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SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 68 O.S. 2001, Section 2357.7, as amended by Section 2,
Chapter 181, O.S.L. 2003 (68 O.S. Supp. 2005, Section 2357.7), is amended to
read as follows:
Section
2357.7 A. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 1986, and before
January 1, 2009, there shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed by
Section 2355 of this title or Section 624 of Title 36 of the Oklahoma Statutes
for investments in qualified venture capital companies whose purpose is to establish
or expand the development of business and industry within Oklahoma.
Provided,
tax credits against liabilities imposed pursuant to Section 624 of Title 36 of
the Oklahoma Statutes shall be limited to the amount that would otherwise be
collected and allocated to the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury.
B. For
purposes of this section:
1. "Qualified venture capital company" ; means a C corporation, as
defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, incorporated pursuant
to the laws of Oklahoma or a registered business partnership with a certificate
of partnership filed as required by law if such corporation or partnership is
organized to provide the direct investment of debt and equity funds to
companies within this state, with its principal place of business located
within this state and which meets the following criteria:
a. capitalization of not less than Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00),
b. having a purpose and objective of investing at least a portion, as specified
herein, seventy-five percent (75%) of its capitalization in Oklahoma
business ventures. Such portion shall be at least fifty-five percent (55%) for
capitalization occurring before January 1, 1999, and at least seventy-five
percent (75%) for capitalization occurring on and after January 1, 1999.
Investment capital received by such venture capital company shall be invested
pursuant to said objective within five (5) years after receipt of such
capital. Provided, of the portion of capitalization required to be invested in
Oklahoma business ventures, as specified herein, ten percent (10%) of
capitalization may be reserved for additional investment, within ten (10) years
after receipt of capital, in portfolio companies which are Oklahoma business
ventures. The temporary investment of funds by a qualified venture capital
company in obligations of the United States, state and municipal bonds, bank
certificates of deposit, or money market securities pending investment in
Oklahoma business ventures is hereby authorized, and
c. investment of not more than ten percent (10%) of its funds in any one company;
2.
"Oklahoma business venture" means a business, incorporated or
unincorporated, which:
a. has or will have, immediately after a loan or within one hundred eighty
(180) days after an investment is made by a qualified venture capital
company, at least fifty percent (50%) of its employees or assets located in
Oklahoma,
b. needs
financial assistance in order to commence or expand such business which
provides or intends to provide goods or services, and
c. is
not engaged in oil and gas exploration, real estate development, real estate
sales, retail sales of food or clothing, farming, ranching, banking, or lending
or investing funds in other businesses. Provided, however, businesses which
provide or intend to provide goods or services, including, but not limited to,
goods or services involving new technology, equipment, or techniques to such
businesses listed in this subparagraph, and investments in the development of
tourism facilities in the form of amusement parks, entertainment parks, theme
parks, golf courses, or museums shall not be subject to said prohibition,
and
d.
expends within eighteen (18) months after the date of the investment at least fifty
percent (50%) of the proceeds of the investment for the acquisition of tangible
or intangible assets which are used in the active conduct of the trade or business
of the Oklahoma business venture. Provided, that the Oklahoma Tax Commission,
upon request and demonstration of need by a qualified venture capital company
or an Oklahoma business venture, may extend the eighteen-month period otherwise
required by this subparagraph for a period not to exceed six (6) months.
Provided, the expenditure of the invested funds by the Oklahoma business
venture shall otherwise comply with the requirements applicable to the usage of
tax credits for investment in the Oklahoma business venture. As used in this
subparagraph, tangible assets shall include the acquisition of real property
and the construction of improvements upon real property if such acquisition and
construction otherwise complies with the requirements applicable to the usage
of tax credits for investment in the Oklahoma business venture and intangible
assets shall be limited to computer software, licenses, patents, copyrights,
and similar items;
3.
"Direct investment" means the purchase of securities of a private
company, or securities of a public company if the securities constitute a new
issue of a public company and such public company had previous year sales of
less than Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00); and
4.
"Debt and equity funds" means investments in debt securities;
including unsecured, undersecured, subordinated or convertible loans or debt
securities; and/or equity securities, including common and preferred stock,
royalty rights, limited partnership interest, and any other securities or
rights that evidence ownership in businesses; provided such investment of
debt and equity funds shall not have a repayment schedule that is faster than a
level principal amortization over five (5) years.
C. The
credit provided for in subsection A of this section shall be twenty percent
(20%) of the cash amount invested in
qualified venture capital
companies
which is subsequently invested in an Oklahoma business venture by
the qualified venture capital company and may only be claimed for a taxable
year during which the qualified venture capital company makes an investment in
an Oklahoma business venture. The credit shall be allowed for the amount of
the investment in an Oklahoma business venture if the funds are used in pursuit
of a legitimate business purpose of the Oklahoma business venture consistent
with its organizational instrument, bylaws or other agreement responsible for
the governance of the business venture. The qualified venture capital company
shall issue such reports as the Oklahoma Tax Commission may require attributing
the source of funds of each investment it makes in an Oklahoma business venture
. The
Oklahoma
Capital Investment Board shall have the authority to certify an entity as a
qualified venture capital company ;
and to certify an investment to
be a qualifying Oklahoma business venture for purposes of complying with
subsection B of this section. Such certification shall be binding on the
Oklahoma Tax Commission. Such certification shall not be mandatory but may be
requested by any entity that desires to be certified. A reasonable
certification fee may be charged by the Oklahoma Capital Investment Board for
this service. If the tax credit allowed pursuant to subsection A of this
section exceeds the amount of taxes due or if there are no state taxes due of
the taxpayer, the amount of the claim not used as an offset against the taxes
of a taxable year may be carried forward as a credit against subsequent tax
liability for a period not to exceed three (3) years.
No investor in a venture
capital company organized after July 1, 1992, may claim tax credits under the
provisions of this section.
D. No
taxpayer may claim the credit provided for in subsection A of this section for
investments in qualified venture capital companies made prior to January 1,
1987.
E. No
investor whose capital is guaranteed by the Oklahoma Capital Investment Board
may claim or transfer the credit provided for in subsection A of this section
for investments in such guaranteed portfolio.
F. The
credit provided for in subsection A of this section, to the extent not
previously utilized, shall be freely transferable to and by subsequent
transferees for a period of three (3) years from the date of investment in
the Oklahoma business venture.
G. If a
pass-through entity is entitled to a credit under this section, the
pass-through entity shall allocate such credit to one or more of the
shareholders, partners or members of the pass-through entity; provided, the
total of all credits allocated shall not exceed the amount of the credit to
which the pass-through entity is entitled.
The
credit may also be claimed for funds borrowed by the pass-through entity to
make a qualified investment if a shareholder, partner or member to whom the credit
is allocated has a legal obligation to repay the borrowed funds but the
allocation may not exceed such shareholders, partners or members pro-rata
equity share of the pass-through entity even if the taxpayers legal obligation
to repay the borrowed funds is in excess of such pro-rata share of such
borrowed funds. For purposes of this act, pass-through entity means a
corporation that for the applicable tax years is treated as an S corporation
under the Internal Revenue Code, general partnership, limited partnership,
limited liability partnership, trust or limited liability company that for the
applicable tax year is not taxed as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes.
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