S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1163

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 5, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. BING, KELLNER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
  BROOK-KRASNY, CAHILL, V. LOPEZ, PEOPLES-STOKES, SPANO -- read once and
  referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to providing a  tax  credit  to
  individuals  for  up to two hundred dollars of expenses related to the
  development and posting of an open source or free license program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Section  606  of  the  tax law is amended by adding a new
subsection (ss) to read as follows:
  (SS) OPEN SOURCE OR FREE LICENSE  CREDIT.  (1)  A  TAXPAYER  SHALL  BE
ALLOWED A CREDIT, TO BE COMPUTED AS PROVIDED IN THIS SUBSECTION, AGAINST
THE  TAX  IMPOSED  PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX HUNDRED ONE OF THIS PART. THE
AMOUNT OF  CREDIT  SHALL  EQUAL  UP  TO  TWENTY  PERCENT  OF  THE  TOTAL
OUT-OF-POCKET  EXPENSES  OF  THE  TAXPAYER  USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
PROGRAM THAT IS PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC UNDER  AN  OPEN  SOURCE  OR  FREE
SOFTWARE LICENSE, UP TO A MAXIMUM OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS.
  (2)  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION, A PROGRAM SHALL QUALIFY FOR
THE CREDIT PROVIDED BY THIS SUBSECTION IF THE CODE FOR SUCH PROGRAM  HAS
BEEN RELEASED UNDER AN OPEN SOURCE LICENSE RECOGNIZED BY THE OPEN SOURCE
INITIATIVE,  OR  HAS  BEEN RELEASED UNDER A FREE SOFTWARE LICENSE RECOG-
NIZED BY THE FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION.
  (3) THIS SUBSECTION SHALL APPLY TO ANY INDIVIDUAL FOR ANY TAXABLE YEAR
ONLY IF SUCH INDIVIDUAL ELECTS TO HAVE THIS SECTION APPLY FOR SUCH TAXA-
BLE YEAR. AN ELECTION TO HAVE THIS SECTION APPLY MAY NOT BE MADE FOR ANY
TAXABLE YEAR IF SUCH ELECTION IS IN EFFECT WITH RESPECT TO SUCH INDIVID-
UAL FOR ANY OTHER TAXABLE YEAR AND PERTAINING TO THE SAME PROGRAM OR ANY
PORTION THEREOF.
  (4) IN NO EVENT SHALL THE  AMOUNT  OF  THE  CREDIT  PROVIDED  BY  THIS
SUBSECTION  EXCEED  THE TAXPAYER'S TAX FOR THE TAXABLE YEAR. HOWEVER, IF

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD00164-01-1

A. 1163                             2

THE AMOUNT OF CREDIT OTHERWISE ALLOWABLE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION FOR
ANY TAXABLE YEAR RESULTS IN SUCH EXCESS AMOUNT, ANY AMOUNT OF CREDIT NOT
DEDUCTIBLE IN SUCH TAXABLE YEAR MAY BE CARRIED  OVER  TO  THE  FOLLOWING
YEAR  OR YEARS AND MAY BE DEDUCTED FROM THE TAXPAYER'S TAX FOR SUCH YEAR
OR YEARS.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to taxable
years beginning on and after the first of January  next  succeeding  the
date on which it shall have become a law.