Sec. 151.431. SALES AND USE TAX REFUND FOR JOB RETENTION. (a) A qualified business operating in the jurisdiction of the nominating governmental entity for at least three consecutive years may apply for and be granted a onetime refund of sales and use tax paid by the qualified business after certification of the qualified business as provided by Subsection (b) of this section to a vendor or directly to the state for the purchase of equipment or machinery sold to the business for use in an enterprise project if the governing body or bodies certify to the comptroller that the business is retaining 10 or more jobs held by qualified employees during the year. For the purposes of this subsection "job" means an existing employment position of a qualified business that has provided employment to a qualified employee of at least 1,820 hours annually.

(b) Only qualified businesses that have been certified as eligible for a refund under this section by the governing body or bodies to the comptroller, including certification of the number of jobs retained, are entitled to the refund.

(c) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 814, Sec. 6.01(10).

(d) The total amount of the onetime refund that a qualified business may apply for may not exceed $500 for each qualified employee retained, up to a limit of $5,000 for each qualified business.

(e) In this section:

(1) "Enterprise zone" and "qualified employee" have the meanings assigned to those terms by Section 2303.003, Government Code.

(2) "Governing body" means the governing body of a municipality or county that applied to have the project or activity of a qualified business designated as an enterprise project under Section 2303.405, Government Code.

(3) "Qualified business" means a person that is certified as a qualified business under Section 2303.402, Government Code.

Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1106, Sec. 23, eff. Sept. 1, 1991. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 42, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.58, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1467, Sec. 2.29, eff. Oct. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 814, Sec. 3.56, 3.57, 6.01(10), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.