AB 1863: Personal income tax: deduction: commercial cannabis activity.

Existing law, the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA), among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities and authorizes persons to conduct specified commercial cannabis activities, as defined, in the state.

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various deductions in computing the income that is subject to the taxes imposed by those laws. The Personal Income Tax Law conforms as of a specified date to federal income tax laws with respect to itemized deductions, including business deductions and items not deductible, except as specifically provided. The Corporation Tax Law does not conform to those federal income tax provisions, but specifically provides for deductions for purposes of that law. The Personal Income Tax Law, by conformity to federal income tax laws, disallows a deduction or credit for business expenses of a trade or business whose activities consist of trafficking specified controlled substances, including marijuana.

This bill, for each taxable year beginning on and after January 1, 2018, would specifically provide in the Personal Income Tax Law for nonconformity to that federal law disallowing a deduction or credit for business expenses of a trade or business whose activities consist of trafficking specified controlled substances, only for commercial cannabis activity, as defined under MAUCRSA, by a licensee under MAUCRSA, thus allowing deduction of business expenses for a cannabis trade or business under the Personal Income Tax Law, as provided.

This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.