PRINTER'S NO. 322

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 298 Session of 1985


        INTRODUCED BY SWEET, TRELLO, J. L. WRIGHT, KUKOVICH, O'DONNELL,
           ITKIN, FEE, OLIVER, FISCHER, D. R. WRIGHT, NAHILL, TIGUE,
           HALUSKA, CAPPABIANCA, MICOZZIE, F. E. TAYLOR, DAWIDA,
           VAN HORNE, PETRARCA, STUBAN, MRKONIC, KOSINSKI, BALDWIN,
           COLAFELLA, PRESTON, LASHINGER, MICHLOVIC, PRATT, SEVENTY,
           OLASZ, WOZNIAK, BOOK, AFFLERBACH, KASUNIC, FATTAH, DEAL,
           BLAUM, LINTON, BELARDI, LUCYK, REBER, DALEY AND FREEMAN,
           FEBRUARY 11, 1985

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, FEBRUARY 11, 1985

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), entitled "An
     2     act relating to tax reform and State taxation by codifying
     3     and enumerating certain subjects of taxation and imposing
     4     taxes thereon; providing procedures for the payment,
     5     collection, administration and enforcement thereof; providing
     6     for tax credits in certain cases; conferring powers and
     7     imposing duties upon the Department of Revenue, certain
     8     employers, fiduciaries, individuals, persons, corporations
     9     and other entities; prescribing crimes, offenses and
    10     penalties," providing for excess utilities gross receipts tax
    11     to be placed into the Commonwealth Weatherization Fund.

    12     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    13  hereby enacts as follows:
    14     Section 1.  Section 1101(a), (b) and (d) of the act of March
    15  4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971,
    16  amended December 11, 1979 (P.L.499, No.107), is amended to read:
    17     Section 1101.  Imposition of Tax.--(a)  General Rule.--Every
    18  railroad company, pipeline company, conduit company, steamboat
    19  company, canal company, slack water navigation company,


     1  transportation company, and every other company, association,
     2  joint-stock association, or limited partnership, now or
     3  hereafter incorporated or organized by or under any law of this
     4  Commonwealth, or now or hereafter organized or incorporated by
     5  any other state or by the United States or any foreign
     6  government, and doing business in this Commonwealth, and every
     7  copartnership, person or persons owning, operating or leasing to
     8  or from another corporation, company, association, joint-stock
     9  association, limited partnership, copartnership, person or
    10  persons, any railroad, pipeline, conduit, steamboat, canal,
    11  slack water navigation, or other device for the transportation
    12  of freight, passengers, baggage, or oil, except taxicabs, motor
    13  buses and motor omnibuses, and every limited partnership,
    14  association, joint-stock association, corporation or company
    15  engaged in, or hereafter engaged in, the transportation of
    16  freight or oil within this State, and every telephone company,
    17  telegraph company, express company, gas company, palace car
    18  company and sleeping car company, now or hereafter incorporated
    19  or organized by or under any law of this Commonwealth, or now or
    20  hereafter organized or incorporated by any other state or by the
    21  United States or any foreign government and doing business in
    22  this Commonwealth, and every limited partnership, association,
    23  joint-stock association, copartnership, person or persons,
    24  engaged in telephone, telegraph, express, gas, palace car or
    25  sleeping car business in this Commonwealth, shall pay to the
    26  State Treasurer, through the Department of Revenue, a tax [of
    27  forty-five mills] at the rate prescribed in subsection (d)(2)
    28  upon each dollar of the gross receipts of the corporation,
    29  company or association, limited partnership, joint-stock
    30  association, copartnership, person or persons, received from
    19850H0298B0322                  - 2 -

     1  passengers, baggage, and freight transported wholly within this
     2  State, from telegraph or telephone messages transmitted wholly
     3  within this State, from express, palace car or sleeping car
     4  business done wholly within this State, or from the sales of
     5  gas, except gross receipts derived from sales to any
     6  municipality owned or operated public utility and except gross
     7  receipts derived from the sales for resale, to persons,
     8  partnerships, associations, corporations or political
     9  subdivisions subject to the tax imposed by this act upon gross
    10  receipts derived from such resale and from the transportation of
    11  oil done wholly within this State. The gross receipts of gas
    12  companies shall include the gross receipts from the sale of
    13  artificial and natural gas, but shall not include gross receipts
    14  from the sale of liquefied petroleum gas.
    15     (b)  Electric Light, Waterpower and Hydro-electric
    16  Utilities.--Every electric light company, waterpower company and
    17  hydro-electric company now or hereafter incorporated or
    18  organized by or under any law of this Commonwealth, or now or
    19  hereafter organized or incorporated by any other state or by the
    20  United States or any foreign government and doing business in
    21  this Commonwealth, and every limited partnership, association,
    22  joint-stock association, copartnership, person or persons,
    23  engaged in electric light and power business, waterpower
    24  business and hydro-electric business in this Commonwealth, shall
    25  pay to the State Treasurer, through the Department of Revenue, a
    26  tax [of forty-five mills] at the rate prescribed in subsection
    27  (d)(2) upon each dollar of the gross receipts of the
    28  corporation, company or association, limited partnership, joint-
    29  stock association, copartnership, person or persons, received
    30  from:
    19850H0298B0322                  - 3 -

     1     (1)  the sales of electric energy within this State, except
     2  gross receipts derived from the sales for resale of electric
     3  energy to persons, partnerships, associations, corporations or
     4  political subdivisions subject to the tax imposed by this
     5  subsection upon gross receipts derived from such resale; and
     6     (2)  the sales of electric energy produced in Pennsylvania
     7  and made outside of Pennsylvania in a state that has taken
     8  action since December 21, 1977 which results in higher costs for
     9  electric energy produced in that state and sold in Pennsylvania
    10  unless the action that was taken after December 21, 1977 is
    11  rescinded according to the following apportionment formula:
    12  except for gross receipts derived from sales under clause (1),
    13  the gross receipts from all sales of electricity of the producer
    14  shall be apportioned to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by the
    15  ratio of the producer's operating and maintenance expenses in
    16  Pennsylvania and depreciation attributable to property in
    17  Pennsylvania to the producer's total operating and maintenance
    18  expenses and depreciation.
    19     * * *
    20     (d)  Tax [Computation.--] Computation; Rate.--(1)  Upon the
    21  date its tentative report is required to be made, for the year
    22  1972 and each year thereafter the corporation, association or
    23  individual making a tentative report shall transmit such report
    24  to the Department of Revenue on account of the tax due for the
    25  current period of twelve months and compute and make payment of
    26  the tentative tax with such report pursuant to the provisions of
    27  section 1202.1.
    28     (2)  The tax imposed by this section shall be imposed at the
    29  rate shown below on the gross receipts derived from business
    30  done during the indicated calendar year:
    19850H0298B0322                  - 4 -

     1                 Calendar Year             Rate
     2                     1985                45 mills
     3                     1986                45 mills
     4                     1987                43 mills
     5                     1988                41 mills
     6                     1989                39 mills
     7                     1990                37 mills
     8                     1991 and thereafter 35 mills
     9     (3)  During fiscal year 1985-1986 and in each fiscal year
    10  thereafter, the Secretary of Revenue shall deposit in a special
    11  fund to be known as the Commonwealth Weatherization Fund, any
    12  revenue received from the tax imposed by this article in excess
    13  of the amount of revenue received from the tax imposed by this
    14  article during fiscal year 1984-1985.
    15     * * *
    16     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.










    A30L72RDG/19850H0298B0322        - 5 -