ORS 315.533: Qualified equity investments.

(1) As used in this section, “applicable percentage” means zero percent for each of the first two credit allowance dates, seven percent for the third credit allowance date and eight percent for the next four credit allowance dates. (2) A person that makes a qualified equity investment shall, at the time of investment, earn a vested credit against the taxes otherwise due under ORS chapter 316 or, if the person is a corporation, under ORS chapter 317 or 318. (3)(a) The total amount of the tax credit available to a taxpayer under this section shall equal 39 percent of the purchase price of the qualified equity investment. (b) The taxpayer that holds a qualified equity investment on a particular credit allowance date of the qualified equity investment may claim a portion of the tax credit against its tax liability for the tax year that includes the credit allowance date equal to the applicable percentage for that credit allowance date multiplied by the purchase price of the qualified equity investment. (4) The credit allowed under this section may not exceed the tax liability of the taxpayer for the tax year in which the credit is claimed. (5) Any tax credit otherwise allowable under this section that is not used by the taxpayer in a particular tax year may be carried forward and offset against the taxpayer’s tax liability for the next succeeding tax year. Any credit remaining unused in the next succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the second succeeding tax year. Any credit remaining unused in the second succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the third succeeding tax year. Any credit remaining unused in the third succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the fourth succeeding tax year. Any credit remaining unused in the fourth succeeding tax year may be carried forward and used in the fifth succeeding tax year, but may not be used in any tax year thereafter. (6) The following conditions must exist for a taxpayer to be eligible for the credit allowed under this section: (a) A qualified community development entity that issues a debt instrument may not make cash interest payments on the debt instrument during the period commencing with its issuance and ending on its final credit allowance date in excess of the sum of the cash interest payments and the cumulative operating income, as defined in the regulations promulgated under section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code, of the qualified community development entity for the same period. Neither this paragraph nor the definition of “long-term debt security” provided in ORS 315.529 in any way limits the holder’s ability to accelerate payments on the debt instrument in situations where the qualified community development entity has defaulted on covenants designed to ensure compliance with this section or section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code. (b) A business shall be considered a qualified active low-income community business for the duration of a qualified community development entity’s investment in or loan to the business, if it is reasonable to expect that at the time of the qualified community development entity’s investment in or loan to a qualified active low-income community business, the business will continue to satisfy the requirements for being a qualified active low-income community business throughout the entire period of the investment or loan. (c) A qualified equity investment must be designated by the issuer as a qualified equity investment and be certified by the Oregon Business Development Department as not exceeding the limitation in ORS 285C.653. The qualified community development entity must keep sufficiently detailed books and records with respect to the investments made with the proceeds of the qualified equity investments to allow the direct tracing of proceeds into qualified low-income community investments in qualified active low-income community businesses in this state. (d) The qualified community development entity shall report annually to the department: (A) The number of employment positions created and retained as a result of qualified low-income community investments by the qualified community development entity; (B) The average annual salary of positions described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; and (C) The number of positions described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph that provide health benefits. (e) The maximum amount of qualified low-income community investments that may be made in a qualified active low-income community business and all of its affiliates, with the proceeds of qualified equity investments that have been certified under ORS 285C.650, shall be $8 million, whether made by one or several qualified community development entities. (f) A qualified equity investment must be made before July 1, 2016. Nothing in this paragraph precludes an entity that makes a qualified equity investment prior to July 1, 2016, from claiming a tax credit relating to that qualified equity investment for each applicable credit allowance date. (7) A taxpayer claiming a credit under this section may not claim any other credit under this chapter or ORS chapter 285C during the same tax year based on activities related to the same qualified active low-income community business. [2011 c.732 §4; 2013 c.744 §1]