South Carolina General Assembly
123rd Session, 2019-2020

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Bill 439


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 12-6-3375, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE TAX CREDIT FOR A PORT CARGO VOLUME INCREASE, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF THE AVAILABLE TAX CREDITS FOR PORT CARGO VOLUME INCREASES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR A PORT TRANSPORTATION CREDIT FOR THE COSTS OF TRANSPORTING FREIGHT, GOODS, AND MATERIALS FROM QUALIFYING FACILITIES LOCATED IN CERTAIN COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO A SOUTH CAROLINA PORT FACILITY; AND BY ADDING SECTION 12-36-2140 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PORT FACILITY IS A DISTRIBUTION FACILITY FOR PURPOSES OF CERTAIN SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 12-6-3375(A)(2) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(2)    The maximum amount of tax credits allowed to all qualifying taxpayers pursuant to this section may not exceed eight fifteen million dollars for each calendar year. The credits may be claimed against the taxes imposed pursuant to Sections 12-6-530 and 12-6-545 and against employee withholdings. The council has sole discretion in allocating the credits provided by this section and must consider the following factors:

(a)    the amount of base year port cargo volume;

(b)    the total and percentage increase in port cargo volume; and

(c)    factors related to the economic benefit of the State or other factors."

SECTION    2.    Section 12-6-3375 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an appropriately lettered subsection at the end to read:

"( )(1)    A taxpayer engaged in any of the businesses identified in subsection (A)(1) at a facility located in the counties of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Hampton, Jasper, or Orangeburg is eligible to claim a port transportation credit in the form of an income tax credit or a credit against employee withholding for its transportation costs in an amount determined by the council in its sole discretion.

(2)    For purposes of this subsection, 'transportation costs' means the costs of transporting freight, goods, and materials to and from port facilities in South Carolina.

(3)    The maximum amount of port transportation credits allowed to all qualifying taxpayers pursuant to this subsection is limited to the following amounts of the fifteen million dollars of credits available under this section:

(a)    one million dollars for the calendar year ending December 31, 2019;

(b)    two million dollars for the calendar year ending December 31, 2020; and

(c)    three million dollars for all calendar years after December 31, 2020, until the port transportation credit expires pursuant to item (6).

(4)(a)    If the allocable port transportation credit exceeds the taxpayer's income tax liability for the taxable year, the excess amount may be carried forward and claimed against income taxes in the next five succeeding taxable years.

(b)    If the allocable port transportation credit exceeds the taxpayer's withholding tax liability for the taxable quarter that is not otherwise refundable pursuant to this title, the excess amount may be carried forward and claimed against withholding liability that is not otherwise refundable pursuant to this title in the next twenty succeeding taxable quarters.

(5)(a)    The port transportation credit is allowable to a qualifying taxpayer without regard to whether the taxpayer qualifies for any of the other credits available under this section. A qualifying taxpayer seeking to claim the port transportation credit must submit an application to the council after the calendar year in which the taxpayer seeks to claim the port transportation credit. The application must be made on a form to be prescribed by the council.

(b)    To receive the credit the taxpayer shall claim the credit on its income tax or withholding return in a manner prescribed by the department. The department may require a copy of the certification form issued by the council be attached to the return or otherwise provided.

(6)    The port transportation credit expires effective at the end of the calendar year in which a port in Jasper County is opened and is accepting shipments."

SECTION    3.    Article 21, Chapter 36, Title 12 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 12-36-2140.    For purposes of the exemptions set forth in this article, the term 'distribution facility' includes, but is not limited to, a port facility as defined in Section 12-6-3375."

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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