A. An establishment which meets the qualifications specified in the Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act may receive quarterly incentive payments for a seven-year period from the Oklahoma Tax Commission pursuant to the provisions of the Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act in an amount equal to the net benefit rate multiplied by the actual gross taxable payroll of new direct jobs as verified by the Tax Commission.

B. In order to receive incentive payments, an establishment shall apply to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the Department and shall contain such information as may be required by the Department to determine if the applicant is qualified. The establishment may apply for an effective date for a project, which shall not be more than twelve (12) months from the date the application is submitted to the Department.

C. Before approving an application for incentive payments, the Department must first determine that the applicant meets the following requirements:

1. Be engaged in a basic industry;

2. Has no more than five hundred full-time employees in this state on the date of application nor an average of more than five hundred full-time employees in this state during the four calendar quarters immediately preceding the date of application;

3. Has a projected minimum employment, as determined by the Department, of new direct jobs within twelve (12) months of the date of application, or after July 1, 2011, within twenty-four (24) months of the date of application, as follows:

a.if the establishment is located in a municipality with a population less than three thousand five hundred (3,500) persons, as determined by the Department of Commerce based on the most recent U.S. Department of Commerce data, or if the establishment is located in an unincorporated area and the largest municipality within twenty (20) miles of the establishment is such a municipality, new direct jobs equal to the greater of five (5) jobs or five percent (5%) of the company's full-time employment at the date of application,

b.if the establishment is located in a municipality with a population of three thousand five hundred (3,500) persons or more but less than seven thousand (7,000) persons, as determined by the Department of Commerce based on the most recent U.S. Department of Commerce data, or if the establishment is located in an unincorporated area and the largest municipality within twenty (20) miles of the establishment is such a municipality, new direct jobs equal to the greater of ten (10) jobs or seven and one-half percent (7.5%) of the company's full-time employment at the date of the application, and

c.if the establishment is located in a municipality with a population of seven thousand (7,000) persons or more, as determined by the Department of Commerce based on the most recent U.S. Department of Commerce data, or if the establishment is located in an unincorporated area and the largest municipality within twenty (20) miles of the establishment is such a municipality, new direct jobs equal to the greater of fifteen (15) jobs or ten percent (10%) of the company's full-time employment at the date of application.

Provided, for an establishment engaged in software publishing as defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 5112, data processing, hosting and related services as defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 5182, computer systems design and related services as defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 5415, scientific research and development services as defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 5417, medical and diagnostic laboratories as defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 6215 or testing laboratories as defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 541380, the projected minimum employment requirements of this paragraph must be achieved within thirty-six (36) months of the date of application;

4. Has or will have within twelve (12) months of the date of application, or after July 1, 2011, within twenty-four (24) months of the date of application, as determined by the Department, sales of at least thirty-five percent (35%) for the first two (2) years and subsequently sixty percent (60%) of its total sales to out-of-state customers or buyers, to in-state customers or buyers if the product or service is resold by the purchaser to an out-of-state customer or buyer for ultimate use, or to the federal government, except that:

a.those establishments in the NAICS Manual under the U.S. Industry No. 541710 or 541380 are excused from the out-of-state sales requirement,

b.warehouses that serve as distribution centers for retail or wholesale businesses shall be required to distribute forty percent (40%) of inventory to out-of-state locations, and

c.adjustment and collection services activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 561440 shall be required to have seventy-five percent (75%) of loans to be serviced made by out-of-state debtors;

5. Will pay the individuals it employs in new direct jobs an average annualized wage which equals or exceeds:

a.one hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the average county wage of small employers located in that county as that percentage is determined by the Department of Commerce based on the most recent wage and employment data from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission for the county in which the new direct jobs are located. For purposes of this subparagraph, health care premiums paid by the applicant for individuals in new direct jobs shall be included in the annualized wage, or

b.one hundred ten percent (110%) of the average county wage of small employers located in that county as that percentage is determined by the Department of Commerce based upon the most recent wage and employment data from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission for the county in which the new direct jobs are located. For purposes of this subparagraph, health care premiums paid by the applicant for individuals in new direct jobs shall not be included in the annualized wage, or

c.one hundred percent (100%) of the average county wage, excluding health care premiums paid by the applicant for individuals in new direct jobs if the county in which the new jobs are located has:

(1)according to the most recent annual determination by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, a county unemployment rate more than ten percent (10%) higher than the state unemployment rate, and

(2)according to the most recent United States Census Bureau Data, a county personal poverty rate above fifteen percent (15%);

6. Has a basic health benefit plan which, as determined by the Department, meets the elements established under divisions (1) through (7) of subparagraph b of paragraph 1 of subsection A of Section 3603 of this title and which will be offered to individuals within twelve (12) months of employment in a new direct job;

7. Has not received incentive payments under the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, the Saving Quality Jobs Act, or the Former Military Facility Development Act; and

8. Is not qualified for approval of an application for incentive payments under the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, the Saving Quality Jobs Act, or the Former Military Facility Development Act.

D. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce shall determine if an applicant is qualified to receive the incentive payment. Upon qualifying the applicant, the Department shall notify the Tax Commission and shall provide it with a copy of the application, and approval which shall provide the number of persons employed by the applicant upon the date of approval and the maximum total incentives which may be paid to the applicant during the seven-year period. The Tax Commission may require the qualified establishment to submit additional information as may be necessary to administer the provisions of the Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act. The approved establishment shall report to the Tax Commission quarterly to show its continued eligibility for incentive payments, as provided in Section 3905 of this title. Establishments may be audited by the Tax Commission to verify such eligibility. Once the establishment is approved, an agreement shall be deemed to exist between the establishment and the State of Oklahoma, requiring incentive payments to be made for a seven-year period as long as the establishment retains its eligibility and within the limitations of the Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act which existed at the time of such approval. Any establishment which has been approved for incentive payments prior to July 1, 2002, shall continue to receive such payments pursuant to the laws as they existed prior to July 1, 2002, for any period of time of the original five-year period for such payments remaining after July 1, 2002.

E. For any contract executed by an establishment on or after August 2, 2018, five percent (5%) of the quarterly incentive payment amount shall be transferred by the Oklahoma Tax Commission to the Oklahoma Quick Action Closing Fund.

Added by Laws 1997, c. 419, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 1998. Amended by Laws 1998, c. 379, § 4, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 67, § 1, emerg. eff. April 7, 1999; Laws 2002, c. 308, § 3, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2003, c. 377, § 4, emerg. eff. June 4, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 457, § 4, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2005, c. 352, § 3, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2006, c. 256, § 1, eff. July 1, 2006; Laws 2007, c. 1, § 67, emerg. eff. Feb. 22, 2007; Laws 2007, c. 357, § 3, eff. July 1, 2007; Laws 2010, c. 254, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Laws 2013, c. 227, § 28, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2018, c. 191, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2018; Laws 2019, c. 25, § 42, emerg. eff. April 4, 2019; Laws 2019, c. 197, § 1, eff. July 1, 2019.

NOTE: Laws 2006, c. 281, § 35 repealed by Laws 2007, c. 1, § 68, emerg. eff. Feb. 22, 2007. Laws 2018, c. 144, § 3 repealed by Laws 2019, c. 25, § 43, emerg. eff. April 4, 2019.