Legislature(2017 - 2018)ADAMS ROOM 519
04/13/2018 09:00 AM House FINANCE
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Audio | Topic |
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Start | |
SB155 | |
HB399 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ | TELECONFERENCED | ||
+= | SB 78 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+= | HB 399 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+= | SB 155 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HOUSE BILL NO. 399 "An Act disallowing a federal tax credit as a credit against the corporate net income tax; repealing a provision allowing the exclusion of certain royalties accrued or received from foreign corporations for purposes of the corporate net income tax; repealing the reduced rate for the alternative tax on capital gains for corporations; repealing an exemption from filing a return under the corporate net income tax for a corporation engaged in a contract under the Alaska Stranded Gas Development Act; and providing for an effective date." 10:08:17 AM Co-Chair Foster reported that HB 399 was heard in committee on April 9, 2018. BRODIE ANDERSON, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE NEAL FOSTER, provided a brief summary of the bill. The bill eliminated the following indirect expenditures: federal tax credits, foreign royalty exclusions, reduced rate for capital gains, and credit associated with the Stranded Gas Act. The original version of the bill would have captured potential lost revenue in the amount of $6.9 million but would change if a proposed amendment was adopted. 10:09:58 AM Representative Wilson MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 1 (copy on file): Page l, line l: Delete "disallowing" Insert "relating to the use ort Page l , lines 9 - 13: Delete all material and insert: "* Section l. AS 43.20.021 (d) is amended to read: (d) Where a credit allowed under the Internal Revenue Code is also allowed in computing Alaska income tax, it is limited to 18 percent of the portion of the federal tax credit that was generated by business expenses incurred through activities conducted in the state [FOR CORPORATIONS OF THE AMOUNT OF CREDIT 12 DETERMINED FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES WHICH IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO ALASKA]. This limitation does not apply to a special industrial incentive tax credit under AS 43.20.042." Page 2, line 12: Delete "43.20.021 (d), 43.20.036(a), 43.20.036(b), 43 920.042," Page 2, line 16: Delete "AS 43.20.021 Insert "AS 43.20.021 Page 2, line 18: Delete "and (d), 43.20.036(a) and (b), 43.20.042" Vice-Chair Gara OBJECTED for discussion. Representative Wilson spoke to her amendment. She thanked Co-Chair Foster for his assistance on the amendment. She favored eliminating credits but was opposed to eliminating federal credits that benefitted the state of Alaska. Mr. Anderson responded that the amendment was a good compromise. He explained that the idea behind indirect expenditures was to identify and capture potential lost revenue by eliminating indirect expenditures. The amendment helped corporations keep money in the state. Vice-Chair Gara did not understand the amendment and asked the Department of Revenue (DOR) to further explain the amendment. 10:11:47 AM KEN ALPER, DIRECTOR, TAX DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, relayed that the intent of the amendment was that 18 percent of any credit that a company earned against its federal corporate income tax could be applied against Alaska corporate income tax. The bill eliminated the credit. He furhtered that Representative Wilson's amendment allowed the credit if it was earned for an activity in Alaska but maintained the elimination if it was earned for activity in states other than Alaska. BRANDON S. SPANOS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, TAX DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE (via teleconference), thought Mr. Alper had done a good job of explaining that any current company in Alaska that earned a federal credit for activity in any state could deduct 18 percent of the credit against their Alaskan corporate tax. The original bill eliminated the credit completely. The amendment allowed that portion of credit earned for activity in Alaska to be deducted. Essentially the amendment was "converting" any federal credit to an Alaska credit. Vice-Chair Gara asked what the positive revenue impact to the state was from the amendment. Mr. Alper responded that the fiscal note showed a breakdown by component of revenue estimates from the bill on page 2. The department estimated the revenue gained at $1.8 million for the tax component related to the amendment. Some fraction of the amount would be in lost revenue but felt that it would be a small amount. The ratio of a company's Alaskan activity compared to their national activity was tiny. He estimated that the amendment would reduce the revenue impact by roughly $200 thousand. Vice-Chair Gara asked whether the other revenue gains would remain the same. Mr. Alper responded in the affirmative. 10:15:19 AM Mr. Spanos interjected that he had just talked with the corporate income tax supervisor and relayed that there would be an updated fiscal note forthcoming if the amendment passed. He countered that the impact could be as high as one-third of the $1.8 million or up to $600 thousand. He elaborated that the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) tax credits for the oil and gas industry added to the deduction as the price of oil increased. Representative Guttenberg inquired whether the credit would spur more activity in Alaska. Mr. Alper was unsure what federal corporate income tax credits existed. He indicated that to the extent companies were earning credits for activity in Alaska; the amendment did not add anything but did not take anything away either. The amendment would continue to earn the credit for the activity in the state but would not remove any incentives. 10:18:00 AM Representative Wilson commented that the amendment was an incentive. She believed that the amendment would act as another incentive to do business in Alaska when compared to other states. Vice-Chair Gara WITHDREW his OBJECTION. There being NO OBJECTION, Amendment 1 was ADOPTED. Co-Chair Seaton mentioned the reduced rate on capital gains represented the largest portion of revenue at $3.4 million but might be reduced based on a change to the federal tax code for the alternative tax on capital gains. Mr. Anderson explained that the bill was drafted before the federal tax reform was passed that repealed the federal alternative tax on capital gains. The bill also had repealed the reduced rate on capital gains so the $3.4 million in revenue gains remained intact. He deferred to the department for further clarification. Mr. Alper explained that the section in the state's corporate income tax statute that referred to a lower tax rate for capital gains was repealed in HB 399 and remained unchanged. He understood that the bill's original intent was to repeal the preferential rate on capital gains however, since the federal government's repeal, the bill was merely removing outdated language that referenced the federal alternative tax on capital gains. He believed that the language in the bill would clarify the issue. He stated that whether the language in the bill was currently necessary since the federal law changed was a "gray area." Co-Chair Foster surmised that the $3.4 million in revenue gains should remain in the bill. Mr. Alper responded in the affirmative. 10:21:30 AM Vice-Chair Gara reviewed the fiscal note from the Department of Revenue. He noted that the zero fiscal note from DOR, FN1 (REV), was allocated to the Tax Division and estimated $3.45 million in revenue for half of FY 19 and $6.9 million in the out years. He noted that the amendment would change and show a slight decrease in revenue in an updated forthcoming fiscal note. Co-Chair Seaton MOVED to report CSHB 399 (FIN) out of Committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. CSHB 399(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with a new fiscal impact note by the Department of Revenue. Co-Chair Foster reviewed the schedule for the following meeting. [The meeting was recessed to the call of the chair but never reconvened.]
Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
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SB 78 - Amendment #1.pdf |
HFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM |
SB 78 |
HB 399 - Amendment #1.pdf |
HFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 399 |