Taxation: credit: hiring.

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws, including, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2021, a credit for hiring qualified full-time employees within specified economic development areas. Existing law defines "qualified full-time employee" to include an individual who is a veteran who separated from service in the Armed Forces of the United States within the 12 months preceding commencement of employment with the qualified taxpayer. This bill would, under both laws for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, revise this definition of a "qualified full-time employee" to include a person who, upon commencement of employment with the qualified taxpayer, is a veteran that separated from service in the Armed Forces of the United States within the 36 months preceding commencement of employment with the qualified taxpayer. Existing law also allows a credit against tax under both laws for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2025, in an amount as provided in a written agreement between the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development and the taxpayer, agreed upon by the California Competes Tax Credit Committee, and based on specified factors, including the number of jobs the taxpayer will create or retain in the state and the amount of investment in the state by the taxpayer. Existing law limits the aggregate amount of credits allocated to taxpayers to a specified sum per fiscal year and provides that the amount available for these credits will decrease based in part, on how much credit is allowed under the hiring credit that would be expanded by this bill. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.