Introduced Version






HOUSE BILL No. 1497

_____


DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL



Citations Affected: IC 6-3.5-6; IC 6-3.5-7-5.

Synopsis: Penal county option income tax. Allows a county to increase its county income tax rate by 0.25% to finance county penal operations. Provides that money distributed to finance county penal operations is distributed before the rest of the county's distributive shares. Requires a county penal facility that receives county option income tax revenue to maintain its current level of operational funding from the county general fund. Provides that the combined tax rate for a county that imposes a county option income tax under these provisions and a county economic development income tax may not exceed 1.25%.

Effective: July 1, 2005.





Buck, Friend




    January 18, 2005, read first time and referred to Committee on Ways and Means.







Introduced

First Regular Session 114th General Assembly (2005)


PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type, additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
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HOUSE BILL No. 1497



    A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning taxation.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:

SOURCE: IC 6-3.5-6-10.5; (05)IN1497.1.1. -->     SECTION 1. IC 6-3.5-6-10.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2005]: Sec. 10.5. (a) Notwithstanding section 6 of this chapter, a county council may, by ordinance, determine that additional county tax revenue is needed in the county to finance the operations of a jail or another penal facility operated by and located in the county.
    (b) If the county council makes a determination under subsection (a), the county council may do one (1) or both of the following:
        (1) In addition to the rates permitted by sections 8 and 9 of this chapter, and notwithstanding section 11 of this chapter, impose the county option income tax at a rate not greater than twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%) on the adjusted gross income of county taxpayers if the county council makes the finding and determination set forth in subsection (a). The additional penal county option income tax rate must be

adopted before April 1 in the year in which the additional penal county option income tax rate first takes effect.
        (2) Designate the county option income tax revenue generated by a part of the tax rate, not to exceed twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%), as penal county option income tax revenue that will be used to pay the costs described in subsection (a). An action to designate a part of the county option income tax revenue as penal county option income tax revenue under this subdivision must be adopted before April 1 in the year immediately preceding the year in which it takes effect.
The total amount raised under subdivisions (1) and (2) may not exceed the amount necessary to pay the costs described in subsection (a).
    (c) A copy of an ordinance adopted under this section must be distributed to the county treasurer and the department.
    (d) The county treasurer shall establish a county penal revenue fund to be used only for purposes described in this section. County option income tax revenues derived from the penal county option income tax rate imposed under this section and the amount designated as penal county option income tax revenue under subsection (b)(2) shall be deposited in the county penal revenue fund before making a distribution under section 17 of this chapter. A county jail or another penal facility that receives money from a county penal revenue fund may not decrease its operational funding from the county general fund solely due to the receipt of money from the county penal revenue fund.
    (e) County option income tax revenues derived from the penal county option income tax rate imposed under this section or designated as penal county option income tax revenue under subsection (b)(2):
        (1) may be used only for the purposes described in this section; and
        (2) may not be considered by the department of local government finance in determining the county's maximum permissible property tax levy limit under IC 6-1.1-18.5.
    (f) If the county council imposes an additional tax rate or makes a designation under this section, the county council may decrease or rescind the rate or designation in the same manner in which the county council adopted the rate or designation.

SOURCE: IC 6-3.5-6-17; (05)IN1497.1.2. -->     SECTION 2. IC 6-3.5-6-17 IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2005]: Sec. 17. (a) Except for penal county option income tax revenue that must be used under

section 10.5 of this chapter to pay the costs of financing the operations of a jail or another penal facility operated by and located in the county, revenue derived from the imposition of the county option income tax shall, in the manner prescribed by this section, be distributed to the county that imposed it. The amount that is to be distributed to a county during an ensuing calendar year equals the amount of county option income tax revenue that the department, after reviewing the recommendation of the budget agency, determines has been:
        (1) received from that county for a taxable year ending in a calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the determination is made; and
        (2) reported on an annual return or amended return processed by the department in the state fiscal year ending before July 1 of the calendar year in which the determination is made;
as adjusted (as determined after review of the recommendation of the budget agency) for refunds of county option income tax made in the state fiscal year.
    (b) Before August 2 of each calendar year, the department, after reviewing the recommendation of the budget agency, shall certify to the county auditor of each adopting county the amount determined under subsection (a) plus the amount of interest in the county's account that has accrued and has not been included in a certification made in a preceding year. The amount certified is the county's "certified distribution" for the immediately succeeding calendar year. The amount certified shall be adjusted, as necessary, under subsections (c), (d), and (e). The department shall provide with the certification an informative summary of the calculations used to determine the certified distribution.
    (c) The department shall certify an amount less than the amount determined under subsection (b) if the department, after reviewing the recommendation of the budget agency, determines that the reduced distribution is necessary to offset overpayments made in a calendar year before the calendar year of the distribution. The department, after reviewing the recommendation of the budget agency, may reduce the amount of the certified distribution over several calendar years so that any overpayments are offset over several years rather than in one (1) lump sum.
    (d) The department, after reviewing the recommendation of the budget agency, shall adjust the certified distribution of a county to correct for any clerical or mathematical errors made in any previous certification under this section. The department, after reviewing the

recommendation of the budget agency, may reduce the amount of the certified distribution over several calendar years so that any adjustment under this subsection is offset over several years rather than in one (1) lump sum.
    (e) This subsection applies to a county that initially imposed a tax under this chapter in the same calendar year in which the department makes a certification under this section. The department, after reviewing the recommendation of the budget agency, shall adjust the certified distribution of a county to provide for a distribution in the immediately following calendar year and in each calendar year thereafter. The department shall provide for a full transition to certification of distributions as provided in subsection (a)(1) through (a)(2) in the manner provided in subsection (c).
    (f) One-twelfth (1/12) of each adopting county's certified distribution for a calendar year shall be distributed from its account established under section 16 of this chapter to the appropriate county treasurer on the first day of each month of that calendar year.
    (g) Upon receipt, each monthly payment of a county's certified distribution shall be allocated among, distributed to, and used by the civil taxing units of the county as provided in sections 18 and 19 of this chapter.
    (h) All distributions from an account established under section 16 of this chapter shall be made by warrants issued by the auditor of state to the treasurer of state ordering the appropriate payments.

SOURCE: IC 6-3.5-6-18; (05)IN1497.1.3. -->     SECTION 3. IC 6-3.5-6-18 IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2005]: Sec. 18. (a) The revenue a county auditor receives under this chapter shall be used to:
        (1) replace the amount, if any, of property tax revenue lost due to the allowance of an increased homestead credit within the county;
        (2) fund the operation of a public communications system and computer facilities district as provided in an election, if any, made by the county fiscal body under IC 36-8-15-19(b);
        (3) fund the operation of a public transportation corporation as provided in an election, if any, made by the county fiscal body under IC 36-9-4-42;
        (4) make payments permitted under IC 36-7-15.1-17.5;
        (5) make payments permitted under subsection (i); and
        (6) make distributions of distributive shares to the civil taxing units of a county; and
        (7) make payments permitted under section 10.5 of this chapter.

    (b) The county auditor shall retain from the payments of the county's

certified distribution, an amount equal to the revenue lost, if any, due to the increase of the homestead credit within the county. This money shall be distributed to the civil taxing units and school corporations of the county as though they were property tax collections and in such a manner that no civil taxing unit or school corporation shall suffer a net revenue loss due to the allowance of an increased homestead credit.
    (c) The county auditor shall retain the amount, if any, specified by the county fiscal body for a particular calendar year under subsection (i), IC 36-7-15.1-17.5, IC 36-8-15-19(b), and IC 36-9-4-42 from the county's certified distribution for that same calendar year. The county auditor shall distribute amounts retained under this subsection to the county.
    (d) All certified distribution revenues that are not retained and distributed under subsections (b) and (c) shall be distributed to the civil taxing units of the county as distributive shares.
    (e) The amount of distributive shares that each civil taxing unit in a county is entitled to receive during a month equals the product of the following:
        (1) The amount of revenue that is to be distributed as distributive shares during that month; multiplied by
        (2) A fraction. The numerator of the fraction equals the total property taxes that are first due and payable to the civil taxing unit during the calendar year in which the month falls, plus, for a county, an amount equal to the property taxes imposed by the county in 1999 for the county's welfare fund and welfare administration fund. The denominator of the fraction equals the sum of the total property taxes that are first due and payable to all civil taxing units of the county during the calendar year in which the month falls, plus an amount equal to the property taxes imposed by the county in 1999 for the county's welfare fund and welfare administration fund.
    (f) The department of local government finance shall provide each county auditor with the fractional amount of distributive shares that each civil taxing unit in the auditor's county is entitled to receive monthly under this section.
    (g) Notwithstanding subsection (e), if a civil taxing unit of an adopting county does not impose a property tax levy that is first due and payable in a calendar year in which distributive shares are being distributed under this section, that civil taxing unit is entitled to receive a part of the revenue to be distributed as distributive shares under this section within the county. The fractional amount such a civil taxing unit is entitled to receive each month during that calendar year equals

the product of the following:
        (1) The amount to be distributed as distributive shares during that month; multiplied by
        (2) A fraction. The numerator of the fraction equals the budget of that civil taxing unit for that calendar year. The denominator of the fraction equals the aggregate budgets of all civil taxing units of that county for that calendar year.
    (h) If for a calendar year a civil taxing unit is allocated a part of a county's distributive shares by subsection (g), then the formula used in subsection (e) to determine all other civil taxing units' distributive shares shall be changed each month for that same year by reducing the amount to be distributed as distributive shares under subsection (e) by the amount of distributive shares allocated under subsection (g) for that same month. The department of local government finance shall make any adjustments required by this subsection and provide them to the appropriate county auditors.
    (i) Notwithstanding any other law, a county fiscal body may pledge revenues received under this chapter to the payment of bonds or lease rentals to finance a qualified economic development tax project under IC 36-7-27 in that county or in any other county if the county fiscal body determines that the project will promote significant opportunities for the gainful employment or retention of employment of the county's residents.

SOURCE: IC 6-3.5-7-5; (05)IN1497.1.4. -->     SECTION 4. IC 6-3.5-7-5 IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2005]: Sec. 5. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c), the county economic development income tax may be imposed on the adjusted gross income of county taxpayers. The entity that may impose the tax is:
        (1) the county income tax council (as defined in IC 6-3.5-6-1) if the county option income tax is in effect on January 1 of the year the county economic development income tax is imposed;
        (2) the county council if the county adjusted gross income tax is in effect on January 1 of the year the county economic development tax is imposed; or
        (3) the county income tax council or the county council, whichever acts first, for a county not covered by subdivision (1) or (2).
To impose the county economic development income tax, a county income tax council shall use the procedures set forth in IC 6-3.5-6 concerning the imposition of the county option income tax.
    (b) Except as provided in subsections (c), (g), (k), (p), and (r) the county economic development income tax may be imposed at a rate of:
        (1) one-tenth percent (0.1%);
        (2) two-tenths percent (0.2%);
        (3) twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%);
        (4) three-tenths percent (0.3%);
        (5) thirty-five hundredths percent (0.35%);
        (6) four-tenths percent (0.4%);
        (7) forty-five hundredths percent (0.45%); or
        (8) five-tenths percent (0.5%);
on the adjusted gross income of county taxpayers.
    (c) Except as provided in subsection (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), (n), (o), or (p), the county economic development income tax rate plus the county adjusted gross income tax rate, if any, that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and twenty-five hundredths percent (1.25%). Except as provided in subsection (g), or (p), or (t), the county economic development tax rate plus the county option income tax rate, if any, that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one percent (1%).
    (d) To impose, increase, decrease, or rescind the county economic development income tax, the appropriate body must, after January 1 but before April 1 of a year, adopt an ordinance. The ordinance to impose the tax must substantially state the following:
    "The ________ County _________ imposes the county economic development income tax on the county taxpayers of _________ County. The county economic development income tax is imposed at a rate of _________ percent (____%) on the county taxpayers of the county. This tax takes effect July 1 of this year.".
    (e) Any ordinance adopted under this chapter takes effect July 1 of the year the ordinance is adopted.
    (f) The auditor of a county shall record all votes taken on ordinances presented for a vote under the authority of this chapter and shall, not more than ten (10) days after the vote, send a certified copy of the results to the commissioner of the department by certified mail.
    (g) This subsection applies to a county having a population of more than one hundred forty-eight thousand (148,000) but less than one hundred seventy thousand (170,000). Except as provided in subsection (p), in addition to the rates permitted by subsection (b), the:
        (1) county economic development income tax may be imposed at a rate of:
            (A) fifteen-hundredths percent (0.15%);
            (B) two-tenths percent (0.2%); or
            (C) twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%); and
        (2) county economic development income tax rate plus the county

option income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may equal up to one and twenty-five hundredths percent (1.25%);
if the county income tax council makes a determination to impose rates under this subsection and section 22 of this chapter.
    (h) For a county having a population of more than forty-one thousand (41,000) but less than forty-three thousand (43,000), except as provided in subsection (p), the county economic development income tax rate plus the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and thirty-five hundredths percent (1.35%) if the county has imposed the county adjusted gross income tax at a rate of one and one-tenth percent (1.1%) under IC 6-3.5-1.1-2.5.
    (i) For a county having a population of more than thirteen thousand five hundred (13,500) but less than fourteen thousand (14,000), except as provided in subsection (p), the county economic development income tax rate plus the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and fifty-five hundredths percent (1.55%).
    (j) For a county having a population of more than seventy-one thousand (71,000) but less than seventy-one thousand four hundred (71,400), except as provided in subsection (p), the county economic development income tax rate plus the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and five-tenths percent (1.5%).
    (k) This subsection applies to a county having a population of more than twenty-seven thousand four hundred (27,400) but less than twenty-seven thousand five hundred (27,500). Except as provided in subsection (p), in addition to the rates permitted under subsection (b):
        (1) the county economic development income tax may be imposed at a rate of twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%); and
        (2) the sum of the county economic development income tax rate and the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and five-tenths percent (1.5%);
if the county council makes a determination to impose rates under this subsection and section 22.5 of this chapter.
    (l) For a county having a population of more than twenty-nine thousand (29,000) but less than thirty thousand (30,000), except as provided in subsection (p), the county economic development income tax rate plus the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and five-tenths percent (1.5%).


    (m) For:
        (1) a county having a population of more than one hundred eighty-two thousand seven hundred ninety (182,790) but less than two hundred thousand (200,000); or
        (2) a county having a population of more than forty-five thousand (45,000) but less than forty-five thousand nine hundred (45,900);
except as provided in subsection (p), the county economic development income tax rate plus the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and five-tenths percent (1.5%).
    (n) For a county having a population of more than six thousand (6,000) but less than eight thousand (8,000), except as provided in subsection (p), the county economic development income tax rate plus the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and five-tenths percent (1.5%).
    (o) This subsection applies to a county having a population of more than thirty-nine thousand (39,000) but less than thirty-nine thousand six hundred (39,600). Except as provided in subsection (p), in addition to the rates permitted under subsection (b):
        (1) the county economic development income tax may be imposed at a rate of twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%); and
        (2) the sum of the county economic development income tax rate and:
            (A) the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and five-tenths percent (1.5%); or
            (B) the county option income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and twenty-five hundredths percent (1.25%);
if the county council makes a determination to impose rates under this subsection and section 24 of this chapter.
    (p) In addition:
        (1) the county economic development income tax may be imposed at a rate that exceeds by not more than twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%) the maximum rate that would otherwise apply under this section; and
        (2) the:
            (A) county economic development income tax; and
            (B) county option income tax or county adjusted gross income tax;
        may be imposed at combined rates that exceed by not more than twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%) the maximum combined

rates that would otherwise apply under this section.
However, the additional rate imposed under this subsection may not exceed the amount necessary to mitigate the increased ad valorem property taxes on homesteads (as defined in IC 6-1.1-20.9-1) resulting from the deduction of the assessed value of inventory in the county under IC 6-1.1-12-41 or IC 6-1.1-12-42.
    (q) If the county economic development income tax is imposed as authorized under subsection (p) at a rate that exceeds the maximum rate that would otherwise apply under this section, the certified distribution must be used for the purpose provided in section 25(e) or 26 of this chapter to the extent that the certified distribution results from the difference between:
        (1) the actual county economic development tax rate; and
        (2) the maximum rate that would otherwise apply under this section.
    (r) This subsection applies only to a county described in section 27 of this chapter. Except as provided in subsection (p), in addition to the rates permitted by subsection (b), the:
        (1) county economic development income tax may be imposed at a rate of twenty-five hundredths percent (0.25%); and
        (2) county economic development income tax rate plus the county option income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may equal up to one and twenty-five hundredths percent (1.25%);
if the county council makes a determination to impose rates under this subsection and section 27 of this chapter.
    (s) Except as provided in subsection (p), the county economic development income tax rate plus the county adjusted gross income tax rate that are in effect on January 1 of a year may not exceed one and five-tenths percent (1.5%) if the county has imposed the county adjusted gross income tax under IC 6-3.5-1.1-3.3.
     (t) This subsection applies to a county that imposes a penal county option income tax rate under IC 6-3.5-6-10.5. The county economic development tax rate plus the county option income tax rate, if any, that are in effect on January of a year may not exceed one and twenty-five hundredths percent (1.25%).

SOURCE: ; (05)IN1497.1.5. -->     SECTION 5. [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2005] Notwithstanding IC 6-3.5-6-10.5(b), as added by this act, an action adopted under IC 6-3.5-6-10.5(b)(1) or IC 6-3.5-6-10.5(b)(2), both as added by this act, before January 1, 2006, takes effect January 1, 2006.