Tagged: Tax Credits

Are New Jersey’s Business Loan, Incentive, and Grant Programs Right for You?

Ronald Reagan famously said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” But for businesses starting up, expanding, or relocating into New Jersey, state government can be helpful, if you know where to start. We regularly counsel clients on government incentives, loans, and business assistance offered through the nationally-recognized New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and other State agencies. The NJEDA’s programs assist businesses of all sizes access loans/loan guarantees, as well as business and tax incentives. A few of the many programs offered are listed below. Loan Programs The NJEDA offers several loan programs that support small and mid-sized companies acquiring fixed assets, obtaining working capital, and refinancing debt: The Premier Lender Program provides loan and line of credit participations/guarantees in varying amounts. The NJEDA has a group of preferred lenders, and rates are generally at or below traditional loans. In return for the NJEDA’s assistance, the business has to agree to add one new full-time employee for every $65,000 of NJEDA exposure. The Small Business Fund provides up to $500,000 for small businesses, minority or woman owned businesses, and nonprofits that have been in business for at least one to three years. The Direct Loan Program provides up to $2 million...

New York DEC Finalizes Definition of “Underutilized” Under Brownfield Cleanup Act Amendments

On July 29, 2016, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC”) announced that it had finalized the definition of “underutilized” for purposes of the 2015 Brownfield Cleanup Act Amendments and eligibility for redevelopment tax credits. The final rule closely tracks DEC’s March 9, 2016 proposed definition, which attracted numerous comments, mostly adverse, from members of the public and the regulated community.

Innovation Brewing in the New Jersey Legislature

Every summer, New Jersey legislators travel to the annual conferences of the National Conference of State Legislators (“NCSL”), the Council of State Governments (“CSG”), and the American Legislative Exchange Council (“ALEC”) to educate themselves about policy innovations occurring throughout the United States. While we wait to learn about their experiences, right now is a good opportunity to focus on innovative legislation currently before the New Jersey Legislature. As of August 15, 2016, 7,068 bills have been introduced in the New Jersey Legislature, 4,379 in the Assembly and 2,689 in the Senate, and only 87 have been signed into law. The following list of bills currently in committee represent examples by legislators looking to encourage innovation in New Jersey: S158 (Madden)/A3631 (Quijano) would promote investment in New Jersey by broadening the types of New Jersey emerging technology businesses that are eligible to receive investments under the New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Act; A3187 (Munoz)/ S948 (Singer) would create a program within the New Jersey Economic Development Authority that would create a pathway to the commercial market for technology developed at a New Jersey college or university. Under this legislation, New Jersey would stimulate the economy while recapturing the state’s investment in higher education; and S348 (Kean) would utilize funds from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund,...

Privately Financing the Public Good: Using Public-Private Partnerships to Inject Private Financing into Public Projects in New Jersey

New Jersey has a higher inventory of worthy infrastructure projects than it has money to fund sorely needed improvements. Although New Jersey has the seventh highest revenue of any state, the pressures of being a densely populated commuter state often impose significant liabilities on those revenues such that the State is often faced with having to choose between worthy projects because available financing is limited. One common sense solution gaining significant traction is the injection of private financing into public projects in order to relieve some of the State’s financing burdens. Often referred to as public-private partnerships or P3s, these agreements trade a limited, future revenue stream over time to a private corporation in exchange for a fiscal commitment allowing a project to put shovels in the ground. These projects can take various forms: construction of state college dormitories in exchange for rents, maintenance of highways in exchange for availability payments, or construction of a bridge in exchange for toll rights, to name a few. The State entity receives an influx of capital to address infrastructure needs and the private entity receives a long term profit from rents, tolls, availability payments, or maintenance agreements. The elegance of this type of solution is that design, procurement, and initial construction can all overlap because they are being...

Governor Christie Acts on BEIP Conversion Tax Credit Payment Changes

On June 30, 2016, Governor Christie signed to law Senate Bill 2376/Assembly Bill 4002, which modifies the tax credit payment schedule for Business Employment Incentive Program (“BEIP”) Grant recipients converting their cash grants to tax credits. The Legislature and Governor enacted a law in January allowing businesses to convert outstanding BEIP Grants into tax credits. The law provided that BEIP Grants accrued but not paid during years 2008-2013 were to be redeemable as tax credits over a five-year period starting in the 2017 tax accounting or privilege period of the business. S-2376/A-4002 revises the tax payment credit schedule so that only 5 percent of the tax credit is redeemable in 2017. Twenty percent would be redeemable in 2018, with 25 percent redeemable in years 2019, 2020, and 2021. The change was required due to the projected budgetary shortfall in Fiscal Year 2017, which the State Treasurer announced on May 18, 2016. If your business is still considering a BEIP conversion, the deadline to opt-in is the close of business on July 11, 2016. Gibbons can assist your company with the process of evaluating and implementing a conversion.

BEIP Conversion Update: State Treasurer Recommends Amending Law

With projected revenues for State Fiscal Year (“SFY”) 2017 decreasing, on May 18, 2016, the NJ State Treasurer recommended that the Legislature amend the Business Employment Incentive Program (“BEIP”) conversion law (P.L.2015, c.194) to reduce the percentage of BEIP tax credits redeemable in SFY 2017 from thirty (30) percent to five (5) percent. In testimony before the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees, the Treasurer stated that any legislation implementing his recommendation should not change (1) the conversion election deadline of July 11, 2016; (2) the total number of years for the tax credits to be issued; or (3) the overall amounts convertible to tax credits. The only change sought by the Treasurer’s Office is to shift a greater percentage of BEIP tax credit redemptions to SFY 2018 through SFY 2021. If your business is a BEIP Grant recipient and you have questions regarding the BEIP conversion process, please contact a member of the Gibbons Government & Regulatory Affairs Department. We will continue to monitor the BEIP conversion program and any action to amend the existing law.

Clock Starts on BEIP Grant Conversion Program

Hundreds of New Jersey Business Employment Incentive Program (“BEIP”) Grant recipients may be eligible to convert their BEIP Grant to a refundable tax credit under Senate Bill 3232/Assembly Bill 4834 (S-3232/A-4834), which the State Legislature approved on December 17, 2015 and Governor Christie signed into law on January 11, 2016. If your business is a BEIP Grant recipient, Gibbons can assist you with the process of evaluating and implementing a BEIP conversion. Since the enactment of BEIP in 1996, New Jersey has entered into 499 BEIP agreements with businesses creating approximately 110,000 jobs and resulting in $12 billion in total economic activity. In 2013, the New Jersey Legislature enacted the “Economic Opportunity Act of 2013” which sunset BEIP and created the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program. The State has subsequently not fully funded BEIP Grant payments in the annual State budget. S-3232/A-4834 allows a business that is eligible to receive a BEIP Grant to direct the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA”) to convert its BEIP Grant to a refundable tax credit that would not be subject to the annual appropriations process. These tax credits may be applied against the business’ corporate tax liability, insurance premium tax liability, or foreign insurance tax liability. A business without these tax liabilities can apply for a tax credit...

NYSDEC Hears Comments on Proposed Definition of “Underutilized”

On July 29, 2015, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) conducted a public hearing on its proposed definition of an “underutilized” site for purposes of the 2015 Brownfield Cleanup Act Amendments. As indicated in a prior blog, this definition is critical because being “underutilized” is one of the few ways that a New York City brownfield site can qualify for tangible property credits under the 2015 Amendments.

2015 Amendments to New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program

After a number of failed attempts over the past several years, the New York State Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached agreement as part of the 2015-16 state budget on sweeping amendments to the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP). This achievement is significant in light of the scheduled expiration of tax credits under the program on December 31, 2015. The attached article published by Bloomberg BNA, reprinted with permission, and co-authored by David J. Freeman, reviews the key elements of the amended statute, evaluates their significance and identifies some of the important unresolved issues that will need to be addressed in implementing the new law.

New York State Governor and Legislature Reach Agreement on Reform and Extension of Brownfield Cleanup Program

Governor Andrew Cuomo and leaders of the New York State Senate and Assembly have reached an agreement with respect to extension and reform of the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP), a significant development in view of impending expiration of tax credit eligibility on December 31, 2015. The essential elements of the deal are as follows: All sites currently in the Program, and those which are admitted prior to December 31, 2022, will be eligible for tax credits if they obtain their Certificates of Completion (COCs) by March 31, 2026.