(1) As used in this section:

(a) "Food bank" means a charitable organization exempt from federal income taxation under the provisions of the internal revenue code that annually distributes over ten million pounds of food and nonfood essentials to hunger-relief programs.

(b) "Food contribution" means a contribution by a taxpayer of food usable for human beings, such as livestock, big game as defined in section 33-1-102 (2), C.R.S., that is processed at a processing facility certified by the United States department of agriculture, eggs, milk, or an agricultural crop, including but not limited to grains, fruits, and vegetables.

(c) "Hunger-relief charitable organization" means a charitable organization exempt from federal income taxation under the provisions of the internal revenue code that uses food contributions for hunger-relief in its community.

(d) "Most recent sale price" means an amount equal to the price that a taxpayer would have received for the food contribution, determined as if the food contribution had been sold on the date of the most recent sale of such food and at the same price per unit as such food that was sold on that date.

(e) "Taxpayer" means a resident individual or a domestic or foreign corporation subject to the provisions of part 3 of this article who files a schedule F with their federal income tax return.

(f) "Wholesale market price" means the average wholesale market price for the food contribution in the nearest regional market during the month in which the contribution is made, determined as if the food contribution were marketable.

(2)

(a) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, for income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2015, but before January 1, 2020, a taxpayer who makes a food contribution during the tax year to a hunger-relief charitable organization and receives a credit certificate as described in paragraph (b) of this subsection (2) is allowed a credit against the income taxes imposed by this article in an amount equal to either twenty-five percent, not to exceed five thousand dollars, of the wholesale market price or twenty-five percent, not to exceed five thousand dollars, of the most recent sale price of the food contribution.

(b)

(I) A food bank shall issue a credit certificate to the taxpayer that:

(A) Indicates the food contribution was accepted by a hunger-relief charitable organization, and sets forth the name of the hunger-relief charitable organization;

(B) Certifies that the use of the food contribution is related to the purpose or function constituting the basis for the hunger-relief charitable organization's tax exempt status and that the food contribution will not be transferred by the hunger-relief charitable organization in exchange for money, other property, or services;

(C) Sets forth the quantity of the food contribution; and

(D) Determines either the wholesale market price or recent sale price of the food contribution.

(II) The taxpayer shall include the credit certificate with the income tax return filed with the department of revenue.

(c) A hunger-relief charitable organization has a right to refuse a food contribution from a taxpayer if the hunger-relief charitable organization believes that the food contribution is not usable for human beings or if the hunger-relief charitable organization does not believe it will be able to use the food contribution prior to the food spoiling. If a food contribution is refused, a credit certificate described in paragraph (b) of this subsection (2) may not be issued by a food bank.

(3) If the credit exceeds the amount of income tax due on the income of the taxpayer for the tax year during which the contribution was made, the amount of the tax credit not used as an offset against income taxes in such income tax year may not be allowed as a refund, but may be carried forward and applied against the income tax due in each of the five succeeding income tax years, but must first be applied against the income tax due for the earliest of the income tax years possible.

(4)

(a) A taxpayer may not claim the credit allowed in this section if the taxpayer claims a deduction for charitable contributions as allowed in section 39-22-104 (4)(m) for the food contribution to the hunger-relief charitable organization.

(b) A taxpayer may not claim the credit allowed in this section if the taxpayer claims the corporate income tax credit for crop or livestock contributions allowed in section 39-22-301 (3) for the food contribution to the hunger-relief charitable organization.

(5) This section is repealed, effective January 1, 2025.