1. a. A taxpayer shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1945, c.162 (C. 54:10A-5), in an amount equal to 100% of the eligible costs of the remediation of a contaminated site as certified by the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2003, c.296 (C. 54:10A-5.34) and the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2003, c.296 (C. 54:10A-5.35) performed during privilege periods beginning on or after January 1, 2004 and before January 1, 2007.

b. The priority for the application of credit allowed pursuant to this section against the tax imposed for a privilege period pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1945, c.162, in relation to the application of any other credit allowed against the tax shall be prescribed by the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury. Credits allowable pursuant to this section shall be applied in the order of the credits’ privilege periods. The amount of the credits applied under this section against the tax imposed pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1945, c.162, for a tax year shall not exceed 50% of the tax liability otherwise due and shall not reduce the tax liability to an amount less than the statutory minimum provided in subsection (e) of section 5 of P.L.1945, c.162.

c. Except as provided in subsection d. of this section, the amount of tax year credit otherwise allowable under this section which cannot be applied for the tax year due to the limitations of subsection b. of this section may be carried over, if necessary, to the five privilege periods following a credit’s privilege period.

d. A taxpayer may not carry over any amount of credit or credits allowed under subsection a. of this section to a privilege period during which a corporate acquisition with respect to which the taxpayer was a target corporation occurred.

e. In no event shall the amount of the tax credit, when taken together with the property tax exemption received pursuant to the “Environmental Opportunity Zone Act,” P.L.1995, c.413 (C. 54:4-3.151), less any in lieu of tax payments made pursuant to that act, or any other State, local, or federal tax incentive or grant to remediate a site, exceed 100% of the total cost of the remediation.

L.2003,c.296,s.1.