HOUSE BILL No. 5408

 

October 31, 2007, Introduced by Rep. Coulouris and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 2007 PA 36, entitled

 

"Michigan business tax act,"

 

by amending sections 201, 203, 235, 263, 417, and 601 (MCL

 

208.1201, 208.1203, 208.1235, 208.1263, 208.1417, and 208.1601),

 

section 201 as amended by 2007 PA 90; and to repeal acts and parts

 

of acts.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 201. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this act, there

 

is levied and imposed a business income tax on every taxpayer with

 

business activity within in this state unless prohibited by 15 USC

 

381 to 384. The business income tax is imposed on the business

 

income tax base, after allocation or apportionment to this state,

 

at the rate of 4.95%.

 

     (2) The business income tax base means a taxpayer's business


 

income subject to the following adjustments, before allocation or

 

apportionment, and the adjustment in subsection (5) after

 

allocation or apportionment:

 

     (a) Add interest income and dividends derived from obligations

 

or securities of states a state other than this state, in the same

 

amount that was excluded from federal taxable income, less the

 

related portion of expenses not deducted in computing federal

 

taxable income because of sections 265 and 291 of the internal

 

revenue code.

 

     (b) Add all taxes on or measured by net income and the tax

 

imposed under this act to the extent the taxes were deducted in

 

arriving at federal taxable income.

 

     (c) Add any carryback or carryover of a net operating loss to

 

the extent deducted in arriving at federal taxable income.

 

     (d) To the extent included in federal taxable income, deduct

 

dividends and royalties received from entities or persons other

 

than United States persons and foreign operating entities,

 

including, but not limited to, amounts determined under section 78

 

of the internal revenue code or sections 951 to 964 of the internal

 

revenue code.

 

     (e) To the extent included in federal taxable income, add the

 

loss or subtract the income from the business income tax base that

 

is attributable to another entity or person whose business

 

activities are taxable under this section or would be subject to

 

the tax under this section if the business activities were in this

 

state.

 

     (f) Except as otherwise provided under this subdivision, to


 

the extent deducted in arriving at federal taxable income, add any

 

royalty, interest, or other expense paid to a an entity or person

 

related to the taxpayer by ownership or control for the use of an

 

intangible asset if the person is not included in the taxpayer's

 

unitary business group. The addition of any royalty, interest, or

 

other expense described under this subdivision is not required to

 

be added if the taxpayer can demonstrate that the transaction has a

 

nontax business purpose other than avoidance of this tax, is

 

conducted with arm's-length pricing and rates and terms as applied

 

in accordance with sections 482 and 1274(d) of the internal revenue

 

code, and satisfies 1 of the following:

 

     (i) Is a pass through of another transaction between a third

 

party and the related person with comparable rates and terms.

 

     (ii) Results in double taxation. For purposes of this

 

subparagraph, double taxation exists if the transaction is subject

 

to tax in another jurisdiction.

 

     (iii) Is unreasonable as determined by the treasurer, and the

 

taxpayer agrees that the addition would be unreasonable based on

 

the taxpayer's facts and circumstances.

 

     (g) To the extent included in federal taxable income, deduct

 

interest income derived from United States obligations.

 

     (h) To the extent included in federal taxable income, deduct

 

any earnings that are net earnings from self-employment as defined

 

under section 1402 of the internal revenue code of the taxpayer or

 

a partner or limited liability company member of the taxpayer

 

except to the extent that those net earnings represent a reasonable

 

return on capital.


 

     (i) Subject to the limitation provided under this subdivision,

 

if the book-tax differences for the first fiscal period ending

 

after July 12, 2007 result in a deferred liability for a person

 

subject to tax under this act, deduct the following percentages of

 

the total book-tax difference for each qualifying asset, for each

 

of the successive 15 tax years beginning with the 2015 tax year:

 

     (i) For the 2015 through 2019 tax years, 4%.

 

     (ii) For the 2020 through 2024 tax years, 6%.

 

     (iii) For the 2025 through 2029 tax years, 10%.

 

     (3) The deduction under subsection (2)(i) shall not exceed the

 

amount necessary to offset the net deferred tax liability of the

 

taxpayer as computed in accordance with generally accepted

 

accounting principles which would otherwise result from the

 

imposition of the business income tax under this section and the

 

modified gross receipts tax under section 203 if the deduction

 

provided under this subdivision were not allowed. For purposes of

 

the calculation of the deduction under subsection (2)(i), a book-

 

tax difference shall only be used once in the calculation of the

 

deduction arising from the taxpayer's business income tax base

 

under this section and once in the calculation of the deduction

 

arising from the taxpayer's modified gross receipts tax base under

 

section 203. The adjustment under subsection (2)(i) shall be

 

calculated without regard to the federal effect of the deduction.

 

If the adjustment under subsection (2)(i) is greater than the

 

taxpayer's business income tax base, any adjustment that is unused

 

may be carried forward and applied as an adjustment to the

 

taxpayer's business income tax base before apportionment in future


 

years. In order to claim this deduction, the department may require

 

the taxpayer to report the amount of this deduction on a form as

 

prescribed by the department that is to be filed on or after the

 

date that the first quarterly return and estimated payment are due

 

under this act. As used in subsection (2)(i) and this subsection:

 

     (a) "Book-tax difference" means the difference, if any,

 

between the person's qualifying asset's net book value shown on the

 

person's books and records for the first fiscal period ending after

 

July 12, 2007 and the qualifying asset's tax basis on that same

 

date.

 

     (b) "Qualifying asset" means any asset shown on the person's

 

books and records for the first fiscal period ending after July 12,

 

2007, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

     (4) For purposes of subsections (2) and (3), the business

 

income of a unitary business group is the sum of the business

 

income of each entity or person, other than a foreign operating

 

entity or a person subject to the tax imposed under chapter 2A or

 

2B, included in the unitary business group less any items of income

 

and related deductions arising from transactions including

 

dividends between persons included in the unitary business group.

 

     (5) Deduct any available business loss incurred after December

 

31, 2007. As used in this subsection, "business loss" means a

 

negative business income taxable amount after allocation or

 

apportionment. The business loss shall be carried forward to the

 

year immediately succeeding the loss year as an offset to the

 

allocated or apportioned business income tax base, then

 

successively to the next 9 taxable years following the loss year or


 

until the loss is used up, whichever occurs first, but for not more

 

than 10 taxable years after the loss year.

 

     Sec. 203. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this act, there

 

is levied and imposed a modified gross receipts tax on every

 

taxpayer with nexus as determined under section 200. The modified

 

gross receipts tax is imposed on the modified gross receipts tax

 

base, after allocation or apportionment to this state at a rate of

 

0.80%.

 

     (2) The tax levied and imposed under this section is upon the

 

privilege of doing business and not upon income or property.

 

     (3) The modified gross receipts tax base means a taxpayer's

 

gross receipts less purchases from other firms before apportionment

 

under this act. The modified gross receipts of a unitary business

 

group is the sum of modified gross receipts of each entity or

 

person, other than a foreign operating entity or a person subject

 

to the tax imposed under chapter 2A or 2B, included in the unitary

 

business group less any modified gross receipts arising from

 

transactions between entities or persons included in the unitary

 

business group.

 

     (4) For the 2008 tax year, deduct 65% of any remaining

 

business loss carryforward calculated under section 23b(h) of

 

former 1975 PA 228 that was actually incurred in the 2006 or 2007

 

tax year to the extent not deducted in tax years beginning before

 

January 1, 2008. A deduction under this subsection shall not

 

include any business loss carryforward that was incurred before

 

January 1, 2006. If the taxpayer is a unitary business group, the

 

business loss carryforward under this subsection may only be


 

deducted against the modified gross receipts tax base of that

 

entity or person included in the unitary business group calculated

 

as if the entity or person was not included in the unitary business

 

group.

 

     (5) Nothing in this act shall prohibit a taxpayer who

 

qualifies for the credit under section 445 or a taxpayer who is a

 

dealer of new or used personal watercraft from collecting the tax

 

imposed under this section in addition to the sales price. The

 

amount remitted to the department for the tax under this section

 

shall not be less than the stated and collected amount.

 

     Sec. 235. (1) Each An insurance company shall pay a the tax

 

determined levied and imposed under this chapter.

 

     (2) The An insurance company shall pay a tax imposed by this

 

chapter on each insurance company shall be a tax equal to 1.25% 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.

 

     (e) The first $190,000,000.00 of disability insurance premiums

 

written in this state, other than credit insurance and disability

 

income insurance premiums, of each insurance company subject to tax

 

under this chapter. This exemption shall be reduced by $2.00 for

 

each $1.00 by which the insurance company's gross direct premiums


 

from insurance carrier services in this state and outside this

 

state exceed $280,000,000.00.

 

     (3) The tax calculated levied and imposed under this chapter

 

is in lieu of all other privilege or franchise fees or taxes

 

imposed by this act or any other law of this state, except taxes on

 

real and personal property, taxes collected under the general sales

 

tax act, 1933 PA 167, MCL 205.1 to 205.78, and taxes collected

 

under the use tax act, 1937 PA 94, MCL 205.91 to 205.111, and

 

except as otherwise provided in the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA

 

218, MCL 500.100 to 500.8302.

 

     Sec. 263. (1) Every financial institution with nexus in this

 

state as determined under section 200 is subject to a franchise tax

 

levied and imposed under this act. The franchise tax is imposed

 

upon the tax base of the financial institution as determined under

 

section 265 after allocation or apportionment to this state, at the

 

rate of 0.235%.

 

     (2) The tax under this chapter is in lieu of the a tax levied

 

and imposed under chapter 2 of this act.

 

     Sec. 417. (1) The credit provided in under this section shall

 

be taken after the credits under sections 403 and 405 and before

 

any other credit under this act and is available to any taxpayer

 

with gross receipts that do not exceed $20,000,000.00 and with

 

adjusted business income minus the loss adjustment that does not

 

exceed $1,300,000.00 as adjusted annually for inflation using the

 

Detroit consumer price index and subject to the following:

 

     (a) An individual, a partnership, a limited partnership, a

 

limited liability company, or a subchapter S corporation is


 

disqualified if the individual, any 1 partner of the partnership,

 

any 1 partner of the limited partnership, any 1 member of the

 

limited liability company, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter S

 

corporation receives more than $180,000.00 as a distributive share

 

of the adjusted business income minus the loss adjustment of the

 

individual, the partnership, the limited partnership, the limited

 

liability company, 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 directors' fees of a shareholder or

 

officer exceed $180,000.00.

 

     (ii) The sum of the following amounts exceeds $180,000.00:

 

     (A) Compensation and directors' 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, to the extent

 

deducted in determining federal taxable income, a carryback or a

 

carryover of a net operating loss or capital loss, minus the loss

 

adjustment.

 

     (c) Subject to the reduction percentage determined under

 

subsection (3), 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

 

partner of the limited partnership, any 1 member of the limited

 

liability company, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter S


 

corporation receives as a distributive share of adjusted business

 

income minus the loss adjustment of the individual, partnership,

 

limited partnership, limited liability company, 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 $160,000.00 but less than $165,000.00, the credit is

 

reduced by 20%.

 

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

 

partner of the limited partnership, any 1 member of the limited

 

liability company, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter S

 

corporation receives as a distributive share of adjusted business

 

income minus the loss adjustment of the individual, partnership,

 

limited partnership, limited liability company, 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 $165,000.00 or more but less than $170,000.00, the credit is

 

reduced by 40%.

 

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

 

partner of the limited partnership, any 1 member of the limited

 

liability company, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter S

 

corporation receives as a distributive share of adjusted business

 

income minus the loss adjustment of the individual, partnership,

 

limited partnership, limited liability company, 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 $170,000.00 or more but less than $175,000.00, the credit is

 

reduced by 60%.

 

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

 

partner of the limited partnership, any 1 member of the limited

 

liability company, or any 1 shareholder of the subchapter S

 

corporation receives as a distributive share of adjusted business

 

income minus the loss adjustment of the individual, partnership,

 

limited partnership, limited liability company, 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 $175,000.00 or more but not in excess of $180,000.00, the credit

 

is reduced by 80%.

 

     (2) For the purposes of determining disqualification under

 

subsection (1), an active shareholder's share of business income

 

shall not be attributed to another active shareholder.

 

     (3) To determine the reduction percentage under subsection

 

(1)(c), the following apply:

 

     (a) The reduction percentage for a partnership, limited

 

partnership, limited liability company, or subchapter S corporation

 

is based on the distributive share of adjusted business income

 

minus loss adjustment of the partner, limited partner, member, or

 

shareholder with the greatest distributive share of adjusted

 

business income minus loss adjustment.

 

     (b) The reduction percentage for a corporation other than a

 

subchapter S corporation is the greater of the following:


 

     (i) The reduction percentage based on the compensation and

 

directors' fees of the shareholder or officer with the greatest

 

amount of compensation and directors' fees.

 

     (ii) The reduction percentage based on the sum of the amounts

 

in subsection (1)(b)(ii)(A) and (B) for the shareholder or officer

 

with the greatest sum of the amounts in subsection (1)(b)(ii)(A) and

 

(B).

 

     (4) A taxpayer that qualifies under subsection (1) is allowed

 

a credit against the tax imposed under this act. The credit under

 

this subsection is the amount by which the tax imposed under this

 

act exceeds 1.8% of adjusted business income.

 

     (5) If gross receipts exceed $19,000,000.00, the credit shall

 

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

 

gross receipts over $19,000,000.00 and the denominator of which is

 

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

 

liability imposed under this act.

 

     (6) For a taxpayer that reports for a tax year less than 12

 

months, the amounts specified in this section for gross receipts,

 

adjusted business income, and share of business income shall be

 

multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of

 

months in the tax year and the denominator of which is 12.

 

     (7) The department shall permit a taxpayer that elects to

 

claim the credit allowed under this section based on the amount by

 

which the tax imposed under this act exceeds the percentage of

 

adjusted business income for the tax year as determined under

 

subsection (4), and that is not required to reduce the credit

 

pursuant to subsection (1) or (5), to file and pay the tax imposed


 

by this act without computing the a tax imposed under sections 201

 

and 203.

 

     (8) Compensation paid by the professional employer

 

organization to the officers of the client and to employees of the

 

professional employer organization who are assigned or leased to

 

and perform services for the client shall be included in

 

determining eligibility of the client under this section.

 

     (9) As used in this section:

 

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

 

least $10,000.00 in compensation, directors' fees, or dividends

 

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

 

stock or other ownership interest.

 

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

 

defined in section 105 with all of the following adjustments:

 

     (i) Add compensation and directors' fees of active shareholders

 

of a corporation.

 

     (ii) Add, to the extent deducted in determining federal taxable

 

income, a carryback or a carryover of a net operating loss.

 

     (iii) Add, to the extent deducted in determining federal taxable

 

income, a capital loss.

 

     (iv) Add compensation and directors' fees of officers of a

 

corporation.

 

     (c) "Detroit consumer price index" means the most

 

comprehensive index of consumer prices available for the Detroit

 

area from the United States department of labor, bureau of labor

 

statistics.

 

     (d) "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 under 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.

 

     Sec. 601. (1) For the 2008 fiscal year, except as otherwise

 

provided under subsection (4), if total net cash payments from the

 

tax imposed under this act plus any net cash payments from former

 

1975 PA 228 less any net cash payments made by insurance companies

 

under either act this act or former 1975 PA 228 exceed

 

$2,398,000,000.00, 50% of that excess shall be refunded in the

 

immediately succeeding fiscal year as provided in subsection (5)

 

and the remaining 50% shall be deposited into the countercyclical

 

budget and economic stabilization fund. pursuant to section 353 of

 

the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1353.

 

     (2) For the 2009 fiscal year, except as otherwise provided

 

under subsection (4), if total net cash payments from the tax

 

imposed under this act, excluding any revenue collected pursuant to


 

chapter 2A, exceed the fiscal year 2009 base, 50% of that excess

 

shall be refunded in the immediately succeeding fiscal year as

 

provided in subsection (5) and the remaining 50% shall be deposited

 

into the countercyclical budget and economic stabilization fund.

 

pursuant to section 353 of the management and budget act, 1984 PA

 

431, MCL 18.1353. To calculate the fiscal year 2009 base, the

 

department shall multiply $2,398,000,000.00 by 1.01 and then

 

multiply this product by 2009 fiscal year Michigan personal income

 

divided by 2008 fiscal year Michigan personal income.

 

     (3) For the 2010 fiscal year, except as otherwise provided

 

under subsection (4), if total net cash payments from the tax

 

imposed under this act, excluding any revenue collected pursuant to

 

chapter 2A, exceed the fiscal year 2010 base, 50% of that excess

 

shall be refunded in the immediately succeeding fiscal year as

 

provided in subsection (5) and the remaining 50% shall be deposited

 

into the countercyclical budget and economic stabilization fund.

 

pursuant to section 353 of the management and budget act, 1984 PA

 

431, MCL 18.1353. To calculate the fiscal year 2010 base, the

 

department shall multiply $2,398,000,000.00 by 1.0201 and then

 

multiply this product by 2010 fiscal year Michigan personal income

 

divided by 2008 fiscal year Michigan personal income.

 

     (4) If the amount of the total net cash payments collected

 

from the tax imposed under this act, excluding any revenue

 

collected pursuant to chapter 2A, exceeds the amount described in

 

the applicable subsection by less than $5,000,000.00, then all of

 

that excess shall be deposited into the countercyclical budget and

 

economic stabilization fund. pursuant to section 353 of the


 

management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1353.

 

     (5) The refund available authorized under subsection (1), (2),

 

or (3) shall be applied pro rata to the taxpayers that made

 

positive net cash payments during the fiscal year. The taxpayer's

 

pro rata share shall be the total amount to be refunded under

 

subsection (1), (2), or (3) multiplied by a fraction the numerator

 

of which is the positive net payments made by the taxpayer during

 

the fiscal year and the denominator of which is the sum of the

 

positive net cash payments made by all taxpayers during the fiscal

 

year.

 

     (6) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Budget stabilization fund" means the countercyclical

 

budget and economic stabilization fund created under section 351 of

 

the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1351.

 

     (b) (a) "Fiscal year" means the state fiscal year that

 

commences October 1 and continues through September 30.

 

     (c) (b) "Fiscal year Michigan personal income" is means the

 

average of the 4 quarterly values for the fiscal year, as published

 

by the United States department of commerce, bureau of economic

 

analysis. Fiscal year personal income for subsection (2) is

 

calculated using the personal income totals published in December

 

2009. Fiscal year personal income for subsection (3) is calculated

 

using the personal income totals published in December 2010.

 

     (d) (c) "Net cash payments" for the fiscal year are equal to

 

cash annual and estimated payments made during the fiscal year less

 

refunds paid during the fiscal year. Refunds paid under this

 

section are not used to reduce net cash payments for purposes of


 

calculating refunds paid out under this section.

 

     Enacting section 1. (1) Section 6a of the use tax act, 1937 PA

 

94, MCL 205.96a, is repealed effective December 31, 2010.

 

     (2) Sections 353c, 353e, and 353f of the management and budget

 

act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1353c, 18.1353e, and 18.1353f, are

 

repealed.

 

     Enacting section 2. This amendatory act takes effect January

 

1, 2008 and applies to all business activity occurring after

 

December 31, 2007.