(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Donation of open space land” means the value of any land or interest in land conveyed without financial consideration, or the value of any discount of the sale price in any sale of land or interest in land, to the state, a political subdivision of the state, a water company, as defined in section 25-32a, or to any nonprofit land conservation organization where such land is to be permanently preserved as protected open space or used as a public water supply source.

(2) “Donation of land for educational use” means the value of any land or interest in land conveyed without financial consideration, or the value of any discount of the sale price in any sale of land or interest in land, to any town, city or borough, whether consolidated or unconsolidated, or any school district or regional school district for educational use, as defined in section 16-43b.

(b) There shall be allowed a credit for all taxpayers against the tax imposed under this chapter, in an amount equal to fifty per cent of any donation of open space land and fifty per cent of any donation of land for educational use. For purposes of calculating the credit under this section, the amount of donation shall be based on the use value of the donated land and the amount received for such land. For purposes of this subsection, “use value” means the fair market value of land at its highest and best use, as determined by a certified real estate appraiser.

(c) A credit for the donation of open space land that is allowed under this section with respect to any taxable year commencing on or after January 1, 2000, but is not used by a taxpayer, may be carried forward to each of the successive income years until such credit is fully taken, but in no case shall a credit that is not used be carried forward for a period of more than twenty-five years. A credit for the donation of land for educational use that is allowed under this section with respect to any taxable year commencing on or after January 1, 2013, but is not used by a taxpayer, may be carried forward to each of the successive income years until such credit is fully taken, but in no case shall a credit that is not used be carried forward for a period of more than twenty-five years.

(P.A. 99-173, S. 47, 65; P.A. 00-203, S. 6, 8, 11; P.A. 04-200, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 96; P.A. 13-232, S. 8.)

History: P.A. 99-173 effective June 23, 1999, and applicable to income years commencing on or after January 1, 1999; P.A. 00-203 amended Subsec. (b) by defining use value, effective June 7, 2000, and applicable to all open space land donations made on or after income year commencing January 1, 1999, and added Subsec. (c) re tax credit carry forward, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 04-200 amended Subsec. (a) to add interest in land to definition, to add a water company to the type of recipients permitted, and to add use as a public water supply source as a type of use permitted, amended Subsec. (b) to add “or as a public water supply source” and “and the amount received for such land”, and amended Subsec. (c) to replace “ten” with “fifteen”, effective June 3, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (c) to extend carry-forward period from 15 years to 25 years, effective September 9, 2009, and applicable to income years commencing on or after January 1, 2009; P.A. 13-232 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing definition of “donation of open space land” as Subdiv. (1) and adding definition of “donation of land for educational use” as Subdiv. (2), added provisions allowing a credit for donation of land for educational use in Subsecs. (b) and (c), and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2013, and applicable to income years commencing on or after January 1, 2013.