Bill Text: NY S04088 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Makes technical corrections to the conservation easement tax credit.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-06-06 - referred to ways and means [S04088 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-S04088-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 4088 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E March 17, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MARCELLINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations 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 43 and is amended to read as follows: 15 43. 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. EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02983-01-1 S. 4088 2 1 (2) Conservation easement. For purposes of this subdivision, the term 2 "conservation easement" means a perpetual and permanent conservation 3 easement as defined in article forty-nine of the environmental conserva- 4 tion law that serves to protect open space, scenic, natural resources, 5 biodiversity, agricultural, watershed and/or historic preservation 6 resources. Any conservation easement for which a tax credit is claimed 7 under this subdivision shall be filed with the department of environ- 8 mental conservation, as provided for in article forty-nine of the envi- 9 ronmental conservation law and such conservation easement shall comply 10 with the provisions of title three of such article, and the provisions 11 of subdivision (h) of section 170 of the internal revenue code. Dedi- 12 cations of land for open space through the execution of conservation 13 easements for the purpose of fulfilling density requirements to obtain 14 subdivision or building permits shall not be considered a conservation 15 easement under this subdivision. 16 (3) Land. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "land" means a 17 fee simple title to real property located in this state, with or without 18 improvements thereon; rights of way; water and riparian rights; ease- 19 ments; privileges and all other rights or interests of any land or 20 description in, relating to or connected with real property, excluding 21 buildings, structures, or improvements. 22 (4) Public or private conservation agency. For purposes of this subdi- 23 vision, the term "public or private conservation agency" means any 24 state, local, or federal governmental body; or any private not-for-pro- 25 fit charitable corporation or trust which is authorized to do business 26 in the state of New York, is organized and operated to protect land for 27 natural resources, conservation or historic preservation purposes, is 28 exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the 29 internal revenue code, and has the power to acquire, hold and maintain 30 land and/or interests in land for such purposes. 31 (5) Credit limitation. The amount of the credit that may be claimed by 32 a taxpayer pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed five thousand 33 dollars in any given year. 34 (6) Application of the credit. The credit allowed under this subdivi- 35 sion for any taxable year shall not reduce the tax due for such year to 36 less than the higher of the amounts prescribed in paragraphs (c) and (d) 37 of subdivision one of this section. However, if the amount of the credit 38 allowed under this subdivision for any taxable year reduces the tax to 39 such amount, any amount of the credit thus not deductible in such taxa- 40 ble year shall be treated as an overpayment of tax to be credited or 41 refunded in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of section 42 [ten hundred] ONE THOUSAND eighty-eight of this chapter, except that, no 43 interest shall be paid thereon. 44 S 3. Subparagraph (B) of paragraph 1 of subsection (i) of section 606 45 of the tax law is amended by adding a new clause (xvii-a) to read as 46 follows: 47 (XXVII-A) CONSERVATION EASEMENT AMOUNT OF CREDIT UNDER 48 TAX CREDIT UNDER SUBSECTION (KK) SUBDIVISION FORTY-THREE OF 49 SECTION TWO HUNDRED TEN 50 S 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be made applica- 51 ble to taxable years commencing on and after January 1, 2011 and there- 52 after.