The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law, in conformity with federal income tax law, generally define "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provide various exclusions from gross income. Existing law, in conformity with the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) , and its subsequent amendments in the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act and the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, among other things, excludes any amounts of covered loans forgiven under the CARES Act from gross income for purposes of the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law. Existing law reduces the amount of any credit or deduction otherwise allowed under the Personal Income Tax and the Corporation Tax Law for any amount paid or incurred by the taxpayer upon which this exclusion is based by the amount of the exclusion allowed. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements.
Existing federal law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, prohibits reductions in tax deductions, denials of basis adjustments, and reductions in tax attributes for federal income tax purposes based on the exclusion from gross income provided in the federal CARES Act and its subsequent amendments.
This bill would exclude, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2019, from gross income any advance grant amount, as defined, issued pursuant to specified provisions of the CARES Act or the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and covered loan amounts forgiven pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
This bill would adopt specified provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, prohibiting any reduction in tax deductions, denials of basis adjustments, and reductions in tax attributes based on the exclusion from gross income provided for any loan amount forgiven in modified conformity with the federal CARES Act and its subsequent amendments.
This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, would additionally exclude from gross income grant allocations to small businesses that provide economic relief caused by COVID-19, such as the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants Program.
This bill would provide findings to comply with the additional information requirement for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure.
This bill would also make findings and declarations related to a gift of public funds.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Statutes affected:
SB265: 170 RTC
01/27/21 - Introduced: 170 RTC
03/04/21 - Amended Senate: 17131.8 RTC, 24308.6 RTC
SB 265: 170 RTC