REPORT TITLE:
Tax Credit; Training, Jobs


DESCRIPTION:
Provides an income tax credit for the cost of training a taxpayer
or a taxpayer's employees to upgrade their technology-related
skills.  (HB2955 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2955
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO NEW ECONOMY SKILLS TRAINING.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the information
 
 2 technology sector of the economy is the fastest growing sector of
 
 3 the U.S. workforce, creating millions of high-paying jobs across
 
 4 the nation.  Computers are an indispensable tool in business, and
 
 5 technology sector products can greatly enhance business
 
 6 productivity and level the playing field between big and small
 
 7 business.  Currently, demand for skilled information technology
 
 8 workers exceeds the number of persons with the appropriate
 
 9 technical certification or college degree.  However, costs of
 
10 information technology training programs are often expensive, and
 
11 underemployed persons and small businesses alike find it
 
12 difficult to pay for training that will enable them to compete.
 
13      The legislature further finds that tax credits are an
 
14 efficient way for Hawaii to deliver incentives to businesses and
 
15 individuals to capitalize on the growth of technology-related
 
16 industries.  By requiring the creation or acquisition of a new
 
17 job, the proposed tax credit isolates the total cost of this
 
18 program and gives incentives for continuing education in areas
 
19 where the skills are in demand.  Because an employer must create
 

 
Page 2                                                     2955
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 a new technology-related job to use the tax credit for new
 
 2 economy skills training expenses, the employer has the
 
 3 flexibility to determine what kind of training to provide for the
 
 4 jobs needed by the employer.  In addition, companies will not pay
 
 5 for training costs if job opportunities do not exist.  Since
 
 6 individuals receiving training from other than their employer
 
 7 will have to get jobs paying fifteen per cent more than their
 
 8 current job to receive the credit, the State will begin recouping
 
 9 its investment in the form of additional personal income taxes
 
10 paid that would otherwise not be generated.
 
11      For example, if Company A decides to open an office in
 
12 Hawaii, but finds that many of the applicants do not have the
 
13 requisite computer skills needed, Company A may pay to train its
 
14 own employees, and receive a tax benefit for the amount of the
 
15 training expenses.  The tax credit would also apply if Company B
 
16 decides it needs a full time information technology specialist
 
17 but does not have any current employees with the necessary
 
18 skills.  If Company B pays the training costs for one of its
 
19 employees to upgrade the employee's skills, and then promotes the
 
20 employee into the newly created position, the tax credit applies
 
21 to those training costs.
 
22      Individuals would also benefit.  If a currently employed
 
23 individual takes courses to upgrade the individual's technology
 

 
Page 3                                                     2955
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 skills, and, as a result, gets a new job that pays at least
 
 2 fifteen per cent more, the individual is eligible for the tax
 
 3 credit for the cost of the training.
 
 4      The purpose of this Act is to support the growth and
 
 5 development of technology in Hawaii by offering a tax incentive
 
 6 for new economy skills training to offset the cost of training,
 
 7 retraining, and related job creation costs.
 
 8      SECTION 2.  Chapter 235, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
 9 by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to
 
10 read as follows:
 
11      "§235-    Tax credit for new economy skills training.  (a)
 
12 Each taxpayer in this State may claim a tax credit for new
 
13 economy skills training under this section.  The credit shall be
 
14 for the cost of training the taxpayer or the taxpayer's employees
 
15 to upgrade the taxpayer or the taxpayer's employee's
 
16 technology-related skills.  To claim the credit:
 
17      (1)  The individual taxpayer shall create a new
 
18           technology-related job to be filled by the employee
 
19           receiving the technology training; or
 
20      (2)  The individual taxpayer shall acquire, within one year
 
21           of completion of the technology training, a
 
22           technology-related job that pays fifteen per cent more
 
23           than the taxpayer's previous job.
 

 
Page 4                                                     2955
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 The credit shall be equal to the cost of this training or
 
 2 creating those jobs but shall not exceed $           for
 
 3 individual taxpayers and shall not exceed $           for
 
 4 employees.  The credit may be claimed only by the taxpayer who
 
 5 paid for the cost of the technology training and may be claimed
 
 6 against the taxpayer's income tax liability for the taxable year.
 
 7      (b)  The tax credit claimed by a taxpayer pursuant to this
 
 8 section shall be deductible from the taxpayer's individual income
 
 9 tax liability, if any, for the tax year in which the credit is
 
10 properly claimed.  If the tax credit claimed by a taxpayer
 
11 exceeds the amount of income tax payment due from the taxpayer,
 
12 the excess of credit over payments due shall be refunded to the
 
13 taxpayer; provided that a tax credit properly claimed by a
 
14 taxpayer who has no income tax liability shall be paid to the
 
15 taxpayer; and provided further that no refunds or payment on
 
16 account of the tax credit allowed by this section shall be made
 
17 for amounts less than $1.
 
18      (c)  All claims for a tax credit under this section,
 
19 including any amended claims, must be filed on or before the end
 
20 of the twelfth month following the close of the taxable year for
 
21 which the credit may be claimed.  Failure to comply with the
 
22 foregoing provision shall constitute a waiver of the right to
 
23 claim the credit.
 

 
Page 5                                                     2955
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (d)  For the purpose of this section "technology-related"
 
 2 means emerging industries that are technology intensive,
 
 3 including but not limited to electronics, biotechnology, or
 
 4 computer systems."
 
 5      SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
 6      SECTION 4.  This Act, upon its approval, shall apply to
 
 7 taxable years beginning after December 31, 1999.