-25 of this Act within the Illinois Economic Development Board.

"Credit" means the amount agreed to between the Department and Applicant under this Act, but not to exceed the Incremental Income Tax attributable to the Applicant's project.

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Full-time Employee" means an individual who is employed for consideration for at least 35 hours each week or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment. An individual for whom a W-2 is issued by a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is a full-time employee if employed in the service of the Applicant for consideration for at least 35 hours each week or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment to Applicant.

"Incremental Income Tax" means the total amount withheld during the taxable year from the compensation of New Employees under Article 7 of the Illinois Income Tax Act arising from employment at a project that is the subject of an Agreement.

"New Employee" means:

(a) A Full-time Employee first employed by a Taxpayer in the project that is the subject of an Agreement and who is hired after the Taxpayer enters into the tax credit Agreement.

(b) The term "New Employee" does not include:

(1) an employee of the Taxpayer who performs a job that was previously performed by another employee, if that job existed for at least 6 months before hiring the employee;

(2) an employee of the Taxpayer who was previously employed in Illinois by a Related Member of the Taxpayer and whose employment was shifted to the Taxpayer after the Taxpayer entered into the tax credit Agreement; or

(3) a child, grandchild, parent, or spouse, other than a spouse who is legally separated from the individual, of any individual who has a direct or an indirect ownership interest of at least 5% in the profits, capital, or value of the Taxpayer; or .

(4) an employee of the Taxpayer who was previously employed in Illinois by the Taxpayer and whose employment was shifted to the project after the Taxpayer entered into the Agreement.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subsection (b), an employee may be considered a New Employee under the Agreement if the employee performs a job that was previously performed by an employee who was:

(1) treated under the Agreement as a New Employee; and

(2) promoted by the Taxpayer to another job.

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Department may award Credit to an Applicant with respect to an employee hired prior to the date of the Agreement if:

(1) the Applicant is in receipt of a letter from the Department stating an intent to enter into a credit Agreement;

(2) the letter described in paragraph (1) is issued by the Department not later than 15 days after the effective date of this Act; and

(3) the employee was hired after the date the letter described in paragraph (1) was issued.

"Noncompliance Date" means, in the case of a Taxpayer that is not complying with the requirements of the Agreement or the provisions of this Act, the day following the last date upon which the Taxpayer was in compliance with the requirements of the Agreement and the provisions of this Act, as determined by the Director, pursuant to Section 5-65.

"Pass Through Entity" means an entity that is exempt from the tax under subsection (b) or (c) of Section 205 of the Illinois Income Tax Act.

"Professional Employer Organization" (PEO) means an employee leasing company, as defined in Section 206.1(A)(2) of the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act.

"Related Member" means a person that, with respect to the Taxpayer during any portion of the taxable year, is any one of the following:

(1) An individual stockholder, if the stockholder and the members of the stockholder's family (as defined in Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code) own directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively, in the aggregate, at least 50% of the value of the Taxpayer's outstanding stock.

(2) A partnership, estate, or trust and any partner or beneficiary, if the partnership, estate, or trust, and its partners or beneficiaries own directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively, in the aggregate, at least 50% of the profits, capital, stock, or value of the Taxpayer.

(3) A corporation, and any party related to the corporation in a manner that would require an attribution of stock from the corporation to the party or from the party to the corporation under the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code, if the Taxpayer owns directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively at least 50% of the value of the corporation's outstanding stock.

(4) A corporation and any party related to that corporation in a manner that would require an attribution of stock from the corporation to the party or from the party to the corporation under the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code, if the corporation and all such related parties own in the aggregate at least 50% of the profits, capital, stock, or value of the Taxpayer.

(5) A person to or from whom there is attribution of stock ownership in accordance with Section 1563(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, except, for purposes of determining whether a person is a Related Member under this paragraph, 20% shall be substituted for 5% wherever 5% appears in Section 1563(e) of the Internal Revenue Code.

"Taxpayer" means an individual, corporation, partnership, or other entity that has any Illinois Income Tax liability.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06; 95-375, eff. 8-23-07.)

(35 ILCS 10/5-25)

Sec. 5-25. Review of Application.

(a) In addition to those duties granted under the Illinois Economic Development Board Act, the Illinois Economic Development Board shall form a Business Investment Committee for the purpose of making recommendations for applications. At the request of the Board, the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her designee, the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget or his or her designee, the Director of Revenue or his or her designee, the Director of Employment Security or his or her designee, and an elected official of the affected locality, such as the chair of the county board or the mayor, may serve as members of the Committee to assist with its analysis and deliberations.

(b) At the Department's request, the Committee shall convene, make inquiries, and conduct studies in the manner and by the methods as it deems desirable, review information with respect to Applicants, and make recommendations for projects to benefit the State. In making its recommendation that an Applicant's application for Credit should or should not be accepted, which shall occur within a reasonable time frame as determined by the nature of the application, the Committee shall determine that all the following conditions exist:

(1) The Applicant's project intends, as required by subsection (b) of Section 5-20 to make the required investment in the State and intends to hire the required number of New Employees in Illinois as a result of that project.

(2) The Applicant's project is economically sound and will benefit the people of the State of Illinois by increasing opportunities for employment and strengthen the economy of Illinois.

(3) (Blank). That, if not for the Credit, the project would not occur in Illinois, which may be demonstrated by any means including, but not limited to, evidence the Applicant has multi-state location options and could reasonably and efficiently locate outside of the State, or demonstration that at least one other state is being considered for the project, or evidence the receipt of the Credit is a major factor in the Applicant's decision and that without the Credit, the Applicant likely would not create new jobs in Illinois, or demonstration that receiving the Credit is essential to the Applicant's decision to create or retain new jobs in the State.

(4) (Blank). A cost differential is identified, using best available data, in the projected costs for the Applicant's project compared to the costs in the competing state, including the impact of the competing state's incentive programs. The competing state's incentive programs shall include state, local, private, and federal funds available.

(5) The political subdivisions affected by the project have committed local incentives with respect to the project, considering local ability to assist.

(6) Awarding the Credit will result in an overall positive fiscal impact to the State, as certified by the Committee using the best available data.

(7) The Credit is not prohibited by Section 5-35 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)

(35 ILCS 10/5-40)

Sec. 5-40. Determination of Amount of the Credit. In determining the amount of the Credit that should be awarded, the Committee shall provide guidance on, and the Department shall take into consideration, the following factors:

(1) The number and location of jobs created and retained in relation to the economy of the county where the projected investment is to occur.

(2) The potential impact on the economy of Illinois.

(3) (Blank). The magnitude of the cost differential between Illinois and the competing state.

(4) The incremental payroll attributable to the project.

(5) The capital investment attributable to the project.

(6) The amount of the average wage and benefits paid by the Applicant in relation to the wage and benefits of the area of the project.

(7) The costs to Illinois and the affected political subdivisions with respect to the project.

(8) The financial assistance that is otherwise provided by Illinois and the affected political subdivisions.

(Source: P.A. 91-476, eff. 8-11-99.)

(35 ILCS 10/5-77)

Sec. 5-77. Sunset of new Agreements. The Department shall not enter into any new Agreements under the provisions of Section 5-50 of this Act after December 31, 2021 April 30, 2017.

(Source: P.A. 99-925, eff. 1-20-17.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.