The anchor company credit to the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) was amended by the Michigan legislature to expand on the maximum number of anchor companies claiming the credit and to clarify specific provisions of the credit.  An anchor company is a qualified high-technology business that is an integral part of a high-technology activity and that has the ability or potential ability to influence business decisions and site location of qualified suppliers and customers.

Anchor Company Payroll Credit 

Public Act 159 of 2009 (P.A. 159), effective December 14, 2009 and applying retroactive for tax years beginning after December 31, 2008, amends the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) act anchor company payroll credit.  The new law allows an MBT credit for a qualified supplier's or customer's payroll claimed by an anchor company to include each qualified supplier's and qualified customer's payroll. It allows an MBT credit for a qualified supplier's or qualified customer's payroll to be taken after all other nonrefundable MBT credits.  It revises a provision pertaining to the maximum number of anchor companies that may be designated annually. The new law allows the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) to exclude an anchor company's qualified sales to a qualified customer from the calculation of the MBT apportionment sales factor.  It also revises the definitions of “qualified supplier or customer” and “qualified sales to a qualified customer.”

Anchor Company Property Tax Credit

Public Act 160 of 2009 (P.A. 160), effective December 14, 2009 and applying retroactive for tax years beginning after December 31, 2008, amends the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) act anchor company property tax credit.  The new law allows an anchor company to claim an MBT credit for a percentage of a qualified supplier's or qualified customer's property tax or industrial facility tax if the supplier's or customer's taxable property is located in an existing industrial site in the same county as the anchor company or an adjacent county.  It allows an MBT credit for a qualified supplier's or qualified customer's property tax or industrial facility tax to be taken after all other allowable nonrefundable MBT credits.  The new law allows the Michigan Economic Growth Authority to exclude an anchor company's qualified sales to a qualified customer from the calculation of the MBT apportionment sales factor.   It also revises the definitions of “qualified supplier or customer” and “qualified sales to a qualified customer.”