summary
Introduced
02/17/2026
02/17/2026
In Committee
02/17/2026
02/17/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Recent changes to the federal income tax code significantly increased the amount of business-related expenses that may be deducted for federal income tax purposes as follows: ! Expanded the business interest deduction limitation pursuant to section 163 (j) of the internal revenue code (IRC) by adding back depreciation, amortization, and depletion for calculation of adjusted taxable income and determination of the deduction base, resulting in many taxpayers, especially capital intensive businesses, being able to deduct a larger portion of their business interest expense; ! Expanded the bonus depreciation deduction pursuant to section 168 (k) of the IRC by permanently restoring the 100% first-year bonus depreciation deduction for "qualified property" acquired and placed in service on or after January 20, 2025; ! Created an elective 100% depreciation deduction in section (n) of the IRC for "qualified production property", which is property largely tied to manufacturing, production, or refining facilities and that would not otherwise qualify for section 168 (k) bonus depreciation; and ! Created a new section 174A of the IRC that allows taxpayers to immediately deduct domestic research and experimental expenditures paid or incurred during the taxable year, rather than requiring such costs to be capitalized and amortized over time. Because the state income tax is imposed on federal taxable income, these changes to the definition of federal income also exclude these business-related expenses from state income taxation. The bill reverses these changes to the federal tax code for purposes of the state income tax code and creates a new tax credit using the resulting revenue. Sections 2 and 4 of the bill provide, for income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2027, that individual and corporate state income taxpayers must add the following to their federal taxable income for purposes of applying the state income tax: ! An amount equal to the federal deduction claimed by the taxpayer for business interest pursuant to the limitation in section 163 (j) of the IRC to the extent the amount exceeds the amount the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim before the limitation was changed as described above; ! An amount equal to the federal deduction claimed by the taxpayer for qualified property depreciation pursuant to section 168 (k) of the IRC to the extent the amount claimed exceeds the amount the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim under section 168 (k) prior to the change described above; except that, the taxpayer may reduce the amount required to be added back by the amount of depreciation the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim for the taxable year with respect to the same property pursuant to any section other than section 168 (k) of the IRC prior to the recent federal changes; ! An amount equal to the federal deduction claimed by the taxpayer for qualified production property depreciation pursuant to section 168 (n) of the IRC; except that, the taxpayer may reduce the amount required to be added back by the amount of depreciation the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim for the taxable year with respect to the same property pursuant to any section other than section 168 (k) of the IRC prior to the recent federal change; and ! An amount equal to the federal deduction claimed by the taxpayer for the income tax year for domestic research and experimental expenditures pursuant to section 174A of the IRC; except that, the taxpayer may reduce the amount required to be added back by the amount of the deduction the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim for the taxable year with respect to the same research and experimental expenditures pursuant to section 174 of the IRC prior to the recent federal changes. Sections 2 and 4 allow taxpayers who are required to make additions to their federal taxable income pursuant to the new provisions to subtract the amounts of their disallowed federal deductions over time, using time periods that reflect how the property or expense would have been treated prior to the recent changes to the federal tax code. Section 3 creates a new tax credit. The new tax credit allows taxpayers to claim a refundable tax credit, in addition to the child tax credit and the family affordability tax credit, in an amount determined by the amount and age of the taxpayer's children and the taxpayer's income. The total amount of the new tax credit is adjusted annually based on legislative council staff projections, such that the total amount of the new tax credit claimed in an income tax year is projected to be the same as the amount of revenue raised in sections 2 and 4.
AI Summary
This bill, effective for income tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, reverses certain federal tax code changes that expanded business deductions for state income tax purposes, aiming to offset a reduction in the state's Family Affordability Tax Credit. Specifically, it requires individuals and corporations to add back to their federal taxable income the excess amount of deductions claimed for business interest expense, bonus depreciation on qualified property (IRC Section 168(k)), depreciation on qualified production property (IRC Section 168(n)), and immediate deductions for domestic research and experimental expenditures (IRC Section 174A), to the extent these deductions exceed what would have been allowed under prior federal law. Taxpayers can then gradually subtract these amounts over several years, reflecting how the expenses would have been treated before the federal changes. The bill also creates a new, refundable tax credit for taxpayers with children, similar to the Family Affordability Tax Credit, with the total amount of this new credit designed to match the revenue generated by requiring these add-backs, ensuring that the overall impact on state revenue is minimal and incidental, thus avoiding the need for voter approval under TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights).
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance
Sponsors (3)
Last Action
House Finance Hearing (13:30:00 3/9/2026 Room 0112) (on 03/09/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB26-1222 |
| BillText | https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112087/download |
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