(1) A taxpayer who is the owner or operator of farmworker housing is allowed a credit against the taxes otherwise due under ORS chapter 316, if the taxpayer is a resident individual, or against the taxes otherwise due under ORS chapter 317, if the taxpayer is a corporation. The total amount of the credit shall be equal to 50 percent of the eligible costs actually paid or incurred by the taxpayer to complete a farmworker housing project, to the extent the eligible costs actually paid or incurred by the taxpayer do not exceed the estimate of eligible costs approved by the Housing and Community Services Department under ORS 315.167.
(2) A taxpayer who is otherwise eligible to claim a credit under this section may elect to transfer all or a portion of the credit to a contributor in the manner provided in ORS 315.169.
(3)(a) The credit allowed under this section may be taken for the tax year in which the farmworker housing project is completed or in any of the nine tax years succeeding the tax year in which the project is completed.
(b) The credit allowed in any one tax year may not exceed 20 percent of the amount determined under subsection (1) of this section.
(4)(a) To claim a credit under this section, a taxpayer must show in each year following the completion of a farmworker housing project that the housing continues to be operated as farmworker housing.
(b) A taxpayer need not make the showing required in paragraph (a) of this subsection if the Housing and Community Services Department waives the requirement after the taxpayer has successfully met the requirement for the first five years after completion of the housing project.
(c) The Housing and Community Services Department shall determine by rule the factors necessary to grant a waiver. Such factors may include a documented decline in a particular area for farmworker housing.
(5) The credit shall apply only to a farmworker housing project that is located within this state and physically begun on or after January 1, 1990.
(6)(a) A credit may not be allowed under this section unless the taxpayer claiming credit under this section:
(A) Obtains a letter of credit approval from the Housing and Community Services Department pursuant to ORS 315.167; and
(B) Files with the Department of Revenue an annual certification providing that all occupied units for which credit is being claimed are occupied by farmworkers and their immediate families.
(b) The certification described under this subsection shall be made on the form and in the time and manner prescribed by the Department of Revenue.
(7) Except as provided under subsection (8) of this section, the credit allowed in any one year may not exceed the tax liability of the taxpayer.
(8) Any tax credit otherwise allowable under this section that is not used by the taxpayer in a particular tax year may be carried forward and offset against the taxpayer’s tax liability for the next succeeding tax year. Any credit remaining unused in the next succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the second succeeding tax year, and likewise any credit not used in that second succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the third succeeding tax year, and any credit not used in that third succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the fourth succeeding tax year, and any credit not used in that fourth succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the fifth succeeding tax year, and any credit not used in that fifth succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the sixth succeeding tax year, and any credit not used in that sixth succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the seventh succeeding tax year, and any credit not used in that seventh succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the eighth succeeding tax year, and any credit not used in that eighth succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the ninth succeeding tax year, but may not be carried forward for any tax year thereafter.
(9)(a) The credit provided by this section is not in lieu of any depreciation or amortization deduction for the project to which the taxpayer otherwise may be entitled under ORS chapter 316 or 317 for the year.
(b) The taxpayer’s adjusted basis for determining gain or loss may not be further decreased by any tax credits allowed under this section.
(10) For a taxpayer to receive a credit under this section, the farmworker housing must:
(a) Comply with all occupational safety or health laws, rules, regulations and standards;
(b) If registration is required, be registered as a farmworker camp with the Department of Consumer and Business Services under ORS 658.750;
(c) Upon occupancy and if an indorsement is required, be operated by a person who holds a valid indorsement as a farmworker camp operator under ORS 658.730; and
(d) Continue to be operated as farmworker housing for a period of at least 10 years after the completion of the farmworker housing project, unless a waiver has been granted under subsection (4) of this section.
(11)(a) Pursuant to the procedures for a contested case under ORS chapter 183, the Department of Revenue may order the disallowance of the credit allowed under this section if it finds, by order, that:
(A) The credit was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation; or
(B) In the event that an owner or operator claims or claimed the credit:
(i) The taxpayer has failed to continue to substantially comply with the occupational safety or health laws, rules, regulations or standards;
(ii) After occupancy and if registration is required, the farmworker housing is not registered as a farmworker camp with the Department of Consumer and Business Services under ORS 658.750;
(iii) After occupancy and if an indorsement is required, the farmworker housing is not operated by a person who holds a valid indorsement as a farmworker camp operator under ORS 658.730; or
(iv) The taxpayer has failed to make a showing that the housing continues to be operated as farmworker housing as required under subsection (4)(a) of this section and the taxpayer has not been granted a waiver by the Housing and Community Services Department under subsection (4)(b) of this section.
(b) If the tax credit is disallowed pursuant to this subsection, notwithstanding ORS 314.410 or other law, all prior tax relief provided to the taxpayer shall be forfeited and the Department of Revenue shall proceed to collect those taxes not paid by the taxpayer as a result of the prior granting of the credit.
(c) If the tax credit is disallowed pursuant to this subsection, the taxpayer shall be denied any further credit provided under this section, in connection with the farmworker housing project, as the case may be, from and after the date that the order of disallowance becomes final.
(12) In the event that the farmworker housing is destroyed by fire, flood, natural disaster or act of God before all of the credit has been used, the taxpayer may nevertheless claim the credit as if no destruction had taken place. In the event of fire, if the fire chief of the fire protection district or unit determines that the fire was caused by arson, as defined in ORS 164.315 and 164.325, by the taxpayer or by another at the taxpayer’s direction, then the fire chief shall notify the Department of Revenue. Upon conviction of arson, the Department of Revenue shall disallow the credit in accordance with subsection (11) of this section.
(13)(a) A nonresident individual shall be allowed the credit computed in the same manner and subject to the same limitations as the credit allowed a resident by this section. However, the credit shall be prorated using the proportion provided in ORS 316.117.
(b) If a change in the taxable year of a taxpayer occurs as described in ORS 314.085, or if the Department of Revenue terminates the taxpayer’s taxable year under ORS 314.440, the credit allowed by this section shall be prorated or computed in a manner consistent with ORS 314.085.
(c) If a change in the status of a taxpayer from resident to nonresident or from nonresident to resident occurs, the credit allowed by this section shall be determined in a manner consistent with ORS 316.117.
(14) The Department of Revenue may adopt rules for carrying out the provisions of this section. [1993 c.730 §20 (enacted in lieu of 316.154 and 317.146); 1993 c.730 §20a; 1995 c.500 §10; 1995 c.746 §52; 2001 c.613 §13a; 2001 c.625 §2; 2001 c.868 §1; 2003 c.588 §§3,5]
Section: Previous 315.144 315.148 315.154 315.155 315.156 315.160 315.163 315.164 315.165 315.167 315.169 315.170 315.172 315.175 315.180 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008