The Senate passed a bill Tuesday evening that would offer tax credits to private businesses that provide child care facilities for their employees.
Senate Bill 656 would provide qualifying small businesses, corporations and nonprofits that offer child care services certain tax breaks. A for-profit business would be eligible for relief on its state corporate net income tax and nonprofits could receive payroll tax credits under the bill.
These tax credits would be offered to businesses and nonprofits that already have these facilities, as well as ones that want to create a childcare facility for their employees.
In most cases the childcare facility would have to be on the business’ premises but there are exceptions in the bill where it can be “a reasonable distance” from the business if the state Tax Commissioner deems the on-site location unsuitable for the care of children.
There are provisions in the bill where the state can recapture some of the money if the employer ends its child care services after receiving the credit. The state would get 100 percent of the money back if the childcare facility closes within 5 years. The percentage that goes back to the state lowers by 10 percent with each year, until year 14, where the recapture amount would be zero.
The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, March 2, at 9 a.m.
