HR 2069 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by imposing a tax on primary fossil fuels based on their carbon content.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

April 26, 2007

Mr. STARK (for himself and Mr. MCDERMOTT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and MeansCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by imposing a tax on primary fossil fuels based on their carbon content.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Save Our Climate Act of 2007'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that human emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide are responsible for global climate change.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) The IPCC has estimated that global temperatures will rise between 3.2-7.2 degrees Farenheit in the next 100 years if carbon dioxide emissions are not dramatically reduced.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) An increase of even a few degrees could have major adverse impacts on both the human and man-made environments, due to rising sea-levels, intensification of weather events, mass extinction of species, and scarcity of water.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The United States is responsible for nearly 24 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, equaling approximately six billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) In order to stabilize the earth's climate and prevent catastrophic global climate change, the level of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions need to be reduced 80 percent by 2050.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) A tax on fossil fuels based on carbon content will reduce the incentive to burn those fuels, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) Revenue collected from a tax on fossil fuels could be used to decrease taxes on low and middle-income taxpayers, to fund research and development of alternative green energy sources, or to increase funding for other domestic social priorities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. IMPOSITION OF CARBON TAX ON PRIMARY FOSSIL FUELS.

(a) General Rule- Chapter 38 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to environmental taxes) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subchapter:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

`Subchapter E--Carbon Tax on Primary Fossil Fuels

`Sec. 4691. Imposition of tax.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

`SEC. 4691. IMPOSITION OF TAX.

`(a) General Rule- There is hereby imposed a tax on any taxable fuel sold by the manufacturer, producer, or importer thereof.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(b) Amount of Tax-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) IN GENERAL- The amount of tax imposed by subsection (a) on any taxable fuel shall be an equivalent amount to $10 per ton of carbon content in such fuel, as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of Energy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) ANNUAL INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF TAX- For each calendar year beginning after 2008 and ending with the year after the target attainment year, paragraph (1) shall be applied by substituting for `$10' the following: `the amount in effect under this paragraph for the preceding calendar year, increased by $10,'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(3) RATE FREEZE AFTER TARGET ATTAINMENT- For the second year after the target attainment year and each year thereafter, the amount in effect under paragraph (1) shall be the amount in effect under paragraph (1) for the first year after the target attainment year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(4) TARGET ATTAINMENT YEAR- For purposes of paragraph (2), a calendar year is the target attainment year if the level of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States for the calendar year does not exceed 20 percent of the level of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States for calendar year 1990, as determined by the Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(c) Taxable Fuel- For purposes of this section, the term `taxable fuel' means--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) coal (including lignite and peat),CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) petroleum and any petroleum product (as defined in section 4612(a)(3)), andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(3) natural gas,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





which is extracted, manufactured, or produced in the United States or entered into the United States for consumption, use, or warehousing.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(d) Other Definitions- For purposes of this section--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) UNITED STATES- The term `United States' has the meaning given such term by section 4612(a)(4).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) IMPORTER- The term `importer' means the person entering the taxable fuel for consumption, use, or warehousing.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(3) TON- The term `ton' means 2,000 pounds. In the case of any taxable fuel which is a gas, the term `ton' means the amount of such gas in cubic feet which is the equivalent of 2,000 pounds on a molecular weight basis.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(e) Exception- No tax shall be imposed by subsection (a) on the sale or in-kind exchange of any taxable fuel for deposit in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve established under part B of title I of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(f) Special Rules-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) ONLY 1 TAX IMPOSED WITH RESPECT TO ANY PRODUCT- No tax shall be imposed by subsection (a) with respect to a taxable fuel if, with respect to such fuel, the person who would be liable for such tax establishes that a prior tax imposed by such subsection has been imposed and no refund or credit with respect to such tax is allowed under subsection (g).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) FRACTIONAL PART OF TON- In the case of a fraction of a ton, the tax imposed by subsection (a) shall be the same fraction of the amount of such tax imposed on a whole ton.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(3) USE AND CERTAIN EXCHANGES BY MANUFACTURER, ETC-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) USE TREATED AS SALE- If any person manufactures, produces, or imports any taxable fuel and uses such fuel, then such person shall be liable for tax under subsection (a) in the same manner as if such fuel were sold by such person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) SPECIAL RULES FOR INVENTORY EXCHANGES-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(i) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this subparagraph, in any case in which a manufacturer, producer, or importer of a taxable fuel exchanges such fuel as part of an inventory exchange with another person--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(I) such exchange shall not be treated as a sale, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(II) such other person shall, for purposes of subsection (a), be treated as the manufacturer, producer, or importer of such fuel.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(ii) REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT- Clause (i) shall not apply to any inventory exchange unless--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(I) both parties are registered with the Secretary as manufacturers, producers, or importers of taxable fuels, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(II) the person receiving the taxable fuel has, at such time as the Secretary may prescribe, notified the manufacturer, producer, or importer of such person's registration number and the internal revenue district in which such person is registered.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(iii) INVENTORY EXCHANGE- For purposes of this subparagraph, the term `inventory exchange' means any exchange in which 2 persons exchange property which is, in the hands of each person, property described in section 1221(a)(1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(g) Refund or Credit for Certain Uses-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF ANOTHER TAXABLE FUEL- Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) a tax under subsection (a) was paid with respect to any taxable fuel, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) such fuel was used by any person in the manufacture or production of any other substance which is a taxable fuel,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





then a credit or refund (without interest) shall be allowed, in the same manner as if it were an overpayment of tax imposed by subsection (a), to such person in an amount equal to the tax so paid.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) EMBEDDED OR SEQUESTERED CARBON- Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) a tax under subsection (a) was paid with respect to any taxable fuel,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) a person uses such fuel in the manufacture or production of any substance which is not a taxable fuel, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(C) in the process of such manufacture or production, carbon in such fuel is embedded or sequestered,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





then a credit or refund (without interest) shall be allowed to such person in the same manner as if it were an overpayment of tax imposed by subsection (a). The amount of such credit or refund shall be an amount equal to the amount of tax in effect under subsection (a) with respect to such fuel for the calendar year in which such manufacture or production occurred, determined on the basis of carbon so embedded or sequestered.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(3) LIMITATION- In any case to which paragraph (1) or (2) applies, the amount of any such credit or refund shall not exceed the amount of tax imposed by subsection (a) on the taxable fuel used in such manufacture or production (or which would have been imposed by such subsection on such other fuel but for subsection (h)).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(h) Exemption for Exports of Taxable Fuels-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) TAX-FREE SALES-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) IN GENERAL- No tax shall be imposed by subsection (a) on the sale by the manufacturer or producer of any taxable fuel for export or for resale by the purchaser to a second purchaser for export.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) PROOF OF EXPORT REQUIRED- Rules similar to the rules of section 4221(b) shall apply for purposes of subparagraph (A).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) CREDIT OR REFUND WHERE TAX PAID-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subparagraph (B), if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(i) tax under subsection (a) was paid with respect to any taxable fuel, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(ii)(I) such fuel was exported by any person, orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(II) such fuel was used as a material in the manufacture or production of a taxable fuel which was exported by any person and which, at the time of export, was a taxable fuel,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





credit or refund (without interest) of such tax shall be allowed or made to the person who paid such tax.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) CONDITION TO ALLOWANCE- No credit or refund shall be allowed or made under subparagraph (A) unless the person who paid the tax establishes that he--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(i) has repaid or agreed to repay the amount of the tax to the person who exported the taxable fuel, orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(ii) has obtained the written consent of such exporter to the allowance of the credit or the making of the refund.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(C) REFUNDS DIRECTLY TO EXPORTER- The Secretary shall provide, in regulations, the circumstances under which a credit or refund (without interest) of the tax under subsection (a) shall be allowed or made to the person who exported the taxable fuel, where--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(i) the person who paid the tax waives his claim to the amount of such credit or refund, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(ii) the person exporting the taxable fuel provides such information as the Secretary may require in such regulations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(3) REGULATIONS- The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Study- Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall conduct a study on the environmental, economic, and revenue impacts regarding the tax imposed by subchapter E of chapter 38 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to carbon tax on primary fossil fuels). The Secretary shall submit each study to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Clerical Amendment- The table of subchapters for chapter 38 of such Code is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new item:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

`subchapter e. carbon tax on primary fossil fuels'.

(d) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall take effect on January 1, 2008.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink