South Carolina § 12-6-3780 - Credit for preventative maintenance.

§ 12-6-3780. Credit for preventative maintenance.

(A)(1) A resident taxpayer is allowed a refundable income tax credit for preventative maintenance on a private passenger motor vehicle as defined in Section 56-3-630, including motorcycles, registered in this State during the appropriate year, subject to other limitations contained in this section. The total amount of the credit may not exceed the lesser of: (i) the resident taxpayer's actual motor fuel user fee increase incurred for that motor vehicle as a result of increases in the motor fuel user fee pursuant to Section 12-28-310(D) or (ii) the amount the resident taxpayer expends on preventative maintenance. The resident taxpayer shall claim the credit allowed by this section on the resident taxpayer's income tax return in a manner prescribed by the department. The department may require any documentation it deems necessary to implement the provisions of this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a resident taxpayer may claim the credit for up to two private passenger motor vehicles, with the credit being calculated separately for each vehicle. For the purposes of this section, "preventative maintenance" includes costs incurred within this State for new tires, oil changes, regular vehicle maintenance, and the like. In addition, "motor fuel expenditures" are purchases of motor fuel within this State to which the motor fuel user fee imposed pursuant to Section 12-28-310(D) applies.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section:

(a) For tax year 2018, the credit allowed by this section may not exceed forty million dollars for all taxpayers.

(b) For tax year 2019, the credit allowed by this section may not exceed sixty-five million dollars for all taxpayers.

(c) For tax year 2020, the credit allowed by this section may not exceed eighty-five million dollars for all taxpayers.

(d) For tax year 2021, the credit allowed by this section may not exceed one hundred ten million dollars for all taxpayers.

(e) For all tax years after 2021, the credit allowed by this section may not exceed one hundred fourteen million dollars for all taxpayers.

On or before September 30, 2018, and by September thirtieth of each year thereafter, the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office shall estimate the number of taxpayers expected to claim the credit for the current tax year and the total amount expected to be claimed. In the event that the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office estimates that the total amount of credits claimed will exceed the maximum amount of aggregate credit allowed pursuant to this item, the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office shall certify to the Department of Revenue a pro rata adjustment to the credit otherwise provided.

(B)(1) In order to offset the credit allowed by the section, on or before January 31, 2019, and by January thirty-first of each year thereafter, an amount of funds necessary to entirely offset the estimated credit as certified by the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, must be transferred from the Safety Maintenance Account to the Department of Revenue. If any funds exist in the Safety Maintenance Fund after all the income tax credits are claimed for the year or if any transferred funds still exist after all the income tax credits are claimed for the year, the remainder must be credited to the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund.

(2) If the transferred funds pursuant to item (1) are not sufficient to completely offset the credit, on or before January 31, 2019, and by January thirty-first of each year thereafter, the Department of Transportation shall transfer to the Department of Revenue an amount equal to the total amount of credits estimated by the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office to be claimed for the applicable tax year minus any amounts transferred pursuant to item (1). If the credit claimed by all taxpayers in a tax year is less than the amounts transferred pursuant to this item, then the excess shall revert back from the Department of Revenue to the Department of Transportation as soon as practicable within the same year that the transfer occurred.

(C) Unless reauthorized by the General Assembly, the credit allowed by this section may not be claimed for any tax year beginning after 2022.

HISTORY: 2017 Act No. 40 (H.3516), SECTION 15.A, eff May 10, 2017.

Editor's Note

2017 Act No. 40, SECTION 15.C, provides as follows:

"This SECTION takes effect upon approval by the Governor, and subsection A first applies to tax years beginning after 2017."