The Florida Senate

199.1055  Contaminated site rehabilitation tax credit.--

(1)  AUTHORIZATION FOR TAX CREDIT; LIMITATIONS.--

(a)  A credit in the amount of 35 percent of the costs of voluntary cleanup activity that is integral to site rehabilitation at the following sites is allowed against any tax due for a taxable year under s. 199.032, less any credit allowed by s. 220.68 for that year:

1.  A drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site eligible for state-funded site rehabilitation under s. 376.3078(3);

2.  A drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site at which cleanup is undertaken by the real property owner pursuant to s. 376.3078(11), if the real property owner is not also, and has never been, the owner or operator of the drycleaning facility where the contamination exists; or

3.  A brownfield site in a designated brownfield area under s. 376.80.

(b)  A taxpayer, or multiple taxpayers working jointly to clean up a single site, may not receive more than $250,000 per year in tax credits for each site voluntarily rehabilitated. Multiple taxpayers shall receive tax credits in the same proportion as their contribution to payment of cleanup costs. Subject to the same conditions and limitations as provided in this section, a municipality or county which voluntarily rehabilitates a site may receive not more than $250,000 per year in tax credits which it can subsequently transfer subject to the provisions in paragraph (g).

(c)  If the credit granted under this section is not fully used in any one year because of insufficient tax liability on the part of the taxpayer, the unused amount may be carried forward for a period not to exceed 5 years.

(d)  A taxpayer that receives a credit under s. 220.1845 is ineligible to receive credit under this section in a given tax year.

(e)  A taxpayer that receives state-funded site rehabilitation pursuant to s. 376.3078(3) for rehabilitation of a drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site is ineligible to receive credit under this section for costs incurred by the taxpayer in conjunction with the rehabilitation of that site during the same time period that state-administered site rehabilitation was underway.

(f)  The total amount of the tax credits which may be granted under this section and s. 220.1845 is $2 million annually.

(g)1.  Tax credits that may be available under this section to an entity eligible under s. 376.30781 may be transferred after a merger or acquisition to the surviving or acquiring entity and used in the same manner with the same limitations.

2.  The entity or its surviving or acquiring entity as described in subparagraph 1., may transfer any unused credit in whole or in units of no less than 25 percent of the remaining credit. The entity acquiring such credit may use it in the same manner and with the same limitation as described in this section. Such transferred credits may not be transferred again although they may succeed to a surviving or acquiring entity subject to the same conditions and limitations as described in this section.

3.  In the event the credit provided for under this section is reduced either as a result of a determination by the Department of Environmental Protection or an examination or audit by the Department of Revenue, such tax deficiency shall be recovered from the first entity, or the surviving or acquiring entity, to have claimed such credit up to the amount of credit taken. Any subsequent deficiencies shall be assessed against any entity acquiring and claiming such credit, or in the case of multiple succeeding entities in the order of credit succession.

(h)  In order to encourage completion of site rehabilitation at contaminated sites being voluntarily cleaned up and eligible for a tax credit under this section, the taxpayer may claim an additional 10 percent of the total cleanup costs, not to exceed $50,000, in the final year of cleanup as evidenced by the Department of Environmental Protection issuing a "No Further Action" order for that site.

(2)  FILING REQUIREMENTS.--Any taxpayer that wishes to obtain credit under this section must submit with its return a tax credit certificate approving partial tax credits issued by the Department of Environmental Protection under s. 376.30781.

(3)  ADMINISTRATION; AUDIT AUTHORITY; TAX CREDIT FORFEITURE.--

(a)  The Department of Revenue may adopt rules to prescribe any necessary forms required to claim a tax credit under this section and to provide the administrative guidelines and procedures required to administer this section.

(b)  In addition to its existing audit and investigation authority relating to chapters 199 and 220, the Department of Revenue may perform any additional financial and technical audits and investigations, including examining the accounts, books, or records of the tax credit applicant, which are necessary to verify the site rehabilitation costs included in a tax credit return and to ensure compliance with this section. The Department of Environmental Protection shall provide technical assistance, when requested by the Department of Revenue, on any technical audits performed under this section.

(c)  It is grounds for forfeiture of previously claimed and received tax credits if the Department of Revenue determines, as a result of either an audit or information received from the Department of Environmental Protection, that a taxpayer received tax credits under this section to which the taxpayer was not entitled. In the case of fraud, the taxpayer shall be prohibited from claiming any future tax credits under this section or s. 220.1845.

1.  The taxpayer is responsible for returning forfeited tax credits to the Department of Revenue, and such funds shall be paid into the General Revenue Fund of the state.

2.  The taxpayer shall file with the Department of Revenue an amended tax return or such other report as the Department of Revenue prescribes by rule and shall pay any required tax within 60 days after the taxpayer receives notification from the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to s. 376.30781 that previously approved tax credits have been revoked or modified, if uncontested, or within 60 days after a final order is issued following proceedings involving a contested revocation or modification order.

3.  A notice of deficiency may be issued by the Department of Revenue at any time within 5 years after the date the taxpayer receives notification from the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to s. 376.30781 that previously approved tax credits have been revoked or modified. If a taxpayer fails to notify the Department of Revenue of any change in its tax credit claimed, a notice of deficiency may be issued at any time. In either case, the amount of any proposed assessment set forth in such notice of deficiency shall be limited to the amount of any deficiency resulting under this section from the recomputation of the taxpayer's tax for the taxable year.

4.  Any taxpayer that fails to report and timely pay any tax due as a result of the forfeiture of its tax credit is in violation of this section and is subject to applicable penalty and interest.

History.--s. 1, ch. 98-189.