Bill Text: NY A09653 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Makes technical corrections to the conservation easement tax credit.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-06-19 - held for consideration in ways and means [A09653 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A09653-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         9653
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    March 22, 2012
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Ways and Means
       AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to making technical corrections
         to the conservation easement tax credit
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Paragraph 1 of subsection (kk) of section 606  of  the  tax
    2  law,  as added by section 1 of part F of chapter 62 of the laws of 2006,
    3  is amended to read as follows:
    4    (1) Credit allowed. In the case of a taxpayer who owns  land  that  is
    5  subject to a conservation easement held by a public or private conserva-
    6  tion  agency, there shall be allowed a credit for twenty-five percent of
    7  the [allowable school district, county and  town]  real  property  taxes
    8  PAID  on  [such]  THE  land,  OR  PORTION  OF  THE  LAND, SUBJECT TO THE
    9  EASEMENT. In no event shall the credit allowed under this subsection  in
   10  combination  with any other credit for [such school district, county and
   11  town] real property taxes under this section exceed such taxes.
   12    S 2. Subdivision 38 of section 210 of the tax law, as added by section
   13  3 of part F of chapter 62 of the laws of 2006, is renumbered subdivision
   14  45 and is amended to read as follows:
   15    45. Conservation easement tax credit. (1) Credit allowed. In the  case
   16  of  a  taxpayer who owns land that is subject to a conservation easement
   17  held by a public or private conservation agency, there shall be  allowed
   18  a  credit  for  twenty-five  percent  of the [allowable school district,
   19  county and town] real property taxes PAID on [such] THE land, OR PORTION
   20  OF THE LAND, SUBJECT TO THE EASEMENT. In no such case shall  the  credit
   21  allowed  under this subdivision in combination with any other credit for
   22  [such school district, county and town] real property taxes  under  this
   23  section exceed such taxes.
   24    (2)  Conservation easement. For purposes of this subdivision, the term
   25  "conservation easement" means a  perpetual  and  permanent  conservation
   26  easement as defined in article forty-nine of the environmental conserva-
   27  tion  law  that serves to protect open space, scenic, natural resources,
   28  biodiversity,  agricultural,  watershed  and/or  historic   preservation
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02983-03-2
       A. 9653                             2
    1  resources.  Any  conservation easement for which a tax credit is claimed
    2  under this subdivision shall be filed with the  department  of  environ-
    3  mental  conservation, as provided for in article forty-nine of the envi-
    4  ronmental  conservation  law and such conservation easement shall comply
    5  with the provisions of title three of such article, and  the  provisions
    6  of  subdivision  (h)  of section 170 of the internal revenue code. Dedi-
    7  cations of land for open space through  the  execution  of  conservation
    8  easements  for  the purpose of fulfilling density requirements to obtain
    9  subdivision or building permits shall not be considered  a  conservation
   10  easement under this subdivision.
   11    (3)  Land.  For  purposes of this subdivision, the term "land" means a
   12  fee simple title to real property located in this state, with or without
   13  improvements thereon; rights of way; water and  riparian  rights;  ease-
   14  ments;  privileges  and  all  other  rights  or interests of any land or
   15  description in, relating to or connected with real  property,  excluding
   16  buildings, structures, or improvements.
   17    (4) Public or private conservation agency. For purposes of this subdi-
   18  vision,  the  term  "public  or  private  conservation agency" means any
   19  state, local, or federal governmental body; or any private  not-for-pro-
   20  fit  charitable  corporation or trust which is authorized to do business
   21  in the state of New York, is organized and operated to protect land  for
   22  natural  resources,  conservation  or historic preservation purposes, is
   23  exempt from federal income  taxation  under  section  501(c)(3)  of  the
   24  internal  revenue  code, and has the power to acquire, hold and maintain
   25  land and/or interests in land for such purposes.
   26    (5) Credit limitation. The amount of the credit that may be claimed by
   27  a taxpayer pursuant to this subsection shall not  exceed  five  thousand
   28  dollars in any given year.
   29    (6)  Application of the credit. The credit allowed under this subdivi-
   30  sion for any taxable year shall not reduce the tax due for such year  to
   31  less than the higher of the amounts prescribed in paragraphs (c) and (d)
   32  of subdivision one of this section. However, if the amount of the credit
   33  allowed  under  this subdivision for any taxable year reduces the tax to
   34  such amount, any amount of the credit thus not deductible in such  taxa-
   35  ble  year  shall  be  treated as an overpayment of tax to be credited or
   36  refunded in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of  section
   37  [ten hundred] ONE THOUSAND eighty-eight of this chapter, except that, no
   38  interest shall be paid thereon.
   39    S  3. Subparagraph (B) of paragraph 1 of subsection (i) of section 606
   40  of the tax law is amended by adding a new  clause  (xxxiv)  to  read  as
   41  follows:
   42  (XXXIV) CONSERVATION EASEMENT        AMOUNT OF CREDIT UNDER
   43  TAX CREDIT UNDER SUBSECTION (KK)     SUBDIVISION FORTY-FIVE OF
   44                                       SECTION TWO HUNDRED TEN
   45    S 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be made applica-
   46  ble  to taxable years commencing on and after January 1, 2012 and there-
   47  after.
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