Section 25-Z. Authorization to provide relocation and employment assistance credits

(a) Any city having a population of  one  million  or  more  is
  hereby  authorized and empowered to adopt and amend a local law allowing
  an eligible business that relocates as defined  in  subdivision  (j)  of
  section  twenty-five-y of this article to receive a credit against a tax
  imposed under a local law enacted pursuant  to  part  two  or  three  of
  section one, or section two, of chapter seven hundred seventy-two of the
  laws of nineteen hundred sixty-six or a gross receipts tax imposed under
  a  local  law  enacted  pursuant  to  subdivision  (a) of section twelve
  hundred one of the tax law. The amount of such credit  shall  be  in  an
  amount  equal  to  five  hundred  dollars or, in the case of an eligible
  business that has obtained pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section a
  certification of eligibility dated on  or  after  July  first,  nineteen
  hundred  ninety-five,  one  thousand dollars or, in the case of eligible
  business that has obtained pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section a
  certification of eligibility dated on or after July first, two thousand,
  for a relocation to eligible premises located  within  a  revitalization
  area  defined  in  subdivision  (n)  of  section  twenty-five-y  of this
  article, three thousand dollars, multiplied by the  number  of  eligible
  aggregate   employment  shares,  and  may  be  taken,  pursuant  to  the
  provisions of subdivision two of section four-h of part two  of  section
  one,  or  paragraph two of subdivision (j) of section one hundred one of
  section two of chapter seven hundred seventy-two of the laws of nineteen
  hundred sixty-six, or pursuant to the provisions of a local law  enacted
  pursuant  to  subdivision  (a)  of section twelve hundred one of the tax
  law, for up to thirteen consecutive taxable  years  beginning  with  the
  taxable  year  in  which  the  eligible business relocates as defined in
  subdivision (j) of section  twenty-five-y  of  this  article;  provided,
  however,  with  respect  to  a relocation for which no application for a
  certificate of  eligibility  is  submitted  prior  to  July  first,  two
  thousand   three,   to   eligible   premises   that  are  not  within  a
  revitalization area, if  the  date  of  such  relocation  as  determined
  pursuant  to subdivision (j) of section twenty-five-y of this article is
  before July first,  nineteen  hundred  ninety-five,  the  amount  to  be
  multiplied  by  the number of eligible aggregate employment shares shall
  be five hundred dollars, and with respect to a relocation for  which  no
  application  for a certificate of eligibility is submitted prior to July
  first, two thousand three,  to  eligible  premises  that  are  within  a
  revitalization  area,  if  the  date  of  such  relocation as determined
  pursuant to subdivision (j)  of  such  section  is  before  July  first,
  nineteen  hundred ninety-five, the amount to be multiplied by the number
  of eligible aggregate employment shares shall be five  hundred  dollars,
  and if the date of such relocation as determined pursuant to subdivision
  (j)  of  such  section  is  on  or  after  July  first, nineteen hundred
  ninety-five, and before July first, two thousand, one thousand  dollars;
  provided  that no such credit shall be allowed for the relocation of any
  retail activity or hotel services; provided, notwithstanding  any  other
  provision  of  law to the contrary, that no such credit shall be allowed
  against a gross receipts tax imposed under a local law enacted  pursuant
  to  subdivision (a) of section twelve hundred one of the tax law for any
  relocation  taking  place  prior  to  January  first,  nineteen  hundred
  ninety-nine;  and provided that in the case of an eligible business that
  has obtained pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section  certifications
  of  eligibility  for  more than one relocation as defined in subdivision
  (j) of section twenty-five-y of this article, the portion of  the  total
  amount  of  eligible aggregate employment shares to be multiplied by the
  dollar amount specified in this subdivision for each such  certification
  of  a  relocation  shall  be  the  number  of  total attributed eligible

  aggregate employment shares determined with respect to  such  relocation
  pursuant to subdivision (o) of section twenty-five-y of this article.
    (b) No eligible business shall be authorized to receive a credit under
  any  local  law enacted pursuant to this article until the premises with
  respect to which it is claiming the credit meet the requirements in  the
  definition   of   eligible   premises   and  until  it  has  obtained  a
  certification of eligibility from the mayor of such city  or  an  agency
  designated by such mayor, and an annual certification from such mayor or
  an  agency  designated  by  such  mayor  as  to  the  number of eligible
  aggregate employment shares maintained by such  eligible  business  that
  may  qualify  for  obtaining  a  tax  credit  for the eligible business'
  taxable year. Any written documentation submitted to such mayor or  such
  agency  or  agencies  in order to obtain any such certification shall be
  deemed a written instrument for purposes of section 175.00 of the  penal
  law. Such local law may provide for application fees to be determined by
  such  mayor  or  such  agency  or  agencies.  No  such  certification of
  eligibility shall be issued under any local law enacted pursuant to this
  article to an eligible business on or after  July  first,  two  thousand
  thirteen unless:
    (1)  prior to such date such business has purchased, leased or entered
  into a contract to purchase or lease particular premises or a parcel  on
  which  will  be constructed such premises or already owned such premises
  or parcel;
    (2) prior to such  date  improvements  have  been  commenced  on  such
  premises  or  parcel,  which  improvements will meet the requirements of
  subdivision (e) of section twenty-five-y of  this  article  relating  to
  expenditures for improvements;
    (3) prior to such date such business submits a preliminary application
  for  a  certification  of  eligibility  to  such mayor or such agency or
  agencies with respect  to  a  proposed  relocation  to  such  particular
  premises; and
    (4) such business relocates to such particular premises not later than
  thirty-six  months  or, in a case in which the expenditures made for the
  improvements specified in paragraph  two  of  this  subdivision  are  in
  excess  of fifty million dollars within seventy-two months from the date
  of submission of such preliminary application.
    (c) The mayor of such city or an agency or agencies designated by such
  mayor shall  be  authorized  to  promulgate  rules  and  regulations  to
  administer  and  assure  compliance with the provisions of this article,
  including but not limited  to  rules  and  regulations  to  provide  for
  alternative  methods  to measure employment shares in instances where an
  eligible business is not required by law to maintain weekly  records  of
  full-time  work weeks and part-time work weeks of employees, partners or
  sole proprietors as defined in subdivision (g) of section  twenty-five-y
  of this article.
    (d)  An  eligible business other than a utility company subject to the
  supervision of the department of public service shall not be  authorized
  to  receive  a credit under a local law enacted pursuant to this article
  against a gross receipts tax imposed under a local law enacted  pursuant
  to  subdivision (a) of section twelve hundred one of the tax law, unless
  such eligible business elects to take  the  credit  authorized  by  this
  section  against  the tax imposed under such local law on an application
  filed with respect  to  the  first  relocation  of  such  business  that
  qualifies  or  will  qualify  under a local law enacted pursuant to this
  article, with the mayor of such city or the agency  designated  by  such
  mayor  pursuant  to  subdivision  (b)  of  this  section.  The  election
  authorized by this subdivision may not be withdrawn after  the  issuance
  of  such  certification  of eligibility. No taxpayer that has previously

  received a certification of eligibility to receive the credit authorized
  by this section against any  tax  imposed  under  a  local  law  enacted
  pursuant to part two or three of section one, or section two, of chapter
  seven  hundred seventy-two of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-six may
  make the election authorized by this subdivision. No taxpayer that makes
  the election provided in this subdivision shall be  authorized  to  take
  such  credit  against any tax imposed under a local law enacted pursuant
  to part two or three of section one, or section two,  of  chapter  seven
  hundred seventy-two of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-six.
    (e)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, an eligible
  business that has obtained pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section a
  certification of eligibility for a  relocation  to  particular  eligible
  premises  may apply to the mayor of such city or an agency designated by
  such mayor to have premises in a building, other than  the  building  in
  which  such  particular  eligible  premises  are  located,  certified as
  designated additional or replacement premises as defined in  subdivision
  (q)  of  section  twenty-five-y of this article. After the certification
  provided for in  this  subdivision  has  been  obtained,  any  aggregate
  employment  shares  maintained by the eligible business in such premises
  shall be treated as if such employment shares  were  maintained  in  the
  particular  eligible  premises to which the eligible business relocated.
  No such certification shall be  issued  after  the  end  of  the  period
  provided  for in subdivision (a) of this section during which the credit
  may be taken with regard to the relocation to such  particular  eligible
  premises,  and  the issuance of such certification shall not extend such
  period.  Provided  however,  (i)  no  premises  shall  be  certified  as
  designated  additional  or replacement premises if the eligible business
  maintained employment shares in such premises prior to  the  application
  for  certification  provided  for  in this subdivision, (ii) no premises
  shall be certified as  designated  additional  or  replacement  premises
  unless  such  premises  meet  the  requirements for eligible premises in
  subdivision (e) of section twenty-five-y of this article, and  (iii)  if
  the  particular premises to which the eligible business relocated are in
  a revitalization zone, no premises  shall  be  certified  as  designated
  additional or replacement premises with regard to such relocation unless
  such  designated  additional  or  replacement  premises are located in a
  revitalization zone.
    (f)(1)(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (i) of section
  twenty-five-y of this article, in  the  case  of  an  eligible  business
  meeting  the criteria in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph,
  the mayor or his or her designee, in his or her discretion, may for  any
  taxable  year  in  which such business is eligible to receive the credit
  provided for in this section, determine the number of eligible aggregate
  employment shares as provided in paragraph two of this subdivision,  and
  such  number  shall  be  deemed  to  be the number of eligible aggregate
  employment shares determined pursuant to such subdivision (i) of section
  twenty-five-y  for  the  purpose  of  attributing  shares  pursuant   to
  subdivision  (o) of section twenty-five-y of this article to relocations
  as defined in subdivision (j) of such  section  twenty-five-y  occurring
  after July first, two thousand three:
    (ii) in the case of a relocation before July first, two thousand five,
  in  the taxable year prior to its first relocation after July first, two
  thousand three (such prior year being hereafter referred to as the "base
  year"),  such  eligible  business  maintained  more  than  one   hundred
  aggregate  employment  shares  in  the  eligible Lower Manhattan area as
  defined in subdivision (f) of section twenty-five-dd  of  this  chapter,
  provided  that  in  the  case  of a relocation after June thirtieth, two
  thousand five, in the taxable year prior to its first  relocation  after

  such  date  (such  prior  year  being hereafter referred to as the "base
  year"),  such  eligible  business  maintained  one  or  more   aggregate
  employment shares in such eligible Lower Manhattan area, and
    (iii)  in  the  case  of  a relocation before July first, two thousand
  five, in the taxable year subsequent to the  base  year  for  which  the
  determination of eligible aggregate employment shares is being made, the
  number  of  aggregate  employment shares in the eligible Lower Manhattan
  area maintained by the eligible business is  less  than  the  number  of
  aggregate  employment shares it maintained in such area in the base year
  reduced by one hundred, provided that in the case of a relocation  after
  June thirtieth, two thousand five, in the taxable year subsequent to the
  base  year  for which the determination of eligible aggregate employment
  shares is being made, the number of aggregate employment shares  in  the
  eligible  Lower  Manhattan  area  maintained by the eligible business is
  less than the number of aggregate employment  shares  it  maintained  in
  such area in the base year.
    (2)  The  number  of  eligible  aggregate employment shares determined
  under  this  paragraph  shall  be  the  number  of  eligible   aggregate
  employment  shares  determined  pursuant  to  subdivision (i) of section
  twenty-five-y of this article without regard to paragraphs one and three
  of such subdivision (i), less  the  reduction  amount  provided  for  in
  paragraph three of this subdivision.
    (3)  For any taxable year, the reduction amount shall be the excess of
  (i) the number of aggregate employment shares maintained by the eligible
  business in the eligible Lower Manhattan area in  the  base  year,  over
  (ii)  the  number  of  aggregate  employment  shares  maintained  by the
  eligible business in the eligible Lower Manhattan area  in  the  taxable
  year.
    (4)  Notwithstanding  anything  herein  to the contrary, the number of
  eligible aggregate employment  shares  may  be  determined  pursuant  to
  paragraph  two  of  this  subdivision  only if the number of such shares
  determined pursuant to such paragraph two is less  than  the  number  of
  such   shares   determined   pursuant  to  subdivision  (i)  of  section
  twenty-five-y of this article.
    (5) The mayor, or his or her designee, shall exercise  the  discretion
  provided  for  in  paragraph  one  of  this  subdivision  if  he  or she
  determines it to be in the best  interests  of  the  city,  taking  into
  account  whether  the  credit  provided  for  in this section caused the
  reduction in the number of jobs maintained by the eligible  business  in
  the eligible Lower Manhattan area.