Partial abatement of certain taxes imposed on new or expanded businesses: Powers and duties of Commission on Economic Development, Nevada Tax Commission, applicant for abatement, business approved for abatement and county treasurer. [Effective July 1, 2005.]
1. A person who intends to locate or expand a business in this state may apply to the Commission on Economic Development for a partial abatement of one or more of the taxes imposed on the new or expanded business pursuant to chapter 361, 363B or 374 of NRS.
2. The Commission on Economic Development shall approve an application for a partial abatement if the Commission makes the following determinations:
(a) The business is consistent with:
(1) The State Plan for Industrial Development and Diversification that is developed by the Commission pursuant to NRS 231.067; and
(2) Any guidelines adopted pursuant to the State Plan.
(b) The applicant has executed an agreement with the Commission which states that the business will, after the date on which a certificate of eligibility for the abatement is issued pursuant to subsection 5, continue in operation in this state for a period specified by the Commission, which must be at least 5 years, and will continue to meet the eligibility requirements set forth in this subsection. The agreement must bind the successors in interest of the business for the specified period.
(c) The business is registered pursuant to the laws of this state or the applicant commits to obtain a valid business license and all other permits required by the county, city or town in which the business operates.
(d) Except as otherwise provided in NRS 361.0687, if the business is a new business in a county whose population is 100,000 or more or a city whose population is 60,000 or more, the business meets at least two of the following requirements:
(1) The business will have 75 or more full-time employees on the payroll of the business by the fourth quarter that it is in operation.
(2) Establishing the business will require the business to make a capital investment of at least $1,000,000 in this state.
(3) The average hourly wage that will be paid by the new business to its employees in this state is at least 100 percent of the average statewide hourly wage as established by the Employment Security Division of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation on July 1 of each fiscal year and:
(I) The business will provide a health insurance plan for all employees that includes an option for health insurance coverage for dependents of the employees; and
(II) The cost to the business for the benefits the business provides to its employees in this state will meet the minimum requirements for benefits established by the Commission by regulation pursuant to subsection 9.
(e) Except as otherwise provided in NRS 361.0687, if the business is a new business in a county whose population is less than 100,000 or a city whose population is less than 60,000, the business meets at least two of the following requirements:
(1) The business will have 15 or more full-time employees on the payroll of the business by the fourth quarter that it is in operation.
(2) Establishing the business will require the business to make a capital investment of at least $250,000 in this state.
(3) The average hourly wage that will be paid by the new business to its employees in this state is at least 100 percent of the average statewide hourly wage as established by the Employment Security Division of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation on July 1 of each fiscal year and:
(I) The business will provide a health insurance plan for all employees that includes an option for health insurance coverage for dependents of the employees; and
(II) The cost to the business for the benefits the business provides to its employees in this state will meet the minimum requirements for benefits established by the Commission by regulation pursuant to subsection 9.
(f) If the business is an existing business, the business meets at least two of the following requirements:
(1) The business will increase the number of employees on its payroll by 10 percent more than it employed in the immediately preceding fiscal year or by six employees, whichever is greater.
(2) The business will expand by making a capital investment in this state in an amount equal to at least 20 percent of the value of the tangible property possessed by the business in the immediately preceding fiscal year. The determination of the value of the tangible property possessed by the business in the immediately preceding fiscal year must be made by the:
(I) County assessor of the county in which the business will expand, if the business is locally assessed; or
(II) Department, if the business is centrally assessed.
(3) The average hourly wage that will be paid by the existing business to its new employees in this state is at least 100 percent of the average statewide hourly wage as established by the Employment Security Division of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation on July 1 of each fiscal year and:
(I) The business will provide a health insurance plan for all new employees that includes an option for health insurance coverage for dependents of the employees; and
(II) The cost to the business for the benefits the business provides to its new employees in this state will meet the minimum requirements for benefits established by the Commission by regulation pursuant to subsection 9.
(g) In lieu of meeting the requirements of paragraph (d), (e) or (f), if the business furthers the development and refinement of intellectual property, a patent or a copyright into a commercial product, the business meets at least two of the following requirements:
(1) The business will have 10 or more full-time employees on the payroll of the business by the fourth quarter that it is in operation.
(2) Establishing the business will require the business to make a capital investment of at least $500,000 in this state.
(3) The average hourly wage that will be paid by the new business to its employees in this state is at least 100 percent of the average statewide hourly wage as established by the Employment Security Division of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation on July 1 of each fiscal year and:
(I) The business will provide a health insurance plan for all employees that includes an option for health insurance coverage for dependents of the employees; and
(II) The cost to the business for the benefits the business provides to its employees in this state will meet with minimum requirements established by the Commission by regulation pursuant to subsection 9.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2, the Commission on Economic Development may:
(a) Approve an application for a partial abatement by a business that does not meet the requirements set forth in paragraph (d), (e), (f) or (g) of subsection 2;
(b) Make the requirements set forth in paragraph (d), (e), (f) or (g) of subsection 2 more stringent; or
(c) Add additional requirements that a business must meet to qualify for a partial abatement,
Ê if the Commission determines that such action is necessary.
4. If a person submits an application to the Commission on Economic Development pursuant to subsection 1, the Commission shall provide notice to the governing body of the county and the city or town, if any, in which the person intends to locate or expand a business. The notice required pursuant to this subsection must set forth the date, time and location of the hearing at which the Commission will consider the application.
5. If the Commission on Economic Development approves an application for a partial abatement, the Commission shall immediately forward a certificate of eligibility for the abatement to:
(a) The Department;
(b) The Nevada Tax Commission; and
(c) If the partial abatement is from the property tax imposed pursuant to chapter 361 of NRS, the county treasurer.
6. An applicant for a partial abatement pursuant to this section or an existing business whose partial abatement is in effect shall, upon the request of the Executive Director of the Commission on Economic Development, furnish the Executive Director with copies of all records necessary to verify that the applicant meets the requirements of subsection 2.
7. If a business whose partial abatement has been approved pursuant to this section and is in effect ceases:
(a) To meet the requirements set forth in subsection 2; or
(b) Operation before the time specified in the agreement described in paragraph (b) of subsection 2,
Ê the business shall repay to the Department or, if the partial abatement was from the property tax imposed pursuant to chapter 361 of NRS, to the county treasurer, the amount of the exemption that was allowed pursuant to this section before the failure of the business to comply unless the Nevada Tax Commission determines that the business has substantially complied with the requirements of this section. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 360.232 and 360.320, the business shall, in addition to the amount of the exemption required to be paid pursuant to this subsection, pay interest on the amount due at the rate most recently established pursuant to NRS 99.040 for each month, or portion thereof, from the last day of the month following the period for which the payment would have been made had the partial abatement not been approved until the date of payment of the tax.
8. A county treasurer:
(a) Shall deposit any money that he receives pursuant to subsection 7 in one or more of the funds established by a local government of the county pursuant to NRS 354.6113 or 354.6115; and
(b) May use the money deposited pursuant to paragraph (a) only for the purposes authorized by NRS 354.6113 and 354.6115.
9. The Commission on Economic Development:
(a) Shall adopt regulations relating to:
(1) The minimum level of benefits that a business must provide to its employees if the business is going to use benefits paid to employees as a basis to qualify for a partial abatement; and
(2) The notice that must be provided pursuant to subsection 4.
(b) May adopt such other regulations as the Commission on Economic Development determines to be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
10. The Nevada Tax Commission:
(a) Shall adopt regulations regarding:
(1) The capital investment that a new business must make to meet the requirement set forth in paragraph (d), (e) or (g) of subsection 2; and
(2) Any security that a business is required to post to qualify for a partial abatement pursuant to this section.
(b) May adopt such other regulations as the Nevada Tax Commission determines to be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
11. An applicant for an abatement who is aggrieved by a final decision of the Commission on Economic Development may petition for judicial review in the manner provided in chapter 233B of NRS.
Last modified: February 27, 2006