Cal. RTC § 23664 — California Code / Code rtc / Division 2 / Part 11 / Chapter 3.5 / Section 23664
Section 23664
Status: in_force

(a) (1) For each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2023, and before January 1, 2028, there shall be allowed a credit against the “tax,” as defined in Section 23036, to a qualified taxpayer equal to 25 percent of the total amount of the qualified taxpayer’s qualified expenditures in the taxable year, subject to paragraph (2).

(2) (A) The credit allowable under this section in any taxable year to any qualified taxpayer shall be limited to a maximum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).

(B) For qualified taxpayers that are required to be included in a combined report under Section 25101 or authorized to be included in a combined report under Section 25101.15, the limit specified in subparagraph (A) shall be the aggregate amount of the credit claimed by all taxpayers that are required to be or authorized to be included in a combined report and in no instance shall the aggregate amount of credit claimed by a combined group exceed the limit specified in subparagraph (A).

(b) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Full-time employee” means an individual who is either of the following:

(A) Paid wages subject to withholding under Division 6 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Unemployment Insurance Code by the qualified taxpayer for services not less than an average of 35 hours per week.

(B) A salaried employee who was paid compensation during the taxable year for full-time employment, as described in Section 515 of the Labor Code, by the qualified taxpayer that is paid wages subject to withholding under Division 6 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Unemployment Insurance Code.

(2) “Minimum wage” means the wage established pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1171) of Part 4 of Division 2 of the Labor Code.

(3) “Qualified expenditures” means amounts paid or incurred by a qualified taxpayer for any of the following:

(A) Employment compensation for the full-time employees of the qualified taxpayer. For purposes of this subparagraph, “employment compensation” means wages paid to full-time employees who are paid no less than 150 percent but no more than 350 percent of the applicable minimum wage. The calculation of wages pursuant to this subparagraph may include the monetary value to the full-time employee of employer-provided group health insurance benefits, childcare benefits, employer contributions to employer-provided retirement benefits, or employer contributions to pension benefits.

(B) Safety-related equipment, training, and services. For purposes of this subparagraph, “safety-related equipment, training, and services” means equipment primarily used by employees of cannabis licensees to ensure their personal and occupational safety or the safety of customers of the cannabis licensees; training for nonmanagement employees on workplace hazards, including, but not limited to, training required pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (11) of subdivision (a) of Section 26051.5 of the Business and Professions Code; and services, including, but not limited to, safety audits, security guards, security cameras, and fire risk mitigation.

(C) Workforce development and safety training for employees of the qualified taxpayer. For purposes of this subparagraph, “workforce development” includes, but is not limited to, joint labor management training programs, membership in a joint apprenticeship training committee registered by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, and a state-recognized high road training partnership as defined in Section 14005 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.

(4) “Qualified taxpayer” means a commercial cannabis business, licensed pursuant to Division 10 (commencing with Section 26000) of the Business and Professions Code, and that provides full-time employees with all of the following:

(A) Employment compensation, as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3).

(B) Employer-provided group health insurance.

(C) Employer-provided retirement benefits or pension benefits, including stock in the duly licensed commercial cannabis employer to employees under employee stock ownership plans where the employer pays for the full value of the stock.

(D) Possesses a Type-10 or a Type-12 license pursuant to Section 26050 of the Business and Professions Code.

(c) The total aggregate amount of the credit that may be allocated by credit reservations to all qualified taxpayers pursuant to this section and Section 17053.64 shall not exceed twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) for all taxable years, cumulatively.

(d) To be eligible for the credit allowed by this section, a qualified taxpayer shall request a credit reservation from the Franchise Tax Board during the month of July for each taxable year or within 30 days of the start of their taxable year if the qualified taxpayer’s taxable year begins after July, in the form and manner prescribed by the Franchise Tax Board.

(e) To obtain a credit reservation with respect to a qualified expenditure, the qualified taxpayer shall provide all necessary information, as determined by the Franchise Tax Board.

(f) The Franchise Tax Board shall approve tentative credit reservations with respect to qualified expenditures incurred during a taxable year for qualified taxpayers, subject to the cap established under this section and Section 17053.64.

(g) In the case where the credit allowed by this section exceeds the “tax,” the excess may be carried over to reduce the “tax” in the following taxable year, and the seven succeeding years if necessary, until the credit is exhausted.

(h) If the credit allowed by this section is claimed by the qualified taxpayer, any deduction or credit otherwise allowed under this part for any qualified expenditure made by the qualified taxpayer as a trade or business expense shall be reduced by the amount of the credit allowed by this section.

(i) The Franchise Tax Board may prescribe rules, guidelines, or procedures necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section, including any guidelines regarding the allocation of the credit allowed under this section. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code shall not apply to any rule, guideline, or procedure prescribed by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to this section.

(j) This section shall remain in effect only until December 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.