Budget & Taxes

This bill, titled the "End Data Center Tax Credits Act," aims to restructure how New Jersey distributes tax credits for economic development and energy projects. It establishes a new nine-year spending cap of $11.5 billion for various incentive programs, which limits the total amount of money available annually for initiatives like historic preservation, brownfields redevelopment, and manufacturing. To support energy goals, the legislation authorizes the Board of Public Utilities to issue tax credits specifically for energy storage projects and creates a temporary income tax credit for certain residential utility customers. Additionally, it sets specific annual and total dollar limits for existing programs such as the Next New Jersey Program and the Innovation Evergreen Act, while reserving $2.5 billion for transformative projects under the Aspire Program.

This bill limits the amount of net operating loss deductions that corporations in New Jersey can claim under the corporation business tax to a maximum of $1 million per tax period. It applies to privilege periods ending between July 31, 2026, and July 31, 2030, affecting approximately 600 taxpayers. If a company cannot use its full deduction due to this cap, the unused portion can be carried forward for an additional six tax periods or used to reduce taxable income by up to 75% in later periods ending between 2030 and 2032. The legislation also waives interest and penalties on estimated tax payments made between late 2025 and early 2027 that result from these new limits.

This New Jersey bill introduces a new fee for employers who have at least 50 employees receiving Medicaid health coverage. The fee amount varies based on company size, charging $325, $525, or $725 per covered employee and their dependents depending on whether the employer has between 50-249, 250-499, or 500 or more Medicaid recipients. Employers with employees who have developmental, intellectual, or permanent physical disabilities are exempt from paying this charge. The revenue generated from these fees is intended to help cover the costs of the State Medicaid program.