Senate Bill 2104

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE AN INCOME TAX CREDIT FOR TAXPAYERS THAT EMPLOY A PERSON WHO IS AN OFFENDER WHO IS BEING SUPERVISED BY THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OR WHO HAS BEEN DISCHARGED FROM THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; TO PROVIDE THE AMOUNT OF THE TAX CREDIT; TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF THE TAX CREDIT THAT MAY BE CLAIMED IN A TAXABLE YEAR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a taxpayer that employs a person who is an offender who is being supervised by the Community Corrections Division of the Department of Corrections or who has been discharged from the custody of the Department of Corrections, shall be allowed an annual credit against the taxes imposed under this chapter. The credit shall be for an annual amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for five (5) years for each person so employed. However, the tax credit shall not exceed the amount of tax imposed upon the taxpayer for the taxable year reduced by the sum of all other credits allowable to the taxpayer under this chapter, except credit for tax payments made by or on behalf of the taxpayer. In order to be eligible to claim a tax credit for an employee, the taxpayer must employ the employee for at least six (6) consecutive months during the year for which the credit is claimed and the employee must work an average of at least thirty (30) hours per week for the taxpayer during that time.

(2) The tax credits provided for in this section shall be in addition to any other credit authorized under law.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall be codified as a separate section in Chapter 7, Title 27, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after January 1, 2017.