105-129.88. (See notes) Credit for investing in business property.

(a) General Credit. - A taxpayer that meets the eligibility requirements set out in G.S. 105-129.83 and that has purchased or leased business property and placed it in service in this State during the taxable year and that has satisfied the threshold requirements of subsection (c) of this section is allowed a credit equal to the applicable percentage of the excess of the eligible investment amount over the applicable threshold. If the taxpayer places business property in service in an urban progress zone, a port enhancement zone, or an agrarian growth zone, the applicable percentage is the one for a development tier one area. Business property is eligible if it is not leased to another party. The credit may not be taken for the taxable year in which the business property is placed in service but shall be taken in equal installments over the four years following the taxable year in which it is placed in service. The applicable percentage is as follows:

(b) Eligible Investment Amount. - The eligible investment amount is the lesser of (i) the cost of the eligible business property and (ii) the amount by which the cost of all of the taxpayer's eligible business property that is in service in this State on the last day of the taxable year exceeds the cost of all of the taxpayer's eligible business property that was in service in this State on the last day of the base year. The base year is that year, of the three immediately preceding taxable years, in which the taxpayer had the most eligible business property in service in this State.

(c) Threshold. - The applicable threshold is the appropriate amount set out in the following table based on the development tier where the eligible business property is placed in service during the taxable year. If the taxpayer places business property in service in an urban progress zone, a port enhancement zone, or an agrarian growth zone, the applicable threshold is the one for a development tier one area. Business property placed in service in an urban progress zone, a port enhancement zone, or an agrarian growth zone is not aggregated with business property placed in service at any other eligible establishments regardless of county. If the taxpayer places eligible business property in service at more than one establishment in a county during the taxable year, the threshold applies to the aggregate amount of eligible business property placed in service during the taxable year at all establishments in the county. If the taxpayer places eligible business property in service at establishments in different counties, the threshold applies separately to the aggregate amount of eligible business property placed in service in each county. If the taxpayer places eligible business property in service at an establishment over the course of a two-year period, the applicable threshold for the second taxable year is reduced by the eligible investment amount for the previous taxable year.

(d) Expiration. - As used in this subsection, the term "disposed of" means disposed of, taken out of service, or moved out of State. If, in one of the four years in which the installment of a credit accrues, the business property with respect to which the credit was claimed is disposed of, the credit expires, and the taxpayer may not take any remaining installment of the credit for that business property unless the cost of that business property is offset in the same taxable year by the taxpayer's new investment in eligible business property placed in service in the same county, as provided in this subsection. If, during the taxable year, the taxpayer disposed of the business property for which installments remain, there has been a net reduction in the cost of all the taxpayer's eligible business property that are in service in the same county as the business property that was disposed of, and the amount of this reduction is greater than twenty percent (20%) of the cost of the business property that was disposed of, then the credit for the business property that was disposed of expires. If the amount of the net reduction is equal to twenty percent (20%) or less of the cost of the business property that was disposed of, or if there is no net reduction, then the credit does not expire. In determining the amount of any net reduction during the taxable year, the cost of business property the taxpayer placed in service during the taxable year and for which the taxpayer claims a credit under Article 3A or Article 3B of this Chapter may not be included in the cost of all the taxpayer's eligible business property that is in service. If in a single taxable year business property with respect to two or more credits in the same county are disposed of, the net reduction in the cost of all the taxpayer's eligible business property that is in service in the same county is compared to the total cost of all the business property for which credits expired in order to determine whether the remaining installments of the credits are forfeited.

The expiration of a credit does not prevent the taxpayer from taking the portion of an installment that accrued in a previous year and was carried forward to the extent permitted under G.S. 105-129.84.

(e) Transferred Property. - If, in one of the four years in which the installment of a credit accrues, the business property with respect to which the credit was claimed is moved to a county in a higher-numbered development tier or out of an urban progress zone, a port enhancement zone, or an agrarian growth zone, the remaining installments of the credit are allowed only to the extent they would have been allowed if the business property had been placed in service initially in the area to which it was moved. If, in one of the four years in which the installment of a credit accrues, the business property with respect to which a credit was claimed is moved to a county in a lower-numbered development tier or an urban progress zone, a port enhancement zone, or an agrarian growth zone, the remaining installments of the credit shall be calculated as if the business property had been placed in service initially in the area to which it was moved.

(f) Wage Standard. - For the purposes of this section, a taxpayer satisfies the wage standard requirement of G.S. 105-129.83 only if the taxpayer satisfies the requirement with respect to all of the jobs at the establishment, considered collectively, with respect to which a credit is claimed.

(g) No Double Credit. - A taxpayer may not claim a credit under this section with respect to business property for which the taxpayer claims a credit under G.S. 105-129.9 or G.S. 105-129.9A.