17053.59.
(a) Subject to the limitations in subdivision (f), for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, the Franchise Tax Board may award a tax credit certificate to a person that is an exporter or importer pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) in an aggregate amount that is not greater than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for a taxable year.(b) A tax credit certificate, in an amount specified in subdivision (a) of Section 17053.60 or subdivision (a) of Section 23660, may be awarded by the Franchise Tax Board to any of the following:
(1) Exporters that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that they have increased their export cargo tonnage through California ports in a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, by at least 5 percent over their export cargo tonnage through California ports for the preceding taxable year.
(2) Importers that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that they have increased their import cargo tonnage through California ports in a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, by at least 5 percent over their import cargo tonnage through California ports for the preceding taxable year.
(3) Exporters that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that they have increased their export cargo value through California airports in a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, by at least 5 percent over their export cargo value through California airports for the preceding taxable year.
(4) Importers that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that they have increased their import cargo value through California airports in taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, by at least 5 percent over their import cargo value through California airports for the preceding taxable year.
(5) Exporters or importers that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that they have exported or imported export or import cargo tonnage through California ports in excess of 400,000 tons in a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, and that they did not export or import cargo through California ports in the preceding taxable year.
(6) Exporters and importers that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that they have exported or imported cargo through California airports with export or import cargo value in excess of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, and that they did not export or import cargo through California airports in the preceding taxable year.
(c) (1) A tax credit certificate, in an amount specified in subdivision (a) of Section 17053.65 or subdivision (a) of Section 23665, may be awarded by the Franchise Tax Board to an exporter or importer that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that the exporter or importer had a net increase in qualified full-time employees hired in California during the taxable year.
(2) The net increase in qualified full-time employees of a qualified employer shall be determined as provided by this paragraph:
(A) The net increase in qualified full-time employees shall be determined on an annual full-time equivalent basis by subtracting from the amount determined in clause (ii) the amount determined in clause (i).
(i) The total number of qualified full-time employees employed in the preceding taxable year by the taxpayer and by any trade or business acquired by the taxpayer during the current taxable year.
(ii) The total number of full-time employees employed in the current taxable year by the taxpayer and by any trade or business acquired during the current taxable year.
(B) For taxpayers that first commence doing business in this state during the taxable year, the number of full-time employees for the immediately preceding prior taxable year shall be zero.
(d) A tax credit certificate, in an amount specified in subdivision (a) of Section 17053.66 or subdivision (a) of Section 23666, may be awarded by the Franchise Tax Board to an exporter or importer that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that the exporter or importer has paid capital costs on a cargo facility in California during the taxable year.
(e) The Franchise Tax Board shall, consistent with the requirements and criteria of this section and Sections 17053.60, 17053.65, 17053.66, 23660, 23665, and 23666, do all of the following:
(1) Establish a procedure for applicants to apply for the tax credit certificates, and a process to award those tax credit certificates on a first-come-first-served basis.
(2) Determine the information necessary to be provided by an applicant to the Franchise Tax Board in order to award the tax credit certificates.
(3) Develop and provide application forms for use by applicants for tax credit certificates. The application form shall provide for inclusion of the applicant’s taxpayer identification number.
(f) The total amount of tax credit certificates authorized to be awarded pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) in each of the five calendar years beginning with January 1, 2014, is one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000), for a total of five hundred million dollars ($500,000,000), and any portion of that authorization not awarded in any calendar year may be awarded in a future calendar year ending before January 1, 2019.
(g) (1) The Franchise Tax Board shall establish and charge applicants fees that it determines are reasonably sufficient to cover all of its costs in carrying out its responsibilities under this division. The fees shall be deposited in the Job and Trade Competitiveness Fee Account, which is hereby established in the State Treasury. Moneys in the account shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Franchise Tax Board for the purpose of implementing this section.
(2) Until the time that sufficient revenue is received by the Franchise Tax Board, the Franchise Tax Board may borrow any money as may be required for the purpose of meeting necessary expenses under this section, not to exceed the amount appropriated. A loan made to the Franchise Tax Board shall be repayable solely from moneys appropriated to the Franchise Tax Board from the Job and Trade Competitiveness Fee Account and shall not constitute a general obligation of the state for which the full faith and credit of the state are pledged.
(h) The Franchise Tax Board shall determine the amount of each tax credit pursuant to this section and Sections 17053.60, 17053.65, 17053.66, 23660, 23665, and 23666. The tax credit certificate shall include the date of issuance, the amount of the tax credit, the name, the type of credit awarded, and taxpayer identification number of the exporter or importer to which the certificate was awarded.
(i) The Franchise Tax Board shall establish audit procedures of taxpayers who have been awarded a tax credit certificate to verify that the tax credit certificate was awarded consistent with the requirements of this section and Sections 17053.60, 17053.65, 17053.66, 23660, 23665, and 23666. The Franchise Tax Board shall conduct audits at random as the Franchise Tax Board deems appropriate.
(j) In the event that the Franchise Tax Board determines that any amount of a tax credit certificate was not awarded consistent with the requirements of this section or Sections 17053.60, 17053.65, 17053.66, 23660, 23665, and 23666, the Franchise Tax Board shall cancel any unapplied amount erroneously awarded and any previously allowed credit erroneously awarded shall be recaptured.
(k) The Franchise Tax Board may prescribe rules, guidelines, or procedures necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this division. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 does not apply to any rule, guideline, or procedure prescribed by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to this subdivision.
(l) A tax credit certificate awarded pursuant to this section shall not be transferable.
(m) The Franchise Tax Board shall notify the taxpayer within 45 days of either a denial of the tax credit certificate application or an award of a tax credit certificate.
(n) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2021, and as of that date is repealed.