238.15(1)(f)1.b.
b. Processing or assembling products, including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, computer software, computer hardware, semiconductors, any other innovative technology products, or other products that are produced using manufacturing methods that are enabled by applying differentiating technology.
238.15(1)(f)1.c.
c. Services that are enabled by applying differentiating technology.
238.15(1)(f)2.
2. It is undertaking pre-commercialization activity related to differentiating technology that includes conducting research, developing a new product or business process, or developing a service that is principally reliant on applying differentiating technology.
238.15(1)(g)
(g) It is not primarily engaged in real estate development, insurance, banking, lending, lobbying, political consulting, professional services provided by attorneys, accountants, business consultants, physicians, or health care consultants, wholesale or retail trade, leisure, hospitality, transportation, or construction, except construction of power production plants that derive energy from a renewable resource, as defined in
s. 196.378 (1) (h).
238.15(1)(h)
(h) At the time it is initially certified under this subsection, it has less than 100 employees.
238.15(1)(j)
(j) At the time it is initially certified under this subsection, it has been in operation in this state for not more than 10 consecutive years.
238.15(1)(k)
(k) For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2008, it has not received more than $1,000,000 in investments that have qualified for tax credits under
s. 71.07 (5d).
238.15(1)(km)
(km) It has not received aggregate private equity investment in cash of more than $10,000,000 before it is initially certified under this subsection.
238.15(1)(m)1.1. It agrees that it will not relocate outside of this state during the 3 years after it receives an investment for which a person may claim a tax credit under
s. 71.07 (5d) and agrees to pay the corporation a penalty, in an amount determined under
subd. 2., if the business relocates outside of this state during that 3-year period. For the purposes of this paragraph, except as provided in policies and procedures under
sub. (3) (dm), a business relocates outside of this state when the business locates more than 51 percent of any of the following outside of this state:
238.15(1)(m)1.c.
c. The activities of the business's headquarters, as determined by the corporation.
238.15(1)(m)2.
2. The amount of a penalty payment under
subd. 1. is any of the following:
238.15(1)(m)2.a.
a. If the relocation occurs less than 12 months after the investment, 100 percent of the tax credit that was claimed under
s. 71.07 (5d) as the result of the investment.
238.15(1)(m)2.b.
b. If the relocation occurs 12 months or more after the investment but less than 24 months after the investment, 80 percent of the tax credit that was claimed under
s. 71.07 (5d) as the result of the investment.
238.15(1)(m)2.c.
c. If the relocation occurs occurs 24 months or more after the investment but less than 36 months after the investment, 60 percent of the tax credit that was claimed under
s. 71.07 (5d) as the result of the investment.
238.15(1)(m)3.
3. Subdivision 1. does not apply to a business that the corporation certified for purposes of
s. 71.07 (5d) before April 20, 2012, and that, in reliance on that certification, executed a note or bond that is convertible to an equity interest.
238.15(2)
(2) Early stage seed investment tax credits. The corporation shall implement a program to certify investment fund managers for purposes of
ss. 71.07 (5b),
71.28 (5b),
71.47 (5b), and
76.638. An investment fund manager desiring certification shall submit an application to the corporation. The investment fund manager shall specify in the application the investment amount that the manager wishes to raise and the corporation may certify the manager and determine the amount that qualifies for purposes of
ss. 71.07 (5b),
71.28 (5b),
71.47 (5b), and
76.638. In determining whether to certify an investment fund manager, the corporation shall consider the investment fund manager's experience in managing venture capital funds, the past performance of investment funds managed by the applicant, the expected level of investment in the investment fund to be managed by the applicant, and any other relevant factors. The corporation may certify only investment fund managers that commit to consider placing investments in businesses certified under
sub. (1).
238.15(3)(a)(a)
List of certified businesses and investment fund managers. The corporation shall maintain a list of businesses certified under
sub. (1) and investment fund managers certified under
sub. (2) and shall permit public access to the lists through the corporation's Internet Web site.
238.15(3)(d)
(d)
Administration. The corporation, in consultation with the department of revenue, shall establish policies and procedures to administer this section and shall further define “bona fide angel investment" for purposes of
s. 71.07 (5d) (a) 1. The aggregate amount of tax credits under
s. 71.07 (5d) that may be claimed for investments in businesses certified under
sub. (1) and of tax credits under
ss. 71.07 (5b),
71.28 (5b),
71.47 (5b), and
76.638 that may be claimed for investments paid to fund managers certified under
sub. (2) is $30,000,000 per calendar year. The policies and procedures shall provide that a person who receives a credit under
s. 71.07 (5b) or
(5d),
71.28 (5b),
71.47 (5b), or
76.638 must keep the investment in a certified business, or with a certified fund manager, for no less than 3 years, unless the person's investment becomes worthless, as determined by the corporation, during the 3-year period or the person has kept the investment for no less than 12 months and a bona fide liquidity event, as determined by the corporation, occurs during the 3-year period. The policies and procedures shall permit the corporation to reallocate credits under this section in any calendar year that are unused in that calendar year to a person eligible for tax benefits, as defined under
s. 238.30 (7) (e), if all of the following apply:
238.15(3)(d)1.
1. The corporation notifies the joint committee on finance in writing of its proposed reallocation.
238.15(3)(d)2.a.
a. The cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance fail to notify the corporation, within 14 working days after the date of the corporation's notification under
subd. 1., that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed reallocation.
238.15(3)(d)2.b.
b. The cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance notify the corporation that the committee has approved the proposed reallocation.
238.15(3)(dm)
(dm) The corporation's policies and procedures under this subsection shall provide that a business is considered to have not relocated outside of this state under
sub. (1) (m) 1., regardless of whether the business satisfies
sub. (1) (m) 1. a. and
b., if the corporation determines that the business's investment and employment levels in this state have not diminished.
238.15(3)(e)
(e)
Transfer. A person who is eligible to claim a credit under
s. 71.07 (5b),
71.28 (5b),
71.47 (5b), or
76.638 may sell or otherwise transfer the credit to another person who is subject to the taxes or fees imposed under
s. 71.02,
71.23,
71.47, or
subch. III of ch. 76, if the person receives prior authorization from the investment fund manager and the manager then notifies the corporation and the department of revenue of the transfer and submits with the notification a copy of the transfer documents. No person may sell or otherwise transfer a credit as provided in this paragraph more than once in a 12-month period. The corporation may charge any person selling or otherwise transferring a credit under this paragraph a fee of up to 5 percent of the credit amount sold or transferred.
238.15(3)(f)1.1. Beginning with December 31, 2014, tax credits that the corporation has not allocated under this section on or before December 31 of each year may not be allocated after that date.
238.15(3)(f)2.
2. Subdivision 1. does not apply to an allocation of tax credits occurring after December 31, 2014, and before July 14, 2015.
238.16
238.16
Jobs tax credit. 238.16(1)(a)1.1. Except as provided in
subd. 2., “business" means any organization or enterprise operated for profit, including a sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, business trust, joint venture, syndicate, corporation, limited liability company, or association.
238.16(1)(a)2.
2. “Business" does not include a store or shop in which retail sales is the principal business.
238.16(1)(b)
(b) “Eligible employee" means a person employed in a full-time job by a person certified under
sub. (2).
238.16(1)(c)1.1. Except as provided in
subd. 2., “full-time job" means a regular, nonseasonal full-time position in which an individual, as a condition of employment, is required to work at least 2,080 hours per year, including paid leave and holidays, and for which the individual receives pay that is equal to at least 150 percent of the federal minimum wage and benefits that are not required by federal or state law. “Full-time job" does not include initial training before an employment position begins.
238.16(1)(c)2.
2. The corporation may grant exceptions to the requirement under
subd. 1. that a full-time job means a position in which an individual, as a condition of employment, is required to work at least 2,080 hours per year if all of the following apply:
238.16(1)(c)2.a.
a. The annual pay for the position is more than the amount determined by multiplying 2,080 by 150 percent of the federal minimum wage.
238.16(1)(c)2.b.
b. An individual in the position is offered retirement, health, and other benefits that are equivalent to the retirement, health, and other benefits offered to an individual who is required to work at least 2,080 hours per year.
238.16(2)
(2) The corporation may certify a person to receive tax benefits under this section if all of the following apply:
238.16(2)(a)
(a) The person is operating or intends to operate a business in this state.
238.16(2)(b)
(b) The person applies under this section and enters into a contract with the corporation.
238.16(3)
(3) Eligibility for tax benefits. A person certified under
sub. (2) may receive tax benefits under this section if, in each year for which the person claims tax benefits under this section, the person increases net employment in this state in the person's business above the net employment in this state in the person's business during the year before the person was certified under
sub. (2), as determined by the corporation under its policies and procedures, and one of the following applies:
238.16(3)(a)
(a) In a tier I county or municipality, an eligible employee for whom the person claims a tax credit will earn at least the amount determined by multiplying 2,080 by 150 percent of the federal minimum wage in wages from the person in the year for which the credit is claimed.
238.16(3)(b)
(b) In a tier II county or municipality, an eligible employee for whom the person claims a tax credit will earn at least $30,000 in wages from the person in the year for which the credit is claimed.
238.16(3)(c)
(c) In a tier I county or municipality or a tier II county or municipality, the person improves the job-related skills of any eligible employee, trains any eligible employee on the use of job-related new technologies, or provides job-related training to any eligible employee whose employment with the person represents the employee's first full-time job.
238.16(4)
(4) Duration, limits, and expiration. 238.16(4)(a)(a) The certification of a person under
sub. (2) may remain in effect for no more than 10 cumulative years.
238.16(4)(b)1.1. The corporation may award to a person certified under
sub. (2) tax benefits for each eligible employee in an amount equal to up to 10 percent of the wages paid by the person to that employee or $10,000, whichever is less, if that employee earned wages in the year for which the tax benefit is claimed equal to one of the following:
238.16(4)(b)1.a.
a. In a tier I county or municipality, at least the amount determined by multiplying 2,080 by 150 percent of the federal minimum wage.
238.16(4)(b)2.
2. The corporation may award to a person certified under
sub. (2) tax benefits in an amount to be determined by the corporation for costs incurred by the person to undertake the training activities described in
sub. (3) (c).
238.16(4)(c)
(c) Subject to a reallocation by the corporation pursuant to policies and procedures adopted under
s. 238.15 (3) (d), the corporation may allocate up to $10,000,000 in tax benefits under this section in any calendar year.
238.16(5)(c)(c) The corporation may require a person to repay any tax benefits the person claims for a year in which the person failed to maintain employment required by an agreement under
sub. (2) (b).
238.16(5)(f)
(f) The corporation shall adopt policies and procedures for the implementation and operation of this section, including policies and procedures relating to the following:
238.16(5)(f)1.
1. The definitions of a tier I county or municipality and a tier II county or municipality. The corporation may consider all of the following information when establishing the definitions required under this subdivision:
238.16(5)(f)1.e.
e. Other significant or irregular indicators of economic distress, such as a natural disaster or mass layoff.
238.16(5)(f)2.
2. A schedule of additional tax benefits for which a person who is certified under
sub. (2) and who incurs costs related to job training under
sub. (3) (c) may be eligible.
238.16(5)(f)5.
5. Determining a change in net employment in a person's business.
238.16(6)
(6) Sunset. No tax benefits may be awarded under this section after December 31, 2015, unless the tax benefits were allocated to a taxpayer by the corporation in a contract that the corporation executed before that date or in a letter of intent to enter into such a contract that the corporation issued before that date.
238.16 History
History: 2009 a. 28,
265;
2011 a. 32 ss.
2864,
3357 to
3366; Stats. 2011 s. 238.16;
2011 a. 88;
2013 a. 20,
145;
2015 a. 55.
238.17
238.17
Historic rehabilitation tax credit. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, the corporation may certify a person to claim a tax credit under
s. 71.07 (9m),
71.28 (6), or
71.47 (6), if the corporation determines that the person is conducting an eligible activity under
s. 71.07 (9m),
71.28 (6), or
71.47 (6). No person may claim a tax credit under
s. 71.07 (9m),
71.28 (6), or
71.47 (6) without first being certified under this section.
238.17 History
History: 2013 a. 62;
2015 a. 55.
238.23
238.23
Technology zones. 238.23(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (c), the corporation may designate up to 8 areas in the state as technology zones. A business that is located in a technology zone and that is certified by the corporation under
sub. (3) is eligible for a tax credit as provided in
sub. (3).
238.23(2)(b)
(b) The designation of an area as a technology zone shall be in effect for 10 years from the time that the corporation first designates the area. Not more than $5,000,000 in tax credits may be claimed in a technology zone, except that the corporation may allocate the amount of unallocated airport development zone tax credits, as provided under
s. 238.3995 (3) (b), to technology zones for which the $5,000,000 maximum allocation is insufficient. The corporation may change the boundaries of a technology zone during the time that its designation is in effect. A change in the boundaries of a technology zone does not affect the duration of the designation of the area or the maximum tax credit amount that may be claimed in the technology zone.
238.23(2)(c)
(c) No area may be designated as a technology zone under this subsection on or after March 6, 2009.
238.23(3)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (e), the corporation may certify for tax credits in a technology zone a business that satisfies all of the following requirements:
