Bill Text: NY S07826 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a legal services veterans tax credit of up to $1,500 for any attorney who performs a minimum of fifty hours of pro bono legal services to a veteran or disabled veteran during a taxable year; provides that such services shall include, but not be limited to, veteran's benefits and appeals, military discharges and upgrades, public benefits, evictions and foreclosures, and consumer debt issues.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-25 - REFERRED TO BUDGET AND REVENUE [S07826 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S07826-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7826 IN SENATE February 25, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Budget and Revenue AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to establishing a legal services veterans tax credit for attorneys who perform certain civil cases and services for veterans and disabled veterans The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 210-B of the tax law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 55 to read as follows: 3 55. Legal services veterans tax credit. (a) General. A taxpayer shall 4 be allowed a credit, to be computed as provided in this subdivision, 5 against the tax imposed by this article for any attorney who performs a 6 minimum of fifty hours of pro bono legal services for civil cases to a 7 veteran or disabled veteran during a taxable year. Such services shall 8 include, but not be limited to, veteran's benefits and appeals, military 9 discharges and upgrades, public benefits, evictions and foreclosures, 10 and consumer debt issues. 11 (b) Amount of credit. A credit authorized by this section shall not 12 exceed one thousand five hundred dollars annually. 13 (c) Carryovers. The credit allowed under this subdivision may be 14 claimed and if not fully used in the initial year for which the credit 15 is claimed may be carried over, in order, to each of the ten succeeding 16 taxable years. The credit authorized by this subdivision may not be used 17 to reduce the tax liability of the credit claimant below zero. 18 (d) Definitions. As used in this subdivision, the following terms 19 shall have the following meanings: 20 (i) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as set forth in section 21 eighty-five of the civil service law. 22 (ii) "Disabled veteran" shall have the same meaning as set forth in 23 section eighty-five of the civil service law. 24 § 2. Subparagraph (B) of paragraph 1 of subsection (i) of section 606 25 of the tax law is amended by adding a new clause (xlvi) to read as 26 follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD15263-02-0S. 7826 2 1 (xlvi) Legal services veterans tax Amount of credit under subdivision 2 credit under subsection (kkk) fifty-five of section two 3 hundred ten-B 4 § 3. Section 606 of the tax law is amended by adding a new subsection 5 (kkk) to read as follows: 6 (kkk) Legal services veterans tax credit. (1) General. A taxpayer 7 shall be allowed a credit, to be computed as provided in this 8 subsection, against the tax imposed by this article for any attorney who 9 performs a minimum of fifty hours of pro bono legal services for civil 10 cases to a veteran or disabled veteran during a taxable year. Such 11 services shall include, but not be limited to, veteran's benefits and 12 appeals, military discharges and upgrades, public benefits, evictions 13 and foreclosures, and consumer debt issues. 14 (2) Amount of credit. A credit authorized by this subsection shall not 15 exceed one thousand five hundred dollars annually. 16 (3) Carryovers. The credit allowed under this subsection may be 17 claimed and if not fully used in the initial year for which the credit 18 is claimed may be carried over, in order, to each of the ten succeeding 19 taxable years. The credit authorized by this subsection may not be used 20 to reduce the tax liability of the credit claimant below zero. 21 (4) Definitions. As used in this subsection, the following terms shall 22 have the following meanings: 23 (i) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as set forth in section 24 eighty-five of the civil service law. 25 (ii) "Disabled veteran" shall have the same meaning as set forth in 26 section eighty-five of the civil service law. 27 § 4. The attorney general shall promulgate any necessary rules and 28 regulations that define which civil cases and services qualify for the 29 credit, as well as procedures for the screening and review of hour 30 submissions by attorneys. The commissioner of taxation and finance 31 shall promulgate any necessary rules and regulations pertaining to the 32 submission of qualifying hours by attorneys. 33 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to taxable 34 years beginning on or after January 1, 2020.