Budget & Taxes (Tax Credits)

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to define terms; establish a nonrefundable income tax credit for an employer that hires an eligible employee who holds a certificate of employability; provide that the credit is equal to the amount of wages paid to the eligible employee subject to certain limitations; amend KRS 141.0205 to order the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow the Department of Revenue to report on the credit.

Create a new section of Subchapter 32 of KRS Chapter 154 to establish a tiered county system for eligible companies to receive incentives under the Kentucky Business Investment Program; amends KRS 154.32-010 to define "tier"; amends KRS 154.32-020 and 154.32-040 to conform; amend KRS 154.32-050 to specify tiering procedures; amend KRS 154.32-060 to require the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority to identify and certify or decertify the tiers for all counties on an annual basis into 4 tax credit tiers; provide that the incentives available under this subchapter be determined based on the county where the economic development project is located by an approved company; provide a county's tier will be based on a 5 year average of its unemployment rate and population ranking; amend KRS 154.32-090, 154.61-010, 154.61-020, and 141.383 to conform.

Create a new section to KRS Chapter 141 to provide employers a tax credit for contributions to an employee's Kentucky Educational Savings Plan Trust account or STABLE Kentucky account; amend KRS 141.0205 to specify ordering of the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow the Department of Revenue to report on the credit.

HB 28 repeals Kentucky's Education Opportunity Account Program by removing its associated tax credit (KRS 141.522) from the state's tax code. This bill eliminates the specific tax credit that allowed taxpayers to claim benefits under the Education Opportunity Account Program. The change directly affects individuals or entities that previously claimed this credit, discontinuing the program's tax incentive component. The bill focuses solely on removing this provision from existing tax credit ordering rules, with no new program or funding established.