90-8-202. Designation of qualified Montana capital companies -- designation of qualified Montana small business investment capital company -- tax credit. (1) The department shall designate as:
     (a) qualified Montana capital companies those certified companies that have been privately capitalized at a minimum level of $200,000; or
     (b) a qualified Montana small business investment capital company a certified Montana small business investment capital company once it has been privately capitalized at a minimum level of $500,000.
     (2) A certified company seeking designation as a qualified Montana capital company or as a qualified Montana small business investment capital company shall make written application to the department on forms provided by the department. The application must contain the information required by 90-8-204 and other information that the department requires.
     (3) (a) The total amount of tax credits authorized for a single qualified capital company or a qualified Montana small business investment capital company may not exceed $1,500,000, except that a qualified Montana small business investment capital company must receive all remaining tax credits under this section available as of January 1, 1991. In the event the capitalization of a qualified capital company is later increased, the company may apply for authorization of additional tax credits within the foregoing limitation.
     (b) The total credits authorized for all companies may not exceed a total of $1 million prior to June 30, 1985. The total credits authorized for all companies between July 1, 1985, and June 30, 1987, may not exceed $1 million plus any portion of the $1 million available for authorization before June 30, 1985, that is allocated to qualified companies. The total credits authorized for all companies between July 1, 1987, and June 30, 1989, may not exceed $3 million plus any portion of the credits available for authorization before June 30, 1987, that is allocated to qualified companies. The total credits authorized for all companies between July 1, 1989, and June 30, 1991, may not exceed $3 million plus any portion of the credits available for authorization before June 30, 1989, that is allocated to qualified companies.
     (4) (a) Before January 1, 1991, credits must be allocated to qualified companies in the order that completed applications for designation as qualified capital companies are received by the department, and the department shall certify to each company its appropriate allocation.
     (b) All tax credits allowed under subsection (3) that are not allocated as of January 1, 1991, must be allocated to a qualified Montana small business investment capital company, and the department shall certify the allocation to the company.
     (c) If the legislature provides additional tax credits under this chapter after June 30, 1991, or if tax credits become available by reversion to the department by a capital company or by a qualified Montana small business investment capital company, those additional or reverted tax credits must be allocated by the department to qualified capital companies or to a qualified Montana small business investment capital company in accordance with this chapter and the rules of the department.
     (5) Investors in a qualified Montana capital company or in a qualified Montana small business investment capital company are entitled to the tax credits provided for in subsection (6). Funds invested in a certified company prior to designation as a qualified Montana capital company or as a qualified Montana small business investment capital company may, at the discretion of the investor, be placed in an escrow account in a Montana financial institution pending designation of the company as a qualified Montana capital company or as a qualified Montana small business investment capital company.
     (6) Subject to the provisions of subsections (3) and (9), an individual, small business corporation, partnership, trust, decedent's estate, or corporate taxpayer that makes a capital investment in a qualified Montana capital company or a qualified Montana small business investment capital company is entitled to a tax credit equal to 50% of the investment, up to a maximum credit for investments in all qualified Montana capital companies of $150,000 per taxpayer, except that, as applied to a qualified small business investment capital company, the maximum tax credit is $250,000 per taxpayer and the tax credit limitation relating to a capital investment in a qualified Montana small business investment capital company must be in addition to any other tax credit limitation in this section. The credit may be taken against the tax liability imposed on the investor pursuant to Title 15, chapter 30, 31, or 35. The credit for investments by a small business corporation defined in 15-30-3301 or a partnership may be claimed by the small business corporation shareholders or the partners.
     (7) The tax credit allowed under subsection (6) is to be credited against the taxpayer's income tax liability or coal severance tax liability for the taxable year in which the investment in a qualified Montana capital company or a qualified Montana small business investment capital company is made. If the amount of the tax credit exceeds the taxpayer's tax liability for the taxable year, the amount of the credit which exceeds the tax liability may be carried back or carried forward in the following manner:
     (a) If the sum of the amount of credit for the current taxable year plus the amount of credit, if any, carried forward from a previous taxable year exceeds the taxpayer's tax liability for the current taxable year, the excess must be carried back as a credit to the 3 preceding taxable years and, if the full credit remains unused, carried forward as a credit to the 15 succeeding taxable years.
     (b) The amount of unused credit must be used to offset the entire tax liability of each of the 18 taxable years, beginning with the earliest and commencing to the next succeeding year until the credit is exhausted.
     (8) The tax credit provided for in this section is available only to those taxpayers who invest in a qualified Montana capital company within 4 years of July 1, 1987, or in a qualified Montana small business investment capital company within 4 years of July 1, 1991.
     (9) (a) An individual, small business corporation, partnership, or corporate taxpayer who obtains the tax credit allowed under subsection (6) may not obtain credits in excess of the limits contained in subsection (6) by making investments as more than one entity.
     (b) A partner or shareholder in a small business corporation may not obtain more than $150,000, or not more than $250,000 in the case of a qualified Montana small business investment capital company, in credits as an individual and as the partnership or small business corporation. A corporate taxpayer that obtains the maximum credits allowed under this subsection (9)(b) may not obtain additional credits through investments by wholly owned subsidiaries or affiliates. An individual, small business corporation, partnership, or corporate taxpayer who obtains the tax credit allowed under subsection (6) may not claim deduction under the provisions of Title 15, chapter 30 or 31, for donation of stock in a qualified Montana small business investment capital company.

     History: En. Sec. 6, Ch. 554, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 18, Ch. 554, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 583, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 707, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 708, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 263, L. 1991; amd. Secs. 4, 13, Ch. 576, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 807, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 410, L. 1999.