(1)(a) The credits prescribed in section 77-5725 for a year shall be established by filing the forms required by the Tax Commissioner with the income tax return for the taxable year which includes the end of the year the credits were earned. The credits may be used and shall be applied in the order in which they were first allowed. The credits may be used after any other nonrefundable credits to reduce the taxpayer‘s income tax liability imposed by sections 77-2714 to 77-27,135. Credits may be used beginning with the taxable year which includes December 31 of the year the required minimum levels were reached. The last year for which credits may be used is the taxable year which includes December 31 of the last year of the carryover period. Any decision on how part of the credit is applied shall not limit how the remaining credit could be applied under this section.

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(b) The taxpayer may use the credit provided in subsection (4) of section 77-5725 to reduce the taxpayer’s income tax withholding employer or payor tax liability under section 77-2756 or 77-2757 to the extent such liability is attributable to the number of new employees at the project, excluding any compensation in excess of one million dollars paid to any one employee during the year. The taxpayer may use the credit provided in subsection (5) of section 77-5725 to reduce the taxpayer’s income tax withholding employer or payor tax liability under section 77-2756 or 77-2757 to the extent such liability is attributable to all employees employed at the project, other than base-year employees and excluding any compensation in excess of one million dollars paid to any one employee during the year. To the extent of the credit used, such withholding shall not constitute public funds or state tax revenue and shall not constitute a trust fund or be owned by the state. The use by the taxpayer of the credit shall not change the amount that otherwise would be reported by the taxpayer to the employee under section 77-2754 as income tax withheld and shall not reduce the amount that otherwise would be allowed by the state as a refundable credit on an employee’s income tax return as income tax withheld under section 77-2755.

For a tier 1, tier 2, tier 3, or tier 4 project, the amount of credits used against income tax withholding shall not exceed the withholding attributable to new employees employed at the project, excluding any compensation in excess of one million dollars paid to any one employee during the year.

For a tier 6 project, the amount of credits used against income tax withholding shall not exceed the withholding attributable to all employees employed at the project, other than base-year employees and excluding any compensation in excess of one million dollars paid to any one employee during the year.

If the amount of credit used by the taxpayer against income tax withholding exceeds this amount, the excess withholding shall be returned to the Department of Revenue in the manner provided in section 77-2756, such excess amount returned shall be considered unused, and the amount of unused credits may be used as otherwise permitted in this section or shall carry over to the extent authorized in subdivision (1)(e) of this section.

(c) Credits may be used to obtain a refund of sales and use taxes under the Local Option Revenue Act, the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967, and sections 13-319, 13-324, 13-2813, and 77-6403 which are not otherwise refundable that are paid on purchases, including rentals, for use at the project for a tier 1, tier 2, tier 3, or tier 4 project or for use within this state for a tier 2 large data center project or a tier 6 project.

(d) The credits earned for a tier 6 project may be used to obtain a payment from the state equal to the real property taxes due after the year the required levels of employment and investment were met and before the end of the carryover period, for real property that is included in such project and acquired by the taxpayer, whether by lease or purchase, after the date the application was filed. Once the required levels of employment and investment for a tier 2 large data center project have been met, the credits earned for a tier 2 large data center project may be used to obtain a payment from the state equal to the real property taxes due after the year of application and before the end of the carryover period, for real property that is included in such project and acquired by the taxpayer, whether by lease or purchase, after the date the application was filed. The payment from the state shall be made only after payment of the real property taxes have been made to the county as required by law. Payments shall not be allowed for any taxes paid on real property for which the taxes are divided under section 18-2147 or 58-507.

(e) Credits may be carried over until fully utilized, except that such credits may not be carried over more than nine years after the year of application for a tier 1 or tier 3 project, fourteen years after the year of application for a tier 2 or tier 4 project, or more than sixteen years past the end of the entitlement period for a tier 6 project.

(2)(a) No refund claims shall be filed until after the required levels of employment and investment have been met.

(b) Refund claims shall be filed no more than once each quarter for refunds under the Nebraska Advantage Act, except that any claim for a refund in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars may be filed at any time.

(c) Refund claims for materials purchased by a purchasing agent shall include:

(i) A copy of the purchasing agent appointment;

(ii) The contract price; and

(iii)(A) For refunds under subdivision (2)(a)(iii) or (2)(a)(v) of section 77-5725, a certification by the contractor or repairperson of the percentage of the materials incorporated into or annexed to the project on which sales and use taxes were paid to Nebraska after appointment as purchasing agent; or

(B) For refunds under subdivision (2)(a)(iv) of section 77-5725, a certification by the contractor or repairperson of the percentage of the contract price that represents the cost of materials annexed to the project and the percentage of the materials annexed to the project on which sales and use taxes were paid to Nebraska after appointment as purchasing agent.

(d) All refund claims shall be filed, processed, and allowed as any other claim under section 77-2708, except that the amounts allowed to be refunded under the Nebraska Advantage Act shall be deemed to be overpayments and shall be refunded notwithstanding any limitation in subdivision (2)(a) of section 77-2708. The refund may be allowed if the claim is filed within three years from the end of the year the required levels of employment and investment are met or within the period set forth in section 77-2708.

(e) If a claim for a refund of sales and use taxes under the Local Option Revenue Act or sections 13-319, 13-324, 13-2813, and 77-6403 of more than twenty-five thousand dollars is filed by June 15 of a given year, the refund shall be made on or after November 15 of the same year. If such a claim is filed on or after June 16 of a given year, the refund shall not be made until on or after November 15 of the following year. The Tax Commissioner shall notify the affected city, village, county, or municipal county of the amount of refund claims of sales and use taxes under the Local Option Revenue Act or sections 13-319, 13-324, 13-2813, and 77-6403 that are in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars on or before July 1 of the year before the claims will be paid under this section.

(f) Interest shall not be allowed on any taxes refunded under the Nebraska Advantage Act.

(3) The appointment of purchasing agents shall be recognized for the purpose of changing the status of a contractor or repairperson as the ultimate consumer of tangible personal property purchased after the date of the appointment which is physically incorporated into or annexed to the project and becomes the property of the owner of the improvement to real estate or the taxpayer. The purchasing agent shall be jointly liable for the payment of the sales and use tax on the purchases with the owner of the property.

(4) A determination that a taxpayer is not engaged in a qualified business or has failed to meet or maintain the required levels of employment or investment for incentives, exemptions, or recapture may be protested within sixty days after the mailing of the written notice of the proposed determination. If the notice of proposed determination is not protested within the sixty-day period, the proposed determination is a final determination. If the notice is protested, the Tax Commissioner shall issue a written order resolving such protests. The written order of the Tax Commissioner resolving a protest may be appealed to the district court of Lancaster County within thirty days after the issuance of the order.