Bill Text: MS SB2841 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Corporation franchise tax; phase out effective January 1, 2021.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-03-16 - Died In Committee [SB2841 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2016-SB2841-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2016 Regular Session

To: Finance

By: Senator(s) McDaniel

Senate Bill 2841

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 27-13-5 AND 27-13-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, AS AMENDED BY HOUSE BILL NO. 1, FIRST EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF 2016, TO PHASE OUT THE CORPORATION FRANCHISE TAX EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2021; TO REPEAL, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2021, SECTIONS 27-13-1 THROUGH 27-13-67, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH ARE THE CORPORATION FRANCHISE TAX LAW; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 27-13-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended by House Bill No. 1, First Extraordinary Session of 2016, is amended as follows:

     27-13-5.  (1)  (a)  Franchise tax levy.  Except as otherwise provided in subsections (3), (4), (5) and (7) of this section, there is hereby imposed, to be paid and collected as hereinafter provided, a franchise or excise tax upon every corporation, association or joint-stock company or partnership treated as a corporation under the income tax laws or regulations, organized or created for pecuniary gain, having privileges not possessed by individuals, and having authorized capital stock now existing in this state, or hereafter organized, created or established, under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Mississippi, equal to:

              (i)  For tax years beginning before January 1, 2017, Two Dollars and Fifty Cents ($2.50) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

              (ii)  For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, but before January 1, 2018, Two Dollars ($2.00) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

              (iii)  For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, but before January 1, 2019, One Dollar and Fifty Cents ($1.50) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

              (iv)  For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2019, but before January 1, 2020, One Dollar ($1.00) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

              (v)  For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2021, Fifty Cents (50¢) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

          (b)  In no case shall the franchise tax due for the accounting period be less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00). 

          (c)  It is the purpose of this section to require the payment to the State of Mississippi of this tax for the right granted by the laws of this state to exist as such organization, and to enjoy, under the protection of the laws of this state, the powers, rights, privileges and immunities derived from the state by the form of such existence.

     (2)  Annual report of domestic corporations.  Each domestic corporation shall file an annual report as required by the provisions of Section 79-4-16.22.

     (3)  (a)  A corporation that has negotiated a fee-in-lieu as defined in Section 57-75-5 shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on such project;provided, however,that the fee-in-lieu payment shall be otherwise treated in the same manner as the payment of franchise taxes.

          (b)  (i)  As used in this paragraph:

                   1.  "Authority" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 57-75-5(b);

                   2.  "Project" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix); and

                   3.  "Enterprise" shall mean the corporation authorized for the project pursuant to Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix).

              (ii)  The term of the franchise tax fee-in-lieu agreement negotiated under this subsection and authorized by Section 57-75-5(j), between the authority and the enterprise for the project shall not exceed twenty-five (25) years.  The franchise tax fee-in-lieu agreement shall apply only to new franchise tax liability attributable to the project, and shall not apply to any existing franchise tax liability of the enterprise in connection with any current operations in this state.

              (iii)  In the event that the annual number of full-time jobs maintained by the enterprise falls below the minimum annual number of full-time jobs required by the authority pursuant to a written agreement between the authority and the enterprise for two (2) consecutive years, the franchise tax fee-in-lieu for the project shall be suspended until the first tax year during which the annual number of full-time jobs maintained by the enterprise reaches the minimum annual number of full-time jobs required by the authority pursuant to a written agreement between the authority and the enterprise.

              (iv)  The enterprise shall be entitled to utilize a single sales apportionment factor in the calculation of its liability for franchise tax imposed by this chapter which is attributable to the project for any year for which it files a Mississippi franchise tax return.  The enterprise shall be entitled to continue to utilize such single sales apportionment factor notwithstanding a suspension of the franchise tax fee-in-lieu pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph.

     (4)  An approved business enterprise as defined in the Growth and Prosperity Act shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the approved business enterprise in a growth and prosperity county or supervisors district as provided in the Growth and Prosperity Act.

     (5)  A business enterprise operating a project as defined in Section 57-64-33, in a county that is a member of a regional economic development alliance created under the Regional Economic Development Act shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the business enterprise in such a county as provided in Section 57-64-33.

     (6)  The tax levied by this chapter and paid by a business enterprise located in a redevelopment project area under Sections 57-91-1 through 57-91-11 shall be deposited into the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund created in Section 57-91-9.

     (7)  A business enterprise as defined in Section 57-113-1 that is exempt from certain state taxes under Section 57-113-5 shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the business enterprise.

     SECTION 2.  Section 27-13-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended by Section House Bill No. 1, First Extraordinary Session of 2016, is amended as follows:

     27-13-7.  (1)  (a)  Franchise tax levy.  Except as otherwise provided in subsections (3), (4), (5) and (7) of this section, there is hereby imposed, levied and assessed upon every corporation, association or joint-stock company, or partnership treated as a corporation under the income tax laws or regulations as hereinbefore defined, organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of some other state, territory or country, or organized and existing without any specific statutory authority, now or hereafter doing business or exercising any power, privilege or right within this state, as hereinbefore defined, a franchise or excise tax equal to:

              (i)  For tax years beginning before January 1, 2017, Two Dollars and Fifty Cents ($2.50) of each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of capital used, invested or employed within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

              (ii)  For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, but before January 1, 2018, Two Dollars ($2.00) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

              (iii)  For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, but before January 1, 2019, One Dollar and Fifty Cents ($1.50) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

              (iv)  For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2019, but before January 1, 2020, One Dollar ($1.00) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

              (v)  For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2021, Fifty Cents (50¢) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

          (b)  In no case shall the franchise tax due for the accounting period be less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00).

          (c)  It is the purpose of this section to require the payment of a tax by all organizations not organized under the laws of this state, measured by the amount of capital or its equivalent, for which such organization receives the benefit and protection of the government and laws of the state.

     (2)  Annual report of foreign corporations.  Each foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state shall file an annual report as required by the provisions of Section 79-4-16.22.

     (3)  (a)  A corporation that has negotiated a fee-in-lieu as defined in Section 57-75-5 shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on such project;provided, however,that the fee-in-lieu payment shall be otherwise treated in the same manner as the payment of franchise taxes.

          (b)  (i)  As used in this paragraph:

                   1.  "Authority" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 57-75-5(b);

                   2.  "Project" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix); and

                   3.  "Enterprise" shall mean the corporation authorized for the project pursuant to Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix).

              (ii)  The term of the franchise tax fee-in-lieu agreement negotiated under this subsection and authorized by Section 57-75-5(j), between the authority and the enterprise for the project shall not exceed twenty-five (25) years.  The franchise tax fee-in-lieu agreement shall apply only to new franchise tax liability attributable to the project, and shall not apply to any existing franchise tax liability of the enterprise in connection with any current operations in this state.

              (iii)  In the event that the annual number of full-time jobs maintained by the enterprise falls below the minimum annual number of full-time jobs required by the authority pursuant to a written agreement between the authority and the enterprise for two (2) consecutive years, the franchise tax fee-in-lieu for the project shall be suspended until the first tax year during which the annual number of full-time jobs maintained by the enterprise reaches the minimum annual number of full-time jobs required by the authority pursuant to a written agreement between the authority and the enterprise.

              (iv)  The enterprise shall be entitled to utilize a single sales apportionment factor in the calculation of its liability for franchise tax imposed by this chapter which is attributable to the project for any year for which it files a Mississippi franchise tax return.  The enterprise shall be entitled to continue to utilize such single sales apportionment factor notwithstanding a suspension of the franchise tax fee-in-lieu pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph.

     (4)  An approved business enterprise as defined in the Growth and Prosperity Act shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the approved business enterprise in a growth and prosperity county or supervisors district as provided in the Growth and Prosperity Act.

     (5)  A business enterprise operating a project as defined in Section 57-64-33, in a county that is a member of a regional economic development alliance created under the Regional Economic Development Act shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the business enterprise in such a county as provided in Section 57-64-33.

     (6)  The tax levied by this chapter and paid by a business enterprise located in a redevelopment project area under Sections 57-91-1 through 57-91-11 shall be deposited into the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund created in Section 57-91-9.

     (7)  A business enterprise as defined in Section 57-113-1 that is exempt from certain state taxes under Section 57-113-5 shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the business enterprise.

     SECTION 3.  Sections 27-13-1, 27-13-3, 27-13-5, 27-13-7, 27-13-8, 27-13-9, 27-13-11, 27-13-13, 27-13-17, 27-13-19, 27-13-21, 27-13-23, 27-13-25, 27-13-27, 27-13-29, 27-13-31, 27-13-33, 27-13-35, 27-13-37, 27-13-39, 27-13-41, 27-13-47, 27-13-49, 27-13-51, 27-13-53, 27-13-55, 27-13-57, 27-13-59, 27-13-61, 27-13-63, 27-13-65 and 27-13-67, Mississippi Code of 1972, which are the corporation franchise tax law, are repealed from and after January 1, 2021.

     SECTION 4.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.


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