S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1710
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 16, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. QUART, JAFFEE, WEPRIN -- 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 (jjj) to read as follows:
   (JJJ) 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
 THE AMOUNT OF CREDIT OTHERWISE ALLOWABLE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION FOR
 ANY TAXABLE YEAR RESULTS IN SUCH EXCESS AMOUNT, ANY AMOUNT OF CREDIT NOT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01423-01-9

 A. 1710                             2
 
 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.
   § 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.