Senate Bill sb1186

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1186

    By Senator Clary





    7-1179-02                                               See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to rural economic development;

  3         amending s. 212.08, F.S.; expanding an

  4         exemption from the tax on sales, use, and other

  5         transactions for certain business equipment in

  6         enterprise zones; amending s. 288.0655, F.S.;

  7         providing for additional uses of moneys in the

  8         Rural Infrastructure Fund; amending s. 288.095,

  9         F.S.; establishing the Rural Economic

10         Development Account within the Economic

11         Development Trust Fund for certain purposes;

12         specifying nonreversion of moneys in the

13         account; providing an effective date.

14

15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

16

17         Section 1.  Paragraph (h) of subsection (5) of section

18  212.08, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

19         212.08  Sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution,

20  and storage tax; specified exemptions.--The sale at retail,

21  the rental, the use, the consumption, the distribution, and

22  the storage to be used or consumed in this state of the

23  following are hereby specifically exempt from the tax imposed

24  by this chapter.

25         (5)  EXEMPTIONS; ACCOUNT OF USE.--

26         (h)  Business property used in an enterprise zone.--

27         1.  Business property purchased for use by businesses

28  located in an enterprise zone which is subsequently used in an

29  enterprise zone shall be exempt from the tax imposed by this

30  chapter. This exemption inures to the business only through a

31  refund of previously paid taxes. A refund shall be authorized

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1186
    7-1179-02                                               See HB




  1  upon an affirmative showing by the taxpayer to the

  2  satisfaction of the department that the requirements of this

  3  paragraph have been met.

  4         2.  To receive a refund, the business must file under

  5  oath with the governing body or enterprise zone development

  6  agency having jurisdiction over the enterprise zone where the

  7  business is located, as applicable, an application which

  8  includes:

  9         a.  The name and address of the business claiming the

10  refund.

11         b.  The identifying number assigned pursuant to s.

12  290.0065 to the enterprise zone in which the business is

13  located.

14         c.  A specific description of the property for which a

15  refund is sought, including its serial number or other

16  permanent identification number.

17         d.  The location of the property.

18         e.  The sales invoice or other proof of purchase of the

19  property, showing the amount of sales tax paid, the date of

20  purchase, and the name and address of the sales tax dealer

21  from whom the property was purchased.

22         f.  Whether the business is a small business as defined

23  by s. 288.703(1).

24         g.  If applicable, the name and address of each

25  permanent employee of the business, including, for each

26  employee who is a resident of an enterprise zone, the

27  identifying number assigned pursuant to s. 290.0065 to the

28  enterprise zone in which the employee resides.

29         3.  Within 10 working days after receipt of an

30  application, the governing body or enterprise zone development

31  agency shall review the application to determine if it

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1186
    7-1179-02                                               See HB




  1  contains all the information required pursuant to subparagraph

  2  2. and meets the criteria set out in this paragraph. The

  3  governing body or agency shall certify all applications that

  4  contain the information required pursuant to subparagraph 2.

  5  and meet the criteria set out in this paragraph as eligible to

  6  receive a refund. If applicable, the governing body or agency

  7  shall also certify if 20 percent of the employees of the

  8  business are residents of an enterprise zone, excluding

  9  temporary and part-time employees. The certification shall be

10  in writing, and a copy of the certification shall be

11  transmitted to the executive director of the Department of

12  Revenue. The business shall be responsible for forwarding a

13  certified application to the department within the time

14  specified in subparagraph 4.

15         4.  An application for a refund pursuant to this

16  paragraph must be submitted to the department within 6 months

17  after the tax is due on the business property that is

18  purchased.

19         5.  The provisions of s. 212.095 do not apply to any

20  refund application made pursuant to this paragraph. The amount

21  refunded on purchases of business property under this

22  paragraph shall be the lesser of 97 percent of the sales tax

23  paid on such business property or $5,000, or, if no less than

24  20 percent of the employees of the business are residents of

25  an enterprise zone, excluding temporary and part-time

26  employees, the amount refunded on purchases of business

27  property under this paragraph shall be the lesser of 97

28  percent of the sales tax paid on such business property or

29  $10,000. A refund approved pursuant to this paragraph shall be

30  made within 30 days of formal approval by the department of

31  the application for the refund. No refund shall be granted

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1186
    7-1179-02                                               See HB




  1  under this paragraph unless the amount to be refunded exceeds

  2  $100 in sales tax paid on purchases made within a 60-day time

  3  period.

  4         6.  The department shall adopt rules governing the

  5  manner and form of refund applications and may establish

  6  guidelines as to the requisites for an affirmative showing of

  7  qualification for exemption under this paragraph.

  8         7.  If the department determines that the business

  9  property is used outside an enterprise zone within 3 years

10  from the date of purchase, the amount of taxes refunded to the

11  business purchasing such business property shall immediately

12  be due and payable to the department by the business, together

13  with the appropriate interest and penalty, computed from the

14  date of purchase, in the manner provided by this chapter.

15  Notwithstanding this subparagraph, business property used

16  exclusively in:

17         a.  Licensed commercial fishing vessels,

18         b.  Fishing guide boats, or

19         c.  Ecotourism guide boats

20

21  that leave and return to a fixed location within an area

22  designated under s. 370.28 are eligible for the exemption

23  provided under this paragraph if all requirements of this

24  paragraph are met. Such vessels and boats must be owned by a

25  business that is eligible to receive the exemption provided

26  under this paragraph. This exemption does not apply to the

27  purchase of a vessel or boat.

28         8.  The department shall deduct an amount equal to 10

29  percent of each refund granted under the provisions of this

30  paragraph from the amount transferred into the Local

31  Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund pursuant to

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1186
    7-1179-02                                               See HB




  1  s. 212.20 for the county area in which the business property

  2  is located and shall transfer that amount to the General

  3  Revenue Fund.

  4         9.  For the purposes of this exemption, "business

  5  property" means new or used property defined as "recovery

  6  property" in s. 168(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954,

  7  as amended, except:

  8         a.  Property classified as 3-year property under s.

  9  168(c)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended;

10         b.  Industrial machinery and equipment as defined in

11  sub-subparagraph (b)6.a. and eligible for exemption under

12  paragraph (b);

13         c.  Building materials as defined in sub-subparagraph

14  (g)8.a.; and

15         d.  Business property having a sales price of under

16  $500 $5,000 per unit.

17         10.  The provisions of this paragraph shall expire and

18  be void on December 31, 2005.

19         Section 2.  Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of

20  section 288.0655, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

21         288.0655  Rural Infrastructure Fund.--

22         (2)(a)  Funds appropriated by the Legislature shall be

23  distributed by the office through a grant programs program

24  that maximize maximizes the use of federal, local, and private

25  resources, including, but not limited to, those available

26  under the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant

27  Program.

28         (b)  To facilitate access of rural communities and

29  rural areas of critical economic concern as defined by the

30  Rural Economic Development Initiative to infrastructure

31  funding programs of the Federal Government, such as those

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1186
    7-1179-02                                               See HB




  1  offered by the United States Department of Agriculture and the

  2  United States Department of Commerce, and state programs,

  3  including those offered by Rural Economic Development

  4  Initiative agencies, and to facilitate local government or

  5  private infrastructure funding efforts, the office may award

  6  grants to applicants for such federal programs for up to 30

  7  percent of the total infrastructure project cost. Eligible

  8  projects must be related to specific job-creation or

  9  job-retention job creating opportunities. Eligible projects

10  may also include improving any inadequate infrastructure that

11  has resulted in regulatory action that prohibits economic or

12  community growth or reducing the costs to community users of

13  proposed infrastructure improvements that exceed such costs in

14  comparable communities. Eligible uses of funds shall include

15  improvements to public infrastructure for industrial or

16  commercial sites and upgrades to or development of public

17  tourism infrastructure. Authorized infrastructure may include

18  the following public or public-private partnership facilities:

19  storm water systems; telecommunications facilities; roads or

20  other remedies to transportation impediments; nature-based

21  tourism facilities; or other physical requirements necessary

22  to facilitate tourism, trade, and economic development

23  activities in the community. Authorized infrastructure may

24  also include publicly owned self-powered nature-based tourism

25  facilities and additions to the distribution facilities of the

26  existing natural gas utility as defined in s. 366.04(3)(c),

27  the existing electric utility as defined in s. 366.02, or the

28  existing water or wastewater utility as defined in s.

29  367.021(12), or any other existing water or wastewater

30  facility, which owns a gas or electric distribution system or

31  a water or wastewater system in this state where:

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1186
    7-1179-02                                               See HB




  1         1.  A contribution-in-aid of construction is required

  2  to serve public or public-private partnership facilities under

  3  the tariffs of any natural gas, electric, water, or wastewater

  4  utility as defined herein; and

  5         2.  Such utilities as defined herein are willing and

  6  able to provide such service.

  7         Section 3.  Subsection (2) of section 288.095, Florida

  8  Statutes, is amended to read:

  9         288.095  Economic Development Trust Fund.--

10         (2)(a)  There is created, within the Economic

11  Development Trust Fund, the Economic Development Incentives

12  Account. The Economic Development Incentives Account consists

13  of moneys appropriated to the account for purposes of the tax

14  incentives programs authorized under ss. 288.1045 and 288.106,

15  and local financial support provided under ss. 288.1045 and

16  288.106. Moneys in the Economic Development Incentives Account

17  shall be subject to the provisions of s. 216.301(1)(a).

18         (b)  There is created, within the Economic Development

19  Trust Fund, the Rural Economic Development Account. The Rural

20  Economic Development Account consists of moneys appropriated

21  to the account for the purposes of ss. 288.018, 288.065, and

22  288.0655, Florida Statutes, all repayments provided for under

23  ss. 288.018, 288.065, and 288.0655, Florida Statutes, and any

24  income associated with the account. Notwithstanding s.

25  216.301, Florida Statutes, funds in the Rural Economic

26  Development Account shall not be subject to reversion.

27         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

28  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1186
    7-1179-02                                               See HB




  1            *****************************************

  2                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

  3    Expands an exemption from the tax on sales, use, and
      other transactions for business property in enterprise
  4    zones having a sales price under $500 rather than under
      $5,000. Provides for additional uses of moneys in the
  5    Rural Infrastructure Fund. Establishes the Rural Economic
      Development Account within the Economic Development Trust
  6    Fund for purposes of the Regional Rural Development
      Grants Program, the Rural Community Development Revolving
  7    Loan Fund, and the Rural Infrastructure Fund and
      specifies nonreversion of moneys in the account. (See
  8    bill for details.)

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