SENATE BILL No. 709

 

 

September 18, 2003, Introduced by Senators BRATER and THOMAS and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1975 PA 228, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Single business tax act,"                                                  

                                                                                

    by amending section 9 (MCL 208.9), as amended by 2001 PA 230.               

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 9.  (1) "Tax base" means business income, before                       

                                                                                

2   apportionment or allocation as provided in chapter 3, even if               

                                                                                

3   zero or negative, subject to the adjustments in this section.               

                                                                                

4       (2) Add gross interest income and dividends derived from                    

                                                                                

5   obligations or securities of states other than Michigan, in the             

                                                                                

6   same amount that was excluded from federal taxable income, less             

                                                                                

7   the related portion of expenses not deducted in computing federal           

                                                                                

8   taxable income because of sections 265 and 291 of the internal              

                                                                                

9   revenue code.                                                               

                                                                                

10      (3) Add all taxes on or measured by net income and the tax                  

                                                                                

11  imposed by this act to the extent the taxes were deducted in                

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   arriving at federal taxable income.                                         

                                                                                

2       (4) Add the following, to the extent deducted in arriving at                

                                                                                

3   federal taxable income:                                                     

                                                                                

4       (a) A carryback or carryover of a net operating loss.                       

                                                                                

5       (b) A carryback or carryover of a capital loss.                             

                                                                                

6       (c) A deduction for depreciation, amortization, or immediate                

                                                                                

7   or accelerated write-off related to the cost of tangible assets.            

                                                                                

8       (d) A dividend paid or accrued except a dividend that                       

                                                                                

9   represents a reduction of premiums to policyholders of insurance            

                                                                                

10  companies.                                                                  

                                                                                

11      (e) A deduction or exclusion by a taxpayer due to a                         

                                                                                

12  classification as, or the payment of commissions or other fees              

                                                                                

13  to, a domestic international sales corporation or any like                  

                                                                                

14  special classification the purpose of which is to reduce or                 

                                                                                

15  postpone the federal income tax liability.  This subdivision does           

                                                                                

16  not apply to the special provisions of sections 805, 809, and               

                                                                                

17  815(c)(2)(A) of the internal revenue code.                                  

                                                                                

18      (f) All interest including amounts paid, credited, or                       

                                                                                

19  reserved by insurance companies as amounts necessary to fulfill             

                                                                                

20  the policy and other contract liability requirements of                     

                                                                                

21  sections 805 and 809 of the internal revenue code.  Interest does           

                                                                                

22  not include payments or credits made to or on behalf of a                   

                                                                                

23  taxpayer by a manufacturer, distributor, or supplier of inventory           

                                                                                

24  to defray any part of the taxpayer's floor plan interest, if                

                                                                                

25  these payments are used by the taxpayer to reduce interest                  

                                                                                

26  expense in determining federal taxable income.  For purposes of             

                                                                                

27  this section, "floor plan interest" means interest paid that                


                                                                                

1   finances any part of the taxpayer's purchase of automobile                  

                                                                                

2   inventory from a manufacturer, distributor, or supplier.                    

                                                                                

3   However, amounts attributable to any invoiced items used to                 

                                                                                

4   provide more favorable floor plan assistance to a taxpayer than             

                                                                                

5   to a person who is not a taxpayer is considered interest paid by            

                                                                                

6   a manufacturer, distributor, or supplier.                                   

                                                                                

7       (g) All royalties except for the following:                                 

                                                                                

8                                                                                (i) On and after July 1, 1985, oil and gas royalties that are                       

                                                                                

9   excluded in the depletion deduction calculation under the                   

                                                                                

10  internal revenue code.                                                      

                                                                                

11      (ii) Cable television franchise fees described in section 622                

                                                                                

12  of part III of title VI of the communications act of 1934, 47               

                                                                                

13  U.S.C. 542.                                                                 

                                                                                

14      (iii) Except as provided in subparagraph (iv), for the tax                    

                                                                                

15  years 1986 and after 1986, a franchise fee as defined by                    

                                                                                

16  section 3 of the franchise investment law, 1974 PA 269,                     

                                                                                

17  MCL 445.1503, in the following amounts:                                     

                                                                                

18      (A) For the tax years 1986, 1987, and 1988, 20% of the                      

                                                                                

19  franchise fee.                                                              

                                                                                

20      (B) For the tax years 1989 and 1990, 50% of the franchise                   

                                                                                

21  fee.                                                                        

                                                                                

22      (C) For the tax years 1991 and after 1991, 100% of the                      

                                                                                

23  franchise fee.                                                              

                                                                                

24      (iv) For the tax years ending before 1991, this subdivision                  

                                                                                

25  does not apply to a fee for services paid by a franchisee that,             

                                                                                

26  with respect to a specific provision of a franchise agreement, a            

                                                                                

27  court of competent jurisdiction, before June 5, 1985, has                   


                                                                                

1   determined is not a royalty payment under this act.                         

                                                                                

2       (v) Film rental or royalty payments paid by a theater owner                 

                                                                                

3   to a film distributor, a film producer, or a film distributor and           

                                                                                

4   producer.                                                                   

                                                                                

5       (vi) Royalties, fees, charges, or other payments or                          

                                                                                

6   consideration paid or incurred by radio or television                       

                                                                                

7   broadcasters for program matter or signals.                                 

                                                                                

8       (vii) Royalties, fees, charges, or other payments or                         

                                                                                

9   consideration paid by a film distributor for copyrighted motion             

                                                                                

10  picture films, program matter, or signals to a film producer.               

                                                                                

11      (viii) For tax years that begin after December 31, 1993,                      

                                                                                

12  royalties paid by a licensee of application computer software,              

                                                                                

13  operating system software, or system software pursuant to a                 

                                                                                

14  license agreement.  As used in this subparagraph and                        

                                                                                

15  subsection (7)(c)(vii):                                                      

                                                                                

16      (A) "Application computer software" means a set of statements               

                                                                                

17  or instructions that when incorporated in a machine usable medium           

                                                                                

18  is capable of causing a machine or device having information                

                                                                                

19  processing capabilities to indicate, perform, or achieve a                  

                                                                                

20  particular business function, task, or result for the                       

                                                                                

21  nontechnical end user.  Application computer software includes              

                                                                                

22  any other computer software that does not qualify under                     

                                                                                

23  sub-subparagraph (B) or (C).                                                

                                                                                

24      (B) "Operating system software" means a set of statements or                

                                                                                

25  instructions that when incorporated into a machine or device                

                                                                                

26  having information processing capabilities is an interface                  

                                                                                

27  between the computer hardware and the application computer                  


                                                                                

1   software or system software.                                                

                                                                                

2       (C) "System software" means a set of statements or                          

                                                                                

3   instructions that interacts with operating system software that             

                                                                                

4   is developed, licensed, and intended for the exclusive use of               

                                                                                

5   data processing professionals to build, test, manage, or maintain           

                                                                                

6   application computer software for which a license agreement is              

                                                                                

7   signed by the licensor and licensee at the time of the transfer             

                                                                                

8   of the software and that is not transferred to the licensee as              

                                                                                

9   part of or in conjunction with a sale or lease of computer                  

                                                                                

10  hardware.                                                                   

                                                                                

11      (ix) For tax years that begin after December 31, 2000,                       

                                                                                

12  royalties, fees, or other payments or consideration paid or                 

                                                                                

13  incurred by a franchisee to a franchisor to establish or maintain           

                                                                                

14  the franchise relationship other than payments for the sale or              

                                                                                

15  lease of inventory, equipment, fixtures, or real property at fair           

                                                                                

16  rental or fair market value.                                                

                                                                                

17      (h) A deduction for rent attributable to a lease back that                  

                                                                                

18  continues in effect under the former provisions of                          

                                                                                

19  section 168(f)(8) of the internal revenue code of 1954 as that              

                                                                                

20  section provided immediately before the tax reform act of 1986,             

                                                                                

21  Public Law 99-514, became effective or to a lease back of                   

                                                                                

22  property to which the amendments made by the tax reform act of              

                                                                                

23  1986 do not apply as provided in section 204 of the tax reform              

                                                                                

24  act of 1986.                                                                

                                                                                

25      (5) Add compensation.                                                       

                                                                                

26      (6) Add a capital gain related to business activity of                      

                                                                                

27  individuals to the extent excluded in arriving at federal taxable           


                                                                                

1   income.                                                                     

                                                                                

2       (7) Deduct the following, to the extent included in arriving                

                                                                                

3   at federal taxable income:                                                  

                                                                                

4       (a) A dividend received or considered received, including the               

                                                                                

5   foreign dividend gross-up provided for in the internal revenue              

                                                                                

6   code.                                                                       

                                                                                

7       (b) All interest except amounts paid, credited, or reserved                 

                                                                                

8   by an insurance company as amounts necessary to fulfill the                 

                                                                                

9   policy and other contract liability requirements of sections 805            

                                                                                

10  and 809 of the internal revenue code.                                       

                                                                                

11      (c) All royalties except for the following:                                 

                                                                                

12                                                                               (i) On and after July 1, 1985, oil and gas royalties that are                       

                                                                                

13  included in the depletion deduction calculation under the                   

                                                                                

14  internal revenue code.                                                      

                                                                                

15      (ii) Except as provided in subparagraph (iii), for the 1986                    

                                                                                

16  tax year and after the 1986 tax year, a franchise fee as defined            

                                                                                

17  in section 3 of the franchise investment law, 1974 PA 269,                  

                                                                                

18  MCL 445.1503, in the following amounts:                                     

                                                                                

19      (A) For the tax years 1986, 1987, and 1988, 20% of the                      

                                                                                

20  franchise fee.                                                              

                                                                                

21      (B) For the tax years 1989 and 1990, 50% of the franchise                   

                                                                                

22  fee.                                                                        

                                                                                

23      (C) For the tax years 1991 and after 1991, 100% of the                      

                                                                                

24  franchise fee.                                                              

                                                                                

25      (iii) For the tax years ending before 1991, this subdivision                 

                                                                                

26  does not apply to a fee for services paid by a franchisee that,             

                                                                                

27  with respect to a specific provision of a franchise agreement, a            


                                                                                

1   court of competent jurisdiction, before June 5, 1985, has                   

                                                                                

2   determined is not a royalty payment under this act.                         

                                                                                

3       (iv) Film rental or royalty payments paid by a theater owner                 

                                                                                

4   to a film distributor, a film producer, or a film distributor and           

                                                                                

5   producer.                                                                   

                                                                                

6       (v) Royalties, fees, charges, or other payments or                          

                                                                                

7   consideration paid or incurred by radio or television                       

                                                                                

8   broadcasters for program matter or signals.                                 

                                                                                

9       (vi) Royalties, fees, charges, or other payments or                          

                                                                                

10  consideration paid by a film distributor for copyrighted motion             

                                                                                

11  picture films, program matter, or signals to a film producer.               

                                                                                

12      (vii) For tax years that begin after December 31, 1997,                      

                                                                                

13  royalties received by a licensor, distributor, developer,                   

                                                                                

14  marketer, or copyright holder of application computer software or           

                                                                                

15  operating system software pursuant to a license agreement.                  

                                                                                

16  System software is not included within the exception under this             

                                                                                

17  subparagraph.                                                               

                                                                                

18      (viii)For tax years that begin after December 31, 2000,                       

                                                                                

19  royalties, fees, or other payments or consideration paid or                 

                                                                                

20  incurred by a franchisee to a franchisor to establish or maintain           

                                                                                

21  the franchise relationship other than payments for the sale or              

                                                                                

22  lease of inventory, equipment, fixtures, or real property at fair           

                                                                                

23  rental or fair market value.                                                

                                                                                

24      (d) Rent attributable to a lease back that continues in                     

                                                                                

25  effect under the former provisions of section 168(f)(8) of the              

                                                                                

26  internal revenue code of 1954 as that section provided                      

                                                                                

27  immediately before the tax reform act of 1986, Public Law 99-514,           


                                                                                

1   became effective or to a lease back of property to which the                

                                                                                

2   amendments made by the tax reform act of 1986 do not apply as               

                                                                                

3   provided in section 204 of the tax reform act of 1986.                      

                                                                                

4       (8) Deduct a capital loss not deducted in arriving at federal               

                                                                                

5   taxable income in the year the loss occurred.                               

                                                                                

6       (9) To the extent included in federal taxable income, add the               

                                                                                

7   loss or subtract the gain from the tax base that is attributable            

                                                                                

8   to another entity whose business activities are taxable under               

                                                                                

9   this act or would be taxable under this act if the business                 

                                                                                

10  activities were in this state.                                              

                                                                                

11      (10) For tax years that begin after December 31, 2002, add                  

                                                                                

12  any settlement amount paid pursuant to an agreement with a state            

                                                                                

13  or federal governmental agency based on questionable practices              

                                                                                

14  related to stock or securities transactions to the extent that              

                                                                                

15  amount was deducted in determining taxable income.  For the                 

                                                                                

16  taxpayer's 2003 tax year only, add an amount equal to any                   

                                                                                

17  settlement amount paid pursuant to an agreement with a state or             

                                                                                

18  federal governmental agency based on questionable practices                 

                                                                                

19  related to stock or securities transactions to the extent that              

                                                                                

20  amount was deducted in determining taxable income for the                   

                                                                                

21  taxpayer's 2002 tax year.