(1) As soon as practicable after adjournment sine die of the odd-numbered year regular session of the Legislative Assembly, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall report to the Legislative Revenue Officer and the Legislative Fiscal Officer the estimate as of July 1 of the first year of the biennium of General Fund and State Lottery Fund revenues that will be received by the state during that biennium. The Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall base its estimate on the last forecast given to the Legislative Assembly before adjournment sine die of the odd-numbered year regular session on which the printed, adopted budget prepared in the Oregon Department of Administrative Services is based, adjusted only insofar as necessary to reflect changes in laws adopted at that session. The report shall contain the estimated revenues from corporate income and excise taxes separately from the estimated revenues from other General Fund sources. The Oregon Department of Administrative Services may revise the estimate if necessary following adjournment sine die of a special session or an even-numbered year regular session of the Legislative Assembly, but any revision does not affect the basis of the computation described in subsection (3) or (4) of this section.

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(2) As soon as practicable after the end of the biennium, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall report to the Legislative Revenue Officer and the Legislative Fiscal Officer, or the Legislative Assembly if it is in session, the amount of General Fund revenues collected as of the last June 30 of the preceding biennium. The report shall contain the collections from corporate income and excise taxes separately from collections from other sources.

(3) If the revenues received from the corporate income and excise taxes during the biennium exceed the amounts estimated to be received from such taxes for the biennium, as estimated after adjournment sine die of the odd-numbered year regular session, by two percent or more, the total amount of that excess shall be retained in the General Fund and used, in the manner described in ORS § 291.345, to provide additional funding for public education, kindergarten through grade 12.

(4) If the revenues received from General Fund revenue sources, exclusive of those described in subsection (3) of this section, during the biennium exceed the amounts estimated to be received from such sources for the biennium, as estimated after adjournment sine die of the odd-numbered year regular session, by two percent or more, there shall be credited to personal income taxpayers an amount equal to the total amount of that excess, reduced by the cost certified by the Department of Revenue under ORS § 291.351 as being allocable to credits described under this subsection. The excess amount to be credited shall be credited to personal income taxpayers in a percentage amount of prior year personal income tax liability as determined under subsection (5) of this section.

(5)(a) If there is an excess to be credited under subsection (4) of this section, on or before October 1, following the end of each biennium, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall determine and certify to the Department of Revenue the percentage amounts of credit for purposes of subsection (4) of this section. The percentage amounts determined shall be percentage amounts to the nearest one-tenth of a percent that will distribute the excess to be credited to personal income taxpayers.

(b) The percentage amount applicable to subsection (4) of this section shall equal the amount distributed under subsection (4) of this section divided by the estimated total personal income tax liability for all personal income taxpayers for tax years beginning in the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which the excess is determined.

(c) The amount of the surplus credit under subsection (4) of this section is determined by multiplying the percentage amount determined under paragraph (b) of this subsection by the total amount of a personal income taxpayer’s tax liability for the tax year beginning in the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which the excess is determined in order to calculate the amount to be credited to the taxpayer.

(d) The credit shall be determined based on the tax liability as shown on the return of the taxpayer or as corrected by the Department of Revenue.

(e) The credit shall be computed after the allowance of a credit provided under ORS § 316.082, 316.131 or 316.292, but before the allowance of any other credit or offset against tax liability allowed or allowable under any provision of law of this state, and before the application of estimated tax payments, withholding or other advance tax payments.

(f) For personal income taxpayers, if a credit applied against tax liability as described in paragraph (e) of this subsection reduces tax liability to zero and an amount of the credit remains unused, the remaining unused amount shall be refunded to the taxpayer. For purposes of ORS chapters 305, 314, 315 and 316, refunds issued under this paragraph are refunds of an overpayment of tax imposed under ORS Chapter 316.

(g) The Department of Revenue may prescribe by rule the manner of calculating and claiming a credit if the filing status of a taxpayer changes between the tax year for which a credit may be claimed and the succeeding tax year.

(6) A refund may not be made under this section to a taxpayer if the amount of the refund is less than $1.

(7) Not later than October 15 following the end of the biennium, the Department of Revenue shall provide information and guidance to taxpayers relating to the calculation of the credit. The department may make the information and guidance available electronically or otherwise.

(8) The Department of Revenue may adopt rules specifying the manner for issuing refunds under this section to taxpayers who filed returns for the tax year on which the credit is computed but who are not required to file returns for the year in which the credit could be claimed. [1979 c.241 § 30; 1981 c.885 § 1; 1985 c.828 § 19; 1995 c.815 § 2; 1997 c.99 § 1; 1997 c.654 § 4; 1999 c.23 § 1; 1999 c.73 § 5; 2007 c.680 § 1; 2007 c.896 § 3; 2009 c.58 § 1; 2011 c.299 § 1; 2011 c.545 § 22; 2012 c.107 § 22; 2013 c.123 § 1; 2013 c.733 § 2]

291.349 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS Chapter 291 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.

[1965 c.615 § 13; repealed by 1971 c.544 § 7]