South Carolina § 12-6-3440 - Tax credit for employee child care programs.

§ 12-6-3440. Tax credit for employee child care programs.

(A) A taxpayer who employs persons who are residents of this State in any capacity may claim a credit against its state income tax, bank tax, or premium tax liability an amount equal to fifty percent of its capital expenditures in this State but no more than one hundred thousand dollars for costs incurred in establishing a child care program for its employees' children.

(B) For purposes of this section, "expenditures for costs incurred in establishing a child care program" include, but are not limited to, expenditures, including mortgage or lease payments, for playground and classroom equipment, kitchen appliances, cooking equipment, real property, including improvements in this State, and donations to a nonprofit corporation as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) for purposes of establishing a child care program. If credit is taken for donations by a corporation, a deduction to arrive at the net income of the corporation is not allowed. The program and operation of the program must meet the licensing, registration, or certification standards prescribed by law.

(C)(1) The taxpayer under subsection (A) is allowed as a credit against his state income tax, bank tax, or premium tax liability an amount not exceeding fifty percent of the child care payments incurred by the taxpayer to operate a child care program for his employees in this State, or made directly to licensed or registered independent child care facilities in the name of and for the benefit of an employee in this State of the taxpayer, which employee's children are kept at the facility during the employee's working hours. The payment may not exceed the amount charged to other children of like age and abilities of individuals not employed by the taxpayer. In addition, a taxpayer is allowed to include in the amount of the payment for calculation of the credit any administrative cost associated with payment to licensed or registered independent child care facilities not to exceed two percent. The credits allowed may not exceed three thousand dollars for each participating employee a year.

(2) Where an employee in this State chooses to utilize the provisions of this subsection which authorize direct payments to licensed child care facilities not operated by the employer, expenses incurred in organizing and administering the direct payment program in the first year are also considered start-up expenses or expenditures for establishing a child care program and qualify for credit allowed by subsection (A).

(3) For purposes of the credits allowed by this subsection, the taxpayer is required to retain information concerning the child care facility's federal identification number, license or registration number, payment amount, and in whose name and for whose benefit the payments were made.

(D) The credits established by this section taken in any one tax year are also limited to an amount not greater than fifty percent of a taxpayer's state income tax, bank tax, or premium tax liability for that year.

(E) A credit claimed under this section, but not used or available for use in a taxable year, may be carried forward for the next ten taxable years from the close of the tax year in which the expenditures are made until the amount of the credit is taken.

HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 76, SECTION 1.