Section 48-7-21. Taxation of corporations

   (a) Every domestic corporation and every foreign corporation shall pay annually an income tax equivalent to 6 percent of its Georgia taxable net income. Georgia taxable net income of a corporation shall be the corporation's taxable income from property owned or from business done in this state. A corporation's taxable income from property owned or from business done in this state shall consist of the corporation's taxable income as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, with the adjustments provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section and allocated and apportioned as provided in Code Section 48-7-31.
      (b)(1)(A) When interest income is derived from obligations of any state or political subdivision except this state and political subdivisions of this state, the interest income shall be added to taxable income to the extent that the interest income is not included in gross income for federal income tax purposes. Interest or dividends on obligations of any authority, commission, instrumentality, territory, or possession of the United States which by the laws of the United States are exempt from federal income tax but not from state income tax shall also be added to taxable income.

      (B) There shall be subtracted from taxable income interest or dividends on obligations of the United States and its territories and possessions or of any authority, commission, or instrumentality of the United States to the extent such interest or dividends are includable in gross income for federal income tax purposes but exempt from state income taxes under the laws of the United States. There shall also be subtracted from taxable income any income derived from the authorized activities of a domestic international banking facility operating pursuant to the provisions of Article 5A of Chapter 1 of Title 7, the "Domestic International Banking Facility Act," and any income arising from the conduct of a banking business with persons or entities located outside the United States, its territories, or possessions. Any amount subtracted pursuant to this subparagraph shall be reduced by any interest expenses directly or indirectly attributable to the production of the interest or dividend income.

   (2) There shall be added to taxable income any taxes on, or measured by, net income or net profits paid or accrued within the taxable year imposed by the authority of the United States or any foreign country, by any state except the State of Georgia, or by any territory, county, school district, municipality, or other tax subdivision of any state, territory, or foreign country to the extent such taxes are deducted in determining federal taxable income.

   (3) No portion of any deductions or losses which occurred in a year in which the taxpayer was not subject to taxation in this state including, but not limited to, net operating losses may be deducted in any tax year. When the federal adjusted gross income or net income of a corporation includes such deductions or losses, an adjustment deleting them shall be made under rules established by the commissioner. The provisions of this subsection shall not prohibit the carry-over of any deductions or losses including, but not limited to, net operating losses of any taxpayer which were incurred in a year or years in which the taxpayer was subject to methods of taxation in this state other than the corporate income tax.

   (4) Income, losses, and deductions previously used in computing Georgia taxable income shall not again be used in computing Georgia taxable income. The commissioner shall provide for needed adjustments by regulation.

   (5) All elections under Section 338 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall also apply under this article.

   (6) This article shall not be construed to repeal any tax exemptions contained in other laws of this state not referred to in this article. Those exemptions and the exemptions provided for by federal law and treaty shall be deducted on forms provided by the commissioner.

   (7) All elections made by corporate taxpayers under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall also apply under this article except elections involving consolidated corporate returns and Subchapter "S" elections which shall be treated as follows:
         (A)(i) Affiliated corporations which file a consolidated federal income tax return must file separate income tax returns with this state unless they have prior approval or have been requested to file a consolidated return by the department. The commissioner shall by regulation provide the time period within which the permission must be requested. A request for permission beyond such time period will not be considered and will result in the filing of separate income tax returns for the applicable year.

         (ii) No depository financial institution shall be deprived of the benefit of any exemption, deduction, or credit authorized by this title as a consequence of its election to file otherwise lawful consolidated returns with its parent organization or any corporate subsidiaries with respect to any state or local tax levied against such depository financial institution as a result of this title. As used in this division, the term:

            (I) "Bank" means any financial institution chartered under the laws of this state or under the laws of the United States and domiciled in this state which is authorized to receive deposits in this state and which has a corporate structure authorizing the issuance of capital stock.

            (II) "Depository financial institution" means a "bank" or a "savings and loan association."

            (III) "Savings and loan association" means any financial institution, other than a credit union, chartered under the laws of this state or under the laws of the United States and domiciled in this state which is authorized to receive deposits in this state and which has a mutual corporate form;

      (B) Subchapter "S" elections apply only if all stockholders are subject to tax in this state on their portion of the corporate income. If all nonresident stockholders pay the Georgia income tax on their portion of the corporate income, the election shall be allowed.

   (8) There shall be subtracted from taxable income dividends received by:

      (A) A corporation from sources outside the United States as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. For purposes of this subparagraph, dividends received by a corporation from sources outside of the United States shall include amounts treated as a dividend and income deemed to have been received under provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by such corporation if such amounts could have been subtracted from taxable income under this paragraph, had such amounts actually been received. Amounts to be subtracted under this subparagraph shall include the following, as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986:

         (i) Qualified electing fund income;

         (ii) Subpart F income; and

         (iii) Income attributable to an increase in United States property by a controlled foreign corporation.

The amount subtracted under this subparagraph shall be reduced by any expenses directly attributable to the dividend income; and

      (B) Corporations from affiliated corporations within the United States, when the corporation receiving the dividends is engaged in business in this state and is subject to the payment of taxes under the income tax laws of this state, to the extent that the dividends have been included in net income under this Code section. Dividends from affiliates shall be reduced by any expenses directly attributable to the dividend income.

   (9) Where a corporation's salary and wage deductions are reduced in computing federal taxable income because the corporation has taken a federal jobs tax credit which required, as a condition to using the federal jobs tax credit, the elimination of salary and wage deductions, the eliminated salary and wage deductions shall be subtracted from taxable income.

   (10) Georgia taxable income shall be adjusted as provided in Code Section 48-7-28.3.

   (10.1) Net operating losses for corporations shall be treated as follows:

      (A) For any taxable year in which the taxpayer takes a federal net operating loss deduction on its federal income tax return, the amount of such deduction shall be added back to federal taxable income, and Georgia taxable net income for such taxable year shall be computed from the taxpayer's federal taxable income as so adjusted. There shall be allowed as a separate deduction from Georgia taxable net income so computed an amount equal to the aggregate of the Georgia net operating loss carryovers to such year, plus the Georgia net operating loss carrybacks to such year;

      (B) The Georgia net operating loss for such taxable year shall be computed by making the adjustments to federal taxable income required by this article and in the case of corporations doing business both within and outside Georgia, by apportioning and allocating to Georgia, as provided in Code Section 48-7-31, only the amount of the loss attributable to operations within Georgia. The term "Georgia net operating loss" shall mean the loss computed as provided in this paragraph. In the event the net Georgia adjustments completely offset a federal net operating loss, there shall be no Georgia net operating loss for the taxable year, and any excess of net Georgia adjustments over the federal net operating loss shall constitute Georgia taxable net income after any such excess has been allocated and apportioned to Georgia as provided in Code Section 48-7-31. The procedural sequence of taxable years to which a Georgia net operating loss may be carried back or carried over, and the number of years for which a net operating loss may be carried back or carried over, shall be the same as provided in the Internal Revenue Code. The terms "Georgia net operating loss carryback" and "Georgia net operating loss carryover" shall mean the Georgia net operating loss for the applicable year carried back or carried over in the manner and for the number of years as provided in this paragraph;

      (C) In the event the taxpayer elects to forgo the carryback period for the federal net operating loss as allowed under the Internal Revenue Code, the taxpayer shall also forgo the carryback period for Georgia purposes. If the taxpayer does not elect to forgo the carryback period for the federal net operating loss, the election to forgo the net operating loss period shall not be allowed for Georgia purposes. If the taxpayer does not have a federal net operating loss, the taxpayer may make an irrevocable election to forgo the carryback period for the Georgia net operating loss, provided that an affirmative statement is attached to the Georgia return for the year of the loss. Such election must be made on or before the due date for filing the income tax return for the taxable year wherein the loss was incurred, including any extensions which have been granted;

      (D) The provisions of Sections 108, 381, 382, and 384 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as they relate to net operating losses also apply for Georgia purposes. The commissioner shall by regulation provide the method of determining how such sections apply;

      (E) In the event a taxpayer is entitled to a refund of income taxes by reason of a net operating loss carryback, a claim for such refund must be filed within three years after the due date for filing the income tax return for the taxable year wherein the loss was incurred, including any extensions which have been granted. Such tax refund shall be deemed to have been erroneously assessed and collected, and shall be paid under the provisions of Code Section 48-2-35; provided, however, that no interest shall accrue or be paid for any period prior to the close of the taxable year in which such net operating loss arises and no interest shall be paid if the claim for refund is processed within 90 days from the last day of the month in which the claim for such refund is filed; and

      (F) The commissioner shall have the authority to promulgate regulations regarding net operating losses with respect to this paragraph and with respect to consolidated return net operating losses.

   (11) There shall be subtracted from taxable income a portion of qualified payments to minority subcontractors, as provided in Code Section 48-7-38.

   (12) Georgia taxable income shall, if the taxpayer so elects, be adjusted with respect to federal depreciation deductions as provided in Code Section 48-7-39.

   (13) If the taxpayer claims the tax credit provided for in subsection (d) of Code Section 48-7-40.6 with respect to qualified child care property, Georgia taxable income shall be increased by any depreciation deductions attributable to such property to the extent such deductions are used in determining federal taxable income.

   (14) There shall be subtracted from taxable income the deduction provided and allowed by Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as enacted on or before January 1, 2005, to the extent the deduction has not been included in the corporation's taxable income, as defined under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

   (15) Georgia taxable income shall be increased by the amount of the payments, compensation, or other economic benefit disallowed by Code Section 48-7-21.1.

   (16) Georgia taxable income shall be adjusted as provided in Code Section 48-7-28.4.

Ga. L. 1931, Ex. Sess., p. 26, § 4; Code 1933, § 92-3102; Ga. L. 1935, p. 121, § 1; Ga. L. 1937, p. 109, § 3; Ga. L. 1937-38, Ex. Sess., p. 150, § 3; Ga. L. 1949, Ex. Sess., p. 18, § 1; Ga. L. 1953, Jan.-Feb. Sess., p. 625, § 1; Ga. L. 1955, Ex. Sess., p. 27, § 2; Ga. L. 1964, p. 67, § 1; Ga. L. 1969, p. 114, § 1; Ga. L. 1973, p. 924, § 3; Ga. L. 1976, p. 646, § 1; Ga. L. 1976, p. 980, § 1; Ga. L. 1977, p. 1133, § 2; Ga. L. 1979, p. 888, § 1; Code 1933, § 91A-3602, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 309, § 2; Ga. L. 1979, p. 5, § 63; Ga. L. 1979, p. 888, § 3; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 48; Ga. L. 1983, p. 1350, § 11; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 48; Ga. L. 1984, p. 1644, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 191, § 2; Ga. L. 1988, p. 13, § 48; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1649, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 117, § 8; Ga. L. 1996, p. 130, § 8; Ga. L. 1996, p. 181, § 6; Ga. L. 1999, p. 13, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1445, § 1; Ga. L. 2005, p. 30, § 2/HB 191; Ga. L. 2005, p. 157, § 1/HB 282; Ga. L. 2005, p. 159, §§ 8-10, 11/HB 488; Ga. L. 2007, p. 271, § 1/SB 184; Ga. L. 2008, p. 898, § 4/HB 1151; Ga. L. 2009, p. 796, § 1/HB 379; Ga. L. 2010, p. 895, § 2/HB 1138.