17204.5.
(a) For each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2017, and before January 1, 2019, there shall be allowed as a deduction an amount equal to the amount contributed by a qualified taxpayer during the taxable year to a homeownership savings account, not to exceed the amounts specified in subdivision (b). (b) The deduction allowed under subdivision (a) shall not exceed the following amounts:
(1) Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) Seven
thousand dollars ($7,000) for qualified taxpayers filing a joint, head of household, or surviving spouse, as defined in Section 17046, return.
(2) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) Three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500) in the case of a qualified taxpayer filing a return other than as described in paragraph (1).
(c) Any amount withdrawn from a homeownership savings account shall be included in the income of the
qualified taxpayer for the taxable year in which the payment or distribution is made, unless the payment or distribution is used to pay for the qualified homeownership savings expenses of a qualified taxpayer who established the account.
(d) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Homeownership savings account” means a trust that meets all of the following requirements:
(A) Is designated as a homeownership savings account by the trustee.
(B) Is established by a qualified taxpayer, or by qualified taxpayers who are spouses, for the exclusive benefit of any qualified taxpayer establishing the account where the written governing instrument
creating the account provides for the following:
(i) All contributions to the account are required to be in cash.
(ii) The account is established to pay, pursuant to the requirements and limitations of this section, for the qualified homeownership savings expenses of a qualified taxpayer establishing the account.
(C) Is, except as otherwise required or authorized by this section, subject to the same requirements and limitations as an individual retirement account established under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to individual retirement accounts, and any regulations adopted thereunder.
(D) Is the only homeownership savings account
established by the qualified taxpayer.
(2) “Qualified homeownership savings expenses” means expenses, including a downpayment or closing costs, paid or incurred in connection with the purchase of a qualified taxpayer’s principal residence within the meaning of Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to exclusion of gain from sale of principal residence, in this state for use by that qualified taxpayer who established the homeownership savings account.
(3) “Qualified taxpayer” means any individual, or individual’s spouse, who has never had an ownership interest in a principal residence within the meaning of Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to exclusion of gain from sale of principal residence, and whose gross income for the taxable year in
which the account was created and any taxable year in which a contribution is made does not exceed 80 percent of the area median income.
(4) “Trustee” shall have the same meaning as that term has under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to individual retirement accounts, and any regulations adopted thereunder.
(e) This section shall become operative on the effective date of any budget measure specifically appropriating funds to the Franchise Tax Board for its costs of administering this section and Section 17141.5.
(f) This section shall
remain in effect only until December 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed.