Recreation
Under current law, with certain exceptions, no person may operate a boat in the
waters of this state unless the boat is covered by a certificate of number and a
registration. This bill increases the certificate of number fees applicable to boats of
a certain size and the certificate of number fee for nonmotorized sailboats. The bill
also increases the registration fee for certain nonmotorized boats.
Under current law, DNR administers safety education programs for boat,
all-terrain vehicle, and snowmobile users; hunters; and trappers. DNR issues a
certificate showing completion of the course to each successful participant. Current
law authorizes DNR to charge a fee for the issuance of a duplicate certificate showing
completion of the hunter education programs. This bill authorizes DNR to charge
a fee for the issuance of a duplicate certificate showing completion of the boating,
all-terrain vehicle, or snowmobile safety program.
Stewardship program
Current law authorizes the state to incur public debt by issuing bonds for
various conservation activities under the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson
Stewardship 2000 Program, which DNR administers. The state is currently
authorized to bond under two of the stewardship program's subprograms: the land
acquisition subprogram and the property development and local assistance
subprogram. Bonding under the land acquisition subprogram may generally be for
land acquisition for habitat and natural areas and land acquisition that preserves
or enhances the state's water resources. Bonding under the property development
and local acquisition subprogram may generally be used only for nature-based
outdoor recreation. Under this subprogram, DNR may award grants or state aid to
certain local governmental units, including the Kickapoo Reserve Management
Board, and nonprofit conservation organizations to acquire lands or development
rights for nature-based, outdoor recreation purposes. The annual limits on bonding
are set for each fiscal year, ending in fiscal year 2009-10. The total bonding authority
for the stewardship program under current law is $572,000,000.
This bill increases the total bonding authority by $1,050,000,000, and extends
the stewardship program for another ten years to fiscal year 2019-20 with the
annual bonding authority set at $105,000,000 for each of the subsequent ten years.
The annual bonding authority for the land acquisition subprogram and for the local
assistance and property development subprogram are set at $79,000,000 and
$26,000,000 respectively.
Within the property development and local assistance subprogram, current law
imposes an annual limit of $8,000,000 in bonding authority for the local assistance
component. This bill raises this limit to $14,000,000 beginning with fiscal year
2010-11.
The bill also establishes, beginning with fiscal year 2010-11, a matching grant
program under which the state awards counties 50 percent of their costs to acquire
land for activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, bicycling, wildlife observation,
and camping.
Finally, the bill requires DNR to set aside from the land acquisition program
$14,500,000 in each fiscal year, beginning in fiscal year 2010-11, for matching grants
that may be awarded only to nonprofit conservation organizations. Under current
law and under the bill, these grants must be used to acquire property or property
rights for conservation purposes such as urban green space, habitat areas, and bluff
protection. Under current law, the amount of the grant may not exceed 50 percent
of the acquisition cost. This bill allows the natural resources board to increase this
amount up to 75 percent in certain situations.
Other natural resources
This bill creates a five-member Managed Forest Land Board in DNR to award
grants to cities, villages, towns, counties, DNR, and nonprofit conservation
organizations to acquire land for outdoor recreation activities consisting of hunting,
fishing, hiking, sightseeing, and cross-country skiing. The grants are funded from
a portion of the payments made by certain land owners in lieu of property taxes.
Under current law, DNR awards cost-sharing grants for projects to control
invasive species that cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human
health. A certain amount is allocated for cost-sharing grants to local governmental
units to control aquatic invasive species. Under this bill, any public or private entity
is eligible for such a grant. Currently, the amount of a grant may not exceed 50
percent of the cost of the project. This bill raises this cap to 75 percent.
Current law imposes penalties for violations of certain laws relating to
controlling or introducing certain invasive species, but not for others. This bill
creates penalties for those species for which there is no penalty under current law.
The bill also authorizes a court to order additional remedies, such as requiring the
violator to restore any natural resources damaged by the violation or to pay for
investigation costs and attorney fees.
Current law provides a procedure for enforcement proceedings for violations of
laws that relate to hunting, fishing, operating snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles,
and other conservation and environmental laws administered by DNR. This
procedure applies only to violations of these laws that are punishable by payment of
a civil forfeiture and not by payment of a fine or by imprisonment. Under the
procedure, a law enforcement officer may initiate a proceeding by issuing a written
citation or a district attorney may initiate a proceeding in court by issuing a
complaint and summons.
This bill authorizes officers enforcing these laws to use an electronic format for
filling out and issuing the citations. The bill also eliminates a requirement that a
statement of probable cause be included in a citation.
Retirement and group insurance
The Group Insurance Board currently offers health care coverage plans for
state employees, local government employees, school district employees, and
annuitants under the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS). This bill provides that
domestic partners of state employees and state annuitants may receive coverage
under these health care coverage plans. A domestic partner is an individual who is
in a relationship with another individual that satisfies all of the following:
1. Each individual is at least 18 years old and otherwise competent to enter into
a contract.
2. Neither individual is married to, or in a domestic partnership with, another
individual.
3. The two individuals are not related by blood in any way that would prohibit
marriage under current law.
4. The two individuals consider themselves to be members of each other's
immediate family.
5. The two individuals agree to be responsible for each other's basic living
expenses.
The state currently pays employer contributions toward health insurance
premiums for most state employees beginning on the first day of the seventh month
after the employee begins state employment. This bill changes the date to the first
day of the third month after the employee begins state employment, beginning on
July 1, 2008, for all state employees other than limited term appointments.
This bill increases WRS benefits provided to an "educational support personnel
employee" who is a school district employee other than a teacher, librarian, or
administrator. The bill makes the following changes to the WRS:
1. Under current law, to become covered under the WRS, an individual must
work at least one-third of what is considered full-time employment, as determined
by DETF. For all WRS participants, other than teachers, librarians, and
administrators, DETF defines full-time employment to be 1,904 hours per year and
one-third employment to be 600 hours per year. In contrast, for teachers, librarians,
and administrators, DETF defines full-time employment to be 1,320 hours per year
and one-third employment to be 440 hours per year. This bill requires that
educational support personnel employees must be treated the same in terms of
qualifying for coverage under the WRS as teachers, librarians, and administrators.
2. Under current law, one method to determine the initial amount of a WRS
annuity is to use a retirement formula the variables of which are a participant's years
of service, formula multiplier, and final average earnings. This bill provides that the
final average earnings of an educational support personnel employee are increased
by 25 percent for the purpose of determining the initial amount of a WRS retirement
annuity.
State government
State employment
This bill makes the following reassignments in the state civil service executive
salary group (ESG) ranges: the secretary of corrections is reassigned from ESG 6 to
ESG 8; the governor's chief of staff is reassigned from ESG 4 to ESG 6; the secretary
of health and family services is reassigned from ESG 9 to ESG 8; the secretary of
workforce development is reassigned from ESG 6 to ESG 7; the secretary of
regulation and licensing is reassigned from ESG 4 to ESG 6; the adjutant general in
DMA is reassigned from ESG 5 to ESG 6; the insurance commissioner is reassigned
from ESG 5 to ESG 6; and the public service commissioners are reassigned from ESG
5 to ESG 6. The bill further provides that the salaries for certain division
administrators and bureau directors in DRL may not exceed the maximum of the
salary range for ESG 3. Currently, the salary maximum is capped at ESG 1.
State finance
Currently, the Building Commission may enter into agreements and ancillary
arrangements relating to public debt and state obligations. This bill provides that
at the time of entering into such an agreement or ancillary arrangement, or in
anticipation thereof, the commission must determine, if applicable, whether the
payment will be deposited into, and whether the payment will be made from, the
bond security and redemption fund or the capital improvement fund.
The bill also establishes a number of conditions relating to interest exchange
agreements. These include all of the following:
1. The Building Commission must contract with an independent financial
consulting firm to determine if the terms and conditions of the agreement reflect fair
market value as of the date of the execution of the agreement.
2. The interest exchange agreement must identify by maturity, bond issue, or
bond purpose the debt or obligation to which the agreement is related.
3. The resolution authorizing the Building Commission to enter into an interest
exchange agreement must require that the terms and conditions of the agreement
reflect fair market value as of the date of execution of the agreement, as reflected by
the determination of an independent financial consulting firm.
4. Finally, the Building Commission must establish guidelines relating to the
conditions under which the Building Commission may enter into the agreements; the
form and content of the agreements; the aspects of risk exposure associated with the
agreements; the standards and procedures for counterparty selection; the standards
for the procurement of, and the setting aside of reserves, if any, in connection with
the agreements; the provisions, if any, for collateralization or other requirements for
securing any counterparty's obligations under the agreements; and a system for
financial monitoring and periodic assessment of the agreements.
The bill further requires that the terms and conditions of an interest exchange
agreement must generally not result in aggregate expected debt service and net
exchange payments relating to the agreement in the fiscal year in which the trade
is executed being less than those payments that would be payable in that fiscal year
if the agreement is not executed; and in aggregate expected debt service and net
exchange payments relating to the agreement in subsequent fiscal years exceeding
those payments that would be payable in those fiscal years if the agreement is not
executed.
The bill requires DOA to issue a semiannual report that includes a description
of each agreement; an accounting of amounts that were required to be paid and
received on each agreement; any credit enhancement, liquidity facility, or reserves,
including an accounting of the costs and expenses incurred by the state; a description
of the counterparty to each agreement; and a description of the counterparty risk, the
termination risk, and other risks associated with each agreement.
Under current law, the Building Commission may issue revenue bonds for
major highway projects and transportation administrative facilities. DOT may
deposit in a special trust fund vehicle registration fee revenues and other revenues
pledged for the repayment of these revenue bonds. Moneys pledged in excess of the
amount needed for repayment of these revenue bonds are transferred back to the
transportation fund, free of any pledged.
This bill allows DOT to deposit in this trust fund revenues received under an
interest exchange agreement and to make payments under an interest exchange
agreement, and excludes these amounts from the limit on revenue bonding.
Under the Clean Water Fund Program, the state provides loans to
municipalities for projects to control water pollution, including sewage treatment
plants. The program is funded from loan repayments, federal grants, state general
obligation bonds, and state revenue bonds. The Building Commission may issue
revenue bonds for the Clean Water Fund Program in an amount that does not exceed
$1,615,955,000. In addition, the Department of Commerce currently administers a
program to reimburse owners of certain petroleum storage tanks for a portion of the
costs of cleaning up discharges from those tanks. This program, commonly known
as PECFA, is funded from the petroleum inspection fee and state revenue bonds. The
Building Commission may issue revenue bonds for PECFA in an amount that does
not exceed $436,000,000.
This bill permits the Building Commission to make payments under an
agreement or ancillary arrangement with respect to revenue bonds issued for the
funding of these two programs.
The bill requires the secretary of administration to lapse to the general fund or
transfer to the general fund from the unencumbered balances of state operations
appropriations, other than sum sufficient appropriations and appropriations of
federal revenues, an amount equal to $40,000,000 during each fiscal year of the
2007-09 and 2009-11 fiscal biennia.
Current law requires the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) to
estimate its operating expenses semi-annually and to assess each fund it manages
for its share of the expenses in an equitable manner. SWIB's assessment may not
exceed the greater of $20,352,800 or 0.0275 percent of the average market value of
the assets of the funds at the end of each month between November 30 and April 30
of the preceding fiscal year.
This bill requires SWIB, annually on September 1, to assess each such fund for
its share of SWIB's operating expenses for the current fiscal year and caps the
assessment at the greater of the amount that SWIB could have assessed the funds
in the second year of the prior fiscal biennium or 0.0325 percent of the average
market value of the assets of the funds at the end of each month between November
30 and April 30 of the preceding fiscal year.
Current statutes contain a rule of proceeding governing legislative action on
certain bills that provides that no bill directly or indirectly affecting general purpose
revenues (GPR) may be adopted if the bill would cause the estimated general fund
balance on June 30 of any fiscal year to be less than a certain amount of the total GPR
appropriations for that fiscal year. For fiscal year 2007-08, the amount is
$65,000,000; for fiscal year 2008-09, the amount is $65,000,000; and for each fiscal
year thereafter, the amount is 2 percent of total GPR appropriations for that fiscal
year.
This bill provides that for fiscal years 2007-08 to 2010-11, the amount is
$130,000,000; and for fiscal year 2011-12 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount
is 2 percent of total GPR appropriations for that fiscal year.
Currently, every fiscal biennium, one-third of all state agencies prepare a base
budget review report that contains a description of each programmatic activity of the
state agency; an accounting of all expenditures in each of the prior three fiscal years,
arranged by revenue source and expenditure category for that state agency; and, for
each programmatic activity of the state agency, an accounting of all expenditures,
arranged by revenue source and expenditure category in the last two quarters in
each of the prior three fiscal years. This bill eliminates the report.
Public utility regulation
Under current law, the PSC must require certain telecommunications
providers to make contributions to the universal service fund, which is used for
promoting universal telecommunications service and for other specified purposes.
The PSC must designate the method for calculating the required contributions.
However, current law prohibits the PSC from requiring the telecommunications
providers to contribute, in the aggregate, more than $6,000,000 per fiscal year for
promoting universal telecommunications service. This bill eliminates the foregoing
prohibition.
Under current law, the PSC has oversight duties with respect to certain energy
efficiency and renewable resource programs that are established and funded by
investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities. Current law requires the utilities
to spend a specified percentage of their annual operating revenues on the programs,
as well as on other related programs. The utilities must contract with persons to
administer the programs.
This bill uses moneys in the utility public benefits fund (fund) to pay the costs
incurred by the PSC in carrying out its oversight duties described above. In each
fiscal year, the PSC must collect, for deposit in the fund, each utility's share, as
determined by the PSC, of the PSC's oversight costs. The bill requires the PSC to
collect these amounts from the persons with whom the utilities contract to
administer the programs. The amount that the PSC collects with respect to a utility
is included in determining whether the utility has spent the required percentage of
its annual operating revenues. (The bill does not change the percentage.) The bill
also transfers employees from DOA to the PSC to carry out the oversight duties.
Other state government
Under current law, DOA performs information technology services for agencies
and may charge agencies for these services. This bill authorizes DOA to implement
an integrated business information system (IBIS) capable of providing information
technology services to all agencies and authorities, including the legislature and the
courts, in the areas of human resources, procurement, and asset management.
Under current law, unless otherwise empowered by law, no state agency may
contract or create any debt or liability against the state in excess of an appropriation
of money by the state to pay such debt or liability.
This bill authorizes the creation of liabilities and the expenditure of moneys
appropriated for information technology services provided to agencies through IBIS
and for printing, mail, communication, and information technology services to state
agencies in an additional amount not exceeding the depreciated value of the
equipment used to provide information technology services to agencies through IBIS
and to provide printing, mail, communication, and information technology services
to state agencies respectively.
This bill creates a division of legal services in DOA that is authorized to provide
legal services to executive branch agencies. With certain exceptions, the bill
transfers all attorney positions and all legal staff positions in executive branch
agencies to the Division of Legal Services effective on July 1, 2008. The bill also
transfers all positions identified as hearing examiners, hearing officers, or
administrative law judges, other than such positions in DWD, to the Division of
Hearings and Appeals in DOA. Attorney positions in DOJ, the Office of the State
Public Defender, the PSC, the UW System, the Employment Relations Commission,
the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, the Government Accountability Board,
and the Office of the Governor are exempt from transfer, as are all state employees
working in an office of a district attorney. In addition, the bill retains a general
counsel or lead attorney position in each major state agency and office.
Under this bill, executive branch agencies that are authorized or required to
employ or retain an attorney may do so only in the following ways: (1) employ an
attorney in a position authorized by law; (2) contract with DOA for legal services; (3)
allow DOJ to furnish legal services if DOJ is required by law to furnish the services;
(4) allow or contract with the Division of Hearings and Appeals to furnish legal
services if the Division of Hearings and Appeals is required or authorized by law to
furnish the services; or (5) employ or retain any attorney who is not a state employee,
subject to the approval of the governor.
Currently, state agencies having jurisdiction over state properties may sell the
properties under various conditions and limitations if the operation of the properties
is not specifically provided for by law. The proceeds of any sales are credited or
deposited in various ways as provided by law. Currently, the Building Commission
may sell all or any part of a state-owned building or structure or state-owned land
if such authority is not provided to another state agency by law. The proceeds of any
such sales, after retirement of any outstanding debt on the affected properties, are
paid into the budget stabilization fund. However, under a special law enacted in
2005, DOA may offer for sale and sell certain state property if the Building
Commission authorizes the property to be offered for sale before July 1, 2007. Under
that law, sales may be either on the basis of public bids or negotiated prices, and need
not reflect fair market value.
Under this bill, DOA may offer certain state property for sale if the offer of sale
is approved by the Building Commission before July 1, 2009.
Current law requires persons who hold credentials issued by DRL to renew the
credentials every two years. Current law specifies the fee for renewing each
credential, for issuing an initial credential for which no examination is required, and
for issuing a reciprocal credential. Currently, DRL must submit a biennial budget
request recalculating the administrative and enforcement costs for each occupation
or business DRL regulates, and recommending changes to the fees.
This bill eliminates the specified renewal, initial credential, and reciprocal
credential fees. The bill requires DRL to determine the fees for the succeeding fiscal
biennium using the methodology currently prescribed for preparing its biennial
budget request. DRL must submit a report containing the proposed adjusted fees to
JCF for its approval.
Currently, the National and Community Service Board, which is attached to
DOA, receives federal funding, receives state funding from state agencies to which
the board provides services, and receives funding from gifts, grants, and bequests.
This bill directs DOA to annually determine the amount of state funding for
administrative support of the board that is required for the board to qualify for
federal funding. The bill directs DOA to apportion and assess that amount equally
to DOA, DHFS, DPI, and DWD.
taxation
Property taxation
This bill creates a property tax credit for improvements on real property. Under
the bill, beginning in 2009, annually $100,000,000 is distributed to municipalities
in amounts that are in the same proportion as the amounts obtained by multiplying
the fair market value of the improvements in each municipality by the school tax rate
for the municipality. Each municipality then applies the amount it receives to the
property tax bills of its property owners, apportioning the amount according to the
fair market value of each property owner's improvements, thereby reducing the
amount of the property taxes that the property owner must pay on the
improvements.
This bill creates a property tax exemption for real property owned by a veterans
service organization that is chartered under federal law if the property is necessary
for the location and convenience of buildings.
Income taxation
Current law provides a subtraction from federal adjusted gross income (AGI)
for amounts paid by a claimant for tuition to attend certain higher education
institutions located in this state or subject to the Minnesota-Wisconsin reciprocity
agreement. The subtraction may not exceed twice the average amount charged by
the Board of Regents of the UW System at four-year institutions for resident
undergraduate tuition for the most recent fall semester. Currently, the maximum
allowable subtraction is $4,536 and is phased out at certain income levels.
This bill increases the maximum allowable subtraction to $6,000 and expands
the subtraction to include mandatory student fees paid to an eligible institution.
Under current law, an individual may not claim an income tax deduction for
college tuition expenses if the source of the payment is an amount withdrawn from
either a college tuition and expenses program or a college savings account (commonly
known as EdVest I and EdVest II) and the claimant has already claimed a deduction
that relates to a contribution to an EdVest I or II account.
Under this bill, an individual may not claim an income tax deduction for college
tuition expenses if the source of the payment is an amount withdrawn from either
an EdVest I or II account and the owner of the account has already claimed a
deduction that relates to a contribution to an EdVest I or II account.
Current law provides an individual income tax deduction for 100 percent of the
amount paid by a person for a medical care insurance policy that covers the person
and his or her family (his or her spouse and dependents) if the person's employer pays
nothing toward the person's medical care insurance. There is a similar deduction for
100 percent of such amounts paid for a policy by a self-employed person and for
approximately 33 percent of such amounts paid by a person who has no employer and
no self-employment income, although the latter percentage increases to 100 percent
for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.
This bill creates a phased-in individual income tax deduction for a percentage
of the amount that is paid by an individual for a policy that covers the individual and
his or her family if the individual's employer pays a portion of the cost of the
individual's policy. For taxable year 2008, 10 percent of the amount paid for such a
policy may be claimed; for taxable year 2009, 25 percent may be claimed; for taxable
year 2010, 45 percent may be claimed; and for taxable year 2011 and thereafter, 100
percent may be claimed.
This bill allows a taxpayer to report to DOR, without paying a penalty or facing
criminal prosecution, certain transactions that are devised for the principal purpose
of evading or avoiding federal or state income or franchise tax and are required to
be reported to the Internal Revenue Service under federal law. In order to avoid
penalties and prosecution, a taxpayer must file an amended return with DOR for
each taxable year beginning before January 1, 2007, in which the taxpayer
participated in the transaction, and pay any additional taxes. The amended return
must be filed between October 1, 2007, and December 31, 2007. Apart from the grace
period provided under the bill, the bill generally requires taxpayers to report all such
transactions to DOR, consistent with the reporting requirements under federal law,
and pay all penalties, interest, and additional taxes.
Under this bill, a person may claim an income and franchise tax credit equal
to 25 percent of the amount that the person paid in the taxable year to install pumps
located in this state that dispense motor vehicle fuel consisting of at least 85 percent
ethanol or at least 20 percent biodiesel fuel.
This bill creates an income and franchise tax credit for health care providers in
an amount equal to the amount that the health care provider paid in the taxable year
for information technology hardware or software that is used to maintain medical
records in electronic form.
This bill also creates income and franchise tax credits for amounts paid to
modernize or expand a dairy manufacturing operation. Dairy manufacturing means
processing milk into dairy products or processing dairy products for sale
commercially.
This bill exempts from the income tax and the franchise tax all income of a
veterans service organization that is chartered under federal law.
Under current law, generally, a taxpayer may claim a credit against the
taxpayer's income and franchise tax liability on certain amounts invested in new
businesses under the early stage seed investment tax credit or the angel investment
tax credit. This bill increases the total amount of all angel investment credits that
may be claimed in each calendar year from $3,000,000 to $5,500,000 and the total
amount of all early stage seed investment credits that may be claimed in each
calendar year from $3,500,000 to $6,000,000. The bill also increases the amount of
the investment that may be used as the basis of an angel investment credit from
$500,000 to $2,000,000. In addition, the bill requires that any person claiming an
angel investment credit or an early stage seed investment credit keep his or her
investment in a certified business for at least three years.
Current law authorizes DOR to enter into agreements with the Internal
Revenue Service to offset state tax refunds against federal tax obligations and charge
a fee for such setoffs, not to exceed $25 per transaction. In addition, DOR may enter
into agreements with other states to offset state tax refunds against the tax
obligations of other states. This bill allows DOR to enter into agreements with
federally recognized tribes to offset state tax refunds against tribal obligations and
charge a fee for such setoffs, not to exceed $25 per transaction.
Under current law, a partnership, a limited liability company, a tax-option
corporation, an estate, or a trust that is treated as a pass-through entity for federal
income tax purposes must withhold income or franchise taxes from the income that
the entity may distribute to a nonresident partner, member, shareholder, or
beneficiary (nonresident). However, a nonresident's share of income from the
pass-through entity that is attributable to this state is not included in determining
the amount of the withholding tax if the nonresident is exempt from state income and
franchise taxes or if the nonresident has no state income other than his or her share
of income from the pass-through entity that is attributable to this state and the
amount of that income is less than $1,000.
Under this bill, income excluded from determining the amount of a
pass-through entity's withholding taxes includes income of a nonresident who files
an affidavit with DOR agreeing to file a state income or franchise tax return and be
subject to the personal jurisdiction of DOR, the Tax Appeals Commission, and the
courts of this state for the purpose of determining and collecting state income and
franchise taxes.
This bill adopts, for state income and franchise tax purposes, certain changes
made to the Internal Revenue Code by Public Law 109-7, which excludes qualified
disaster mitigation payments from gross income; Public Law 109-58, the Energy Tax
Incentives Act; Public Law 109-59, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act; Public Law 109-73, the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief
Act; Public Law 109-135, the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act; Public Law 109-151, the
Employee Retirement Preservation Act; Public Law 109-222, the Tax Increase
Prevention Act; Public Law 109-227, Heroes Earned Retirement Opportunities Act;
and Public Law 109-280, the Pension Protection Act.
Under current law, for claims filed in 2001 and thereafter, the homestead tax
credit threshold income is $8,000; the maximum property taxes, or rent constituting
property taxes, that a claimant may use in calculating his or her credit are $1,450;
and the maximum household income is $24,500. As income increases from $8,000
to $24,500, the credit is phased out to zero under the current formula; also, the credit
is 80 percent of the property taxes accrued or rent constituting property taxes
accrued for household income of $8,000 or less. Using the formula, the credit that
may be claimed ranges from $10 to $1,160.
Under this bill, for claims filed in 2009 and thereafter, the maximum household
income is indexed for inflation. Also under the bill, as a claimant's income exceeds
the threshold income amount, the credit is phased out until the credit equals zero
when income exceeds the indexed maximum income.
Federal law provides an individual income tax credit for a portion of qualifying
child or dependent care expenses that are paid for the purpose of enabling a taxpayer
to be gainfully employed. An eligible claimant must maintain a household for a
qualifying individual, which is defined as a dependent under the age of 13, a disabled
spouse, or another disabled individual who is a dependent of the taxpayer. The
amount that may be claimed under the federal credit is based on the amount of
allowable employment-related expenses incurred by the claimant. The maximum
amount of such expenses under federal law is $3,000 for one qualifying individual
and $6,000 for more than one qualifying individual.
In calculating Wisconsin AGI, this bill authorizes an individual who claims the
federal credit to subtract from federal AGI a certain amount of the expenses claimed
by the individual under the federal credit. The amount that may be subtracted is
phased in over four years. For nonresidents and part-year residents of this state,
the amount of the subtraction is then prorated based on the ratio of the claimant's
Wisconsin earned income to total earned income.
Currently, with regard to the endangered resources and local professional
football stadium district income tax checkoffs, the secretary of revenue must
highlight that place on the income tax return with an appropriate symbol. Under
this bill, the requirement applies only to forms printed by DOR.
