HOUSE BILL No. 5255

 

August 19, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Meltzer, Rick Jones, Wayne Schmidt, Calley, Crawford, Bolger, Schuitmaker, DeShazor and Tyler and referred to the Committee on Energy and Technology.

 

     A bill to amend 1967 PA 281, entitled

 

"Income tax act of 1967,"

 

(MCL 206.1 to 206.532) by adding section 254.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 254. (1) For the 2010 tax year only, a taxpayer who

 

purchases and installs a qualified geothermal heat pump may claim a

 

credit against the tax imposed by this act equal to 30% of the

 

expenditures incurred by the taxpayer during the tax year for the

 

purchase and installation of the qualified geothermal heat pump. To

 

claim the credit allowed under this section, the taxpayer shall, in

 

a manner required by the department, provide verification of the

 

expenditures incurred for the purchase and installation of the

 

qualified geothermal heat pump along with documentation of its

 

compliance with the energy star program.


 

     (2) For purposes of this section, expenditures for labor costs

 

that are properly allocable to the on-site preparation, assembly,

 

or original installation of the qualified geothermal heat pump and

 

for any piping or wiring to interconnect the equipment to the

 

principal residence shall be included in the calculation of the

 

expenditures incurred by the taxpayer for the purchase and

 

installation of the qualified geothermal heat pump.

 

     (3) If the credit allowed under this section exceeds the tax

 

liability of the taxpayer for the tax year, that portion of the

 

credit that exceeds the tax liability shall be refunded.

 

     (4) A taxpayer that claims a credit under this section is not

 

prohibited from claiming a credit under section 253. However, the

 

taxpayer shall not claim a credit under this section and section

 

253 based on the same expenditures.

 

     (5) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Energy star program" means the applicable energy star

 

energy efficiency guidelines developed by the United States

 

environmental protection agency and the United States department of

 

energy.

 

     (b) "Principal residence" means that term as defined under

 

section 7dd of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL

 

211.7dd, and exempt from taxation under section 7cc of the general

 

property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7cc.

 

     (c) "Qualified geothermal heat pump" means any equipment which

 

uses the ground or groundwater as a thermal energy source to heat

 

the taxpayer's principal residence or as a thermal energy sink to

 

cool the taxpayer's principal residence and that meets the


 

requirements of the energy star program which are in effect at the

 

time that the expenditures for this equipment are made.