An Act Concerning Technical Changes to the Tax Laws
Sec. 1. 36 MRSA §112, sub-§5-A, as amended by PL 1997, c. 526, §7, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §112, sub-§8, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 434, §7, is amended to read:
Sec. 3. 36 MRSA §141, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 378, §4, is amended to read:
Sec. 4. 36 MRSA §175, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1993, c. 377, §1, is further amended to read:
Sec. 5. 36 MRSA §175, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 377, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. 6. 36 MRSA §191, sub-§2, ¶D, as amended by PL 1991, c. 546, §7, is further amended to read:
Sec. 7. 36 MRSA §191, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1977, c. 668, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. 8. 36 MRSA §272, sub-§4, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 764, §8 and amended by PL 1997, c. 526, §14, is further amended to read:
Sec. 9. 36 MRSA §1113, as repealed and replaced by PL 1977, c. 467, §13, is amended to read:
§ 1113. Enforcement provision
There shall be a tax A lien is created to secure the payment of the penalties provided in sections 1112 and section 1109, subsections 2 and 6. Such a lien 5 and section 1112, which may be enforced in the same manner as liens on real estate created by section 552.
Sec. 10. 36 MRSA §1115, as amended by PL 1989, c. 748, §7, is further amended to read:
§ 1115. Transfer of portion of parcel of land
Transfer of a portion of a parcel of farmland subject to taxation under this subchapter does not affect the taxation under this subchapter of the resulting parcels unless they do not meet the minimum acreage requirements of this subchapter. Transfer of a portion of a parcel of open space land subject to taxation under this subchapter does not affect the taxation under this subchapter of the resulting parcels unless either or both of the parcels no longer provide a public benefit as required in one of the areas enumerated in section 1102, subsection 6. Each resulting parcel must be taxed to the owners under this subchapter until such a parcel it is withdrawn from taxation under this subchapter , in which case , the penalties provided for in section 1112 apply only to the owner of that parcel. If the transfer of a portion of a parcel of farmland resulting from the transfer of subject to taxation under this subchapter results in the creation of a parcel that is less than the minimum acreage requirement of required by this subchapter or , if the transfer of a portion of a parcel of open space land resulting from a transfer subject to taxation under this subchapter results in the creation of a parcel that no longer provides a public benefit in one of the areas enumerated in section 1102, subsection 6, that parcel must be considered as is deemed to have been withdrawn from taxation under this subchapter as a result of the transfer and is subject to the penalties as provided in section 1112.
Sec. 11. 36 MRSA §1132, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 466, Pt. A, §58, is amended to read:
Sec. 12. 36 MRSA §1132, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 466, Pt. A, §58, is amended to read:
Sec. 13. 36 MRSA §1506, as amended by PL 1987, c. 196, §10 and PL 1997, c. 526, §14, is further amended to read:
§ 1506. Rulemaking
The Bureau of Revenue Services, after After consultation with the Commissioner of Marine Resources, the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Director of the Division of Licensing and , Registration and Engineering within the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the State Tax Assessor may adopt rules and establish such forms and procedures as are necessary for the efficient administration and enforcement of the excise tax established imposed by this chapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules for the purposes of Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 14. 36 MRSA §1752, sub-§5-A, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 163, §1, is amended to read:
Sec. 15. 36 MRSA §1752, sub-§14, ¶B, as amended by PL 2007, c. 627, §43, is further amended to read:
(1) Discounts allowed and taken on sales;
(2) Allowances in cash or by credit made upon the return of merchandise pursuant to warranty;
(3) The price of property returned by customers, when the full price is refunded either in cash or by credit;
(4) The price received for labor or services used in installing or applying or repairing the property sold, if separately charged or stated;
(5) Any amount charged or collected, in lieu of a gratuity or tip, as a specifically stated service charge, when that amount is to be disbursed by a hotel, restaurant or other eating establishment to its employees as wages;
(6) The amount of any tax imposed by the United States on or with respect to retail sales, whether imposed upon the retailer or the consumer, except any manufacturers', importers', alcohol or tobacco excise tax;
(7) The cost of transportation from the retailer's place of business or other point from which shipment is made directly to the purchaser, provided that those charges are separately stated and the transportation occurs by means of common carrier, contract carrier or the United States mail;
(8) The fee imposed by Title 10, section 1169, subsection 11;
(9) The fee imposed by section 4832, subsection 1;
(10) The lead-acid battery deposit imposed by Title 38, section 1604, subsection 2-B;
(11) Any amount charged or collected by a person engaged in the rental of living quarters as a forfeited room deposit or cancellation fee if the prospective occupant of the living quarters cancels the reservation on or before the scheduled date of arrival; or
(12) The premium imposed on bulk motor vehicle oil changes imposed and prepackaged motor vehicle oil by Title 10, section 1020, subsection 6 6-A.
Sec. 16. 36 MRSA §1752, sub-§14, ¶B, as amended by PL 2009, c. 382, Pt. B, §17 and affected by §52, is further amended to read:
(1) Discounts allowed and taken on sales;
(2) Allowances in cash or by credit made upon the return of merchandise pursuant to warranty;
(3) The price of property returned by customers, when the full price is refunded either in cash or by credit;
(5) Any amount charged or collected, in lieu of a gratuity or tip, as a specifically stated service charge, when that amount is to be disbursed by a hotel, restaurant or other eating establishment to its employees as wages;
(6) The amount of any tax imposed by the United States on or with respect to retail sales, whether imposed upon the retailer or the consumer, except any manufacturers', importers', alcohol or tobacco excise tax;
(7) The cost of transportation from the retailer's place of business or other point from which shipment is made directly to the purchaser, provided that those charges are separately stated and the transportation occurs by means of common carrier, contract carrier or the United States mail;
(8) The fee imposed by Title 10, section 1169, subsection 11;
(9) The fee imposed by section 4832, subsection 1;
(10) The lead-acid battery deposit imposed by Title 38, section 1604, subsection 2-B;
(11) Any amount charged or collected by a person engaged in the rental of living quarters as a forfeited room deposit or cancellation fee if the prospective occupant of the living quarters cancels the reservation on or before the scheduled date of arrival; or
(12) The premium imposed on bulk motor vehicle oil changes imposed and prepackaged motor vehicle oil by Title 10, section 1020, subsection 6.
Sec. 17. 36 MRSA §1754-B, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2003, c. 673, Pt. AAA, §1, is further amended to read:
When a If the retailer maintains a place of business in this State, the registration certificate must be conspicuously displayed at that place of business. In If the case of a retailer that does not have a fixed place of business and makes sales from one or more motor vehicles, each motor vehicle constitutes is deemed to be a place of business.
Sec. 18. 36 MRSA §3203, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 650, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 19. 36 MRSA §3203, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 538, Pt. L, §2, is further amended to read:
Sec. 20. 36 MRSA §3203-C, as amended by PL 2009, c. 413, Pt. W, §3 and affected by §6 and amended by c. 434, §51 and affected by §84, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
§ 3203-C. Inventory tax
On the date that any increase in the rate of tax imposed under this chapter takes effect, an inventory tax is imposed upon all distillates that are held in inventory by a supplier, wholesaler or retail dealer as of the end of the day prior to that date on which the tax imposed by section 3203, section 1-B has been paid. The inventory tax is computed by multiplying the number of gallons of tax-paid fuel held in inventory by the difference between the tax rate already paid and the new tax rate. Suppliers, wholesalers and retail dealers that hold such tax-paid inventory shall make payment of the inventory tax on or before the 15th day of the next calendar month, accompanied by a form prescribed and furnished by the State Tax Assessor. In the event of a decrease in the tax rate, the supplier, wholesaler or retail dealer is entitled to a refund or credit, which must be claimed on a form designed and furnished by the assessor.
Sec. 21. 36 MRSA §5122, sub-§1, ¶Z, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. BBBB, §2 and c. 434, §66 and affected by §84, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Sec. 22. 36 MRSA §5122, sub-§2, ¶AA, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. BBBB, §6 and amended by c. 434, §67, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Upon the taxable disposition of property to which this paragraph applies, the amount of any gain or loss includable in federal adjusted gross income must be adjusted for Maine income tax purposes by an amount equal to the difference between the addition modification for such property under subsection 1, paragraph AA and the subtraction modifications allowed pursuant to this paragraph.
The total amount of subtraction claimed for property under this paragraph for all tax years may not exceed the addition modification under subsection 1, paragraph AA for the same property;
Sec. 23. 36 MRSA §5200-A, sub-§2, ¶R, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. ZZZ, §11 and Pt. BBBB, §13, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Upon the taxable disposition of property to which this paragraph applies, the amount of any gain or loss includable in federal taxable income must be adjusted for Maine income tax purposes by an amount equal to the difference between the addition modification for such property under subsection 1, paragraph T and the subtraction modifications allowed pursuant to this paragraph.
The total amount of subtraction claimed for property under this paragraph for all tax years may not exceed the addition modification under subsection 1, paragraph T for the same property;
Sec. 24. 36 MRSA §5219-E, as amended by PL 1997, c. 24, Pt. C, §11, is repealed.
Sec. 25. 36 MRSA §5228, sub-§3, as corrected by RR 2009, c. 1, §29, is amended to read:
Sec. 26. 36 MRSA §5278, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2003, c. 588, §21, is further amended to read:
Sec. 27. 36 MRSA §6652, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. U, §1, is further amended to read:
Sec. 28. 36 MRSA §6652, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 623, §5, is amended to read:
(1) For the 13th year for which reimbursement is made, the percentage is 75%.
(2) For the 14th year for which reimbursement is made, the percentage is 70%.
(3) For the 15th year for which reimbursement is made, the percentage is 65%.
(4) For the 16th year for which reimbursement is made, the percentage is 60%.
(5) For the 17th year for which reimbursement is made, the percentage is 55%.
(6) For the 18th year for which reimbursement is made and for subsequent years, the percentage is 50%.
Sec. 29. 36 MRSA §6754, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2009, c. 434, §83 and c. 461, §27, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Sec. 30. Contingent effective date. That section of this Act that amends the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, section 1752, subsection 14, paragraph B, as amended by Public Law 2007, chapter 627, section 43, takes effect only if Public Law 2009, chapter 382 is not ratified by a majority of the electors voting on that measure pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Section 17.
Sec. 31. Contingent effective date. That section of this Act that amends the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, section 1752, subsection 14, paragraph B, as amended by Public Law 2009, chapter 382, Part B, section 17 and affected by section 52, takes effect only if Public Law 2009, chapter 382 is ratified by a majority of the electors voting on that measure pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Section 17.
Summary
This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing taxation.
The bill authorizes the State Tax Assessor to enter into agreements with certain other governmental entities for assistance in the administration and enforcement of Maine tax laws.
The bill clarifies and corrects cross-references, grammar and syntax.
The bill authorizes the State Tax Assessor, under certain circumstances, to disclose information to duly authorized officers of other states for use in the administration and enforcement of Maine tax laws.
The bill eliminates gender-specific language.
The bill updates the name of a state agency that was renamed by Public Law 2009, chapter 340.
The bill provides that an applicant for sales tax registration must identify in its application the types of taxable services it intends to sell.
The bill repeals obsolete tax rates from the special fuel tax law.
The bill corrects a conflict created by Public Law 2009, chapters 213 and 434, which affected the same provision of law, by incorporating changes made by both laws.
This bill corrects an error in the subtraction modification for depreciation deductions for individual and corporate income taxes. This bill also corrects conflicts in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, section 5122, subsection 2, paragraph AA and section 5200-A, subsection 2, paragraph R.
The bill repeals obsolete statutory language establishing the investment tax credit, since the credit is no longer available, and repeals a reference to the investment tax credit.
The bill clarifies the circumstances under which an income tax credit or refund may be claimed based on a federal amendment or adjustment.
This bill amends the law to clarify that a taxpayer participating in the business equipment tax reimbursement, or BETR, program and a tax increment financing agreement with a municipality may not receive a greater reimbursement than the amount of property taxes actually paid, less any tax increment financing refund received.
The bill repeals a reference to the investment tax credit and clarifies the computation of the reduced BETR program reimbursement.
The bill clarifies language relating to the computation of the employment tax increment financing reimbursement and corrects a conflict created by Public Law 2009, chapters 434 and 461, which affected the same provision of law.