Bill Text: NY A07647 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Provides an exemption for tangible personal property and services sold by a cemetery; establishes an amnesty program for cemetery corporations.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-01 - print number 7647a [A07647 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A07647-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          7647
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       May 5, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Ways and Means
        AN  ACT  to amend the tax law, in relation to providing an exemption for
          tangible personal  property  and  services  sold  by  a  cemetery;  in
          relation to establishing an amnesty program for cemetery corporations
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Declaration of policy. The people  of  this  state  have  a
     2  vital  interest  in  the maintenance and preservation of cemetery corpo-
     3  rations to prevent them from becoming a burden  upon  local  governments
     4  and  the  community.  The preservation of cemetery funds is vital to the
     5  long-term maintenance  and  preservation  of  these  burial  grounds  to
     6  prevent  abandonment  and dilapidation. In order to preserve this order,
     7  and the uniqueness of cemetery corporations, clarifications of  cemetery
     8  sales tax collections are necessary.
     9    §  2.  Subdivision  (a)  of  section 1115 of the tax law is amended by
    10  adding a new paragraph 7-a to read as follows:
    11    (7-a) Tangible personal property and services sold by a  cemetery  for
    12  the  exclusive  use  on the grounds and in the buildings of the cemetery
    13  corporation  including  but  not  limited  to  the  additional  services
    14  provided  by  a  cemetery as defined in paragraph (b) of section fifteen
    15  hundred nine of the not-for-profit corporation law and for  the  mainte-
    16  nance and preservation of lots, plots and parts thereof.
    17    §  3.  Subdivision  (a)  of  section 1116 of the tax law is amended by
    18  adding a new paragraph 10 to read as follows:
    19    (10) A cemetery corporation, as defined in paragraph  (a)  of  section
    20  fifteen hundred two of the not-for-profit corporation law, including but
    21  not  limited to those cemeteries regulated by the religious corporations
    22  law where it is the purchaser, user, or consumer, or  where  it  is  the
    23  vendor  of services or property exclusively to be used on the grounds or
    24  buildings of the corporation.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09591-01-7

        A. 7647                             2
     1    § 4. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 1149  to  read  as
     2  follows:
     3    §  1149.  Amnesty  program.  (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any
     4  other law to the  contrary,  there  is  hereby  established  an  amnesty
     5  program  as described herein, to be administered by the commissioner, to
     6  be effective for the period as prescribed by such commissioner, for  all
     7  eligible  taxpayers  as  described  herein,  owing  any tax or surcharge
     8  imposed or formerly imposed by sections eleven hundred five  and  eleven
     9  hundred ten of this article, and administered by such commissioner.
    10    (b)  Such amnesty program shall apply to tax liabilities for the taxes
    11  set forth in sections eleven hundred five and eleven hundred ten of this
    12  article for taxable periods ending or transactions or uses occurring  on
    13  or before December thirty first, two thousand seventeen.
    14    (c)  For  purposes  of  the  amnesty  program  established  under this
    15  section, an eligible taxpayer is a cemetery corporation  as  defined  by
    16  paragraph  (a)  of  section  fifteen  hundred  two of the not-for-profit
    17  corporation law who or which has a tax liability with regard to  one  or
    18  more  of the designated taxes for the period of time described in subdi-
    19  vision (b) of this section.
    20    (d) The amnesty program established herein shall  provide,  that  upon
    21  application, including applicable returns, which application and returns
    22  shall  be in such form and submitted in such manner as prescribed by the
    23  commissioner of taxation and finance, by an eligible taxpayer, and  upon
    24  payment  in  such  form and in such manner as prescribed by such commis-
    25  sioner, which payment shall either accompany such application or be made
    26  within the time stated on a bill issued by  such  commissioner  to  such
    27  taxpayer,  of  the  amount  of  a tax liability under one or more of the
    28  designated taxes with respect to which amnesty is sought,  such  commis-
    29  sioner  shall waive any applicable penalties and interest (including the
    30  additional rate of interest  prescribed  under  section  eleven  hundred
    31  forty-five of this part). In addition, no civil, administrative or crim-
    32  inal  action  or  proceeding  shall  be brought against such an eligible
    33  taxpayer relating to the tax liability covered by such  waiver.  Failure
    34  to  pay  all  such  taxes  by the later of March fifteenth, two thousand
    35  eighteen, or the date prescribed therefor  on  a  bill  issued  by  such
    36  commissioner,  shall  invalidate  any  amnesty  granted  pursuant to the
    37  amnesty program established under this section.
    38    (e) Amnesty tax return forms shall be in a form, contain such informa-
    39  tion and be submitted  as  prescribed  by  the  commissioner  and  shall
    40  provide  for  specifications  by the applicant of the tax liability with
    41  respect to which amnesty is sought. The applicant must also provide such
    42  additional information as is required by  such  commissioner.    Amnesty
    43  shall  be  granted only with respect to the tax liabilities specified by
    44  the taxpayer on such forms. Any return or report filed under the amnesty
    45  program established herein is subject to verification and assessment  as
    46  provided  by  statute.  If the applicant files a false or fraudulent tax
    47  return or report, or attempts in any manner to defeat  or  evade  a  tax
    48  under the amnesty program, amnesty shall be denied or rescinded.
    49    (f)  With  respect to any existing installment payment agreement of an
    50  eligible taxpayer, where such agreement applies to a tax liability  with
    51  respect to which amnesty is sought by such taxpayer, notwithstanding any
    52  terms  of  such agreement to the contrary, such taxpayer, as a condition
    53  of receiving amnesty, must pay any such liability in full by  the  later
    54  of the last day of the prescribed amnesty period, or the date prescribed
    55  therefor on a bill issued by the commissioner.

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     1    (g)  The  commissioner  may  promulgate  regulations,  issue forms and
     2  instructions and take any and all other actions necessary  to  implement
     3  the  provisions  of  the amnesty program established under this section.
     4  Such commissioner shall publicize the amnesty program  provided  for  in
     5  this  section so as to maximize public awareness of and participation in
     6  such program.
     7    § 5. On or before February 28, 2020, the commissioner of taxation  and
     8  finance  shall  submit  a report to the chairperson of the assembly ways
     9  and means committee, the ranking minority member of  the  assembly  ways
    10  and  means  committee,  the chairperson of the senate finance committee,
    11  the ranking minority member of the  senate  finance  committee  and  the
    12  director  of the budget regarding the amnesty program established pursu-
    13  ant to this act. The report shall contain the following  information  as
    14  of  the  report cutoff date:  (i) the gross revenue collected under each
    15  tax and the year or other applicable period  for  or  during  which  the
    16  liability  was  incurred; (ii) the amount of money spent on advertising,
    17  notification,  and  outreach  activities,  by  each  activity,   and   a
    18  description  of  the form and content of such activities, by each activ-
    19  ity; (iii) the amount paid by the department of taxation and finance for
    20  services and expenses  related  to  the  establishment  of  the  amnesty
    21  program;  and  (iv)  an  estimate  of the net revenue generated from the
    22  amnesty program.
    23    § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
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