(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings as provided in the Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act (Article 19 (commencing with Section 69980) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of the Education Code):
(1) “Beneficiary” has the meaning set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 69980 of the Education Code.
(2) “Benefit” has the meaning set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 69980 of the Education Code.
(3) “Participant” has the meaning set forth in subdivision (h) of Section 69980 of the Education Code.
(4) “Participation agreement” has the meaning set forth in subdivision (i) of Section 69980 of the Education Code.
(5) “Scholarshare trust” has the meaning set forth in subdivision (f) of Section 69980 of the Education Code.
(b) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1998, and before January 1, 2002, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), gross income of a beneficiary or a participant does not include any of the following:
(1) Any distribution or earnings under a Scholarshare trust participation agreement, as provided in Article 19 (commencing with Section 69980) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of the Education Code.
(2) Any contribution to the Scholarshare trust on behalf of a beneficiary shall not be includable as gross income of that beneficiary.
(c) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1998, and before January 1, 2002:
(1) Any distribution under a Scholarshare trust participation agreement shall be includable in the gross income of the distributee in the manner as provided under Section 72 of the Internal Revenue Code, as modified by Section 17085, to the extent not excluded from gross income under this part. For purposes of applying Section 72 of the Internal Revenue Code, the following apply:
(A) All Scholarshare trust accounts of which an individual is a beneficiary shall be treated as one account, except as otherwise provided.
(B) All distributions during a taxable year shall be treated as one distribution.
(C) The value of the participation agreement, income on the participation agreement, and investment in the participation agreement shall be computed as of the close of the calendar year in which the taxable year begins.
(2) A contribution by a for-profit or nonprofit entity, or by a state or local government agency, for the benefit of an owner or employee of that entity or a beneficiary whom the owner or employee has the power to designate, including the owner or employee’s minor children, shall be included in the gross income of that owner or employee in the year the contribution is made.
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, “distribution” includes any benefit furnished to a beneficiary under a participation agreement, as provided in Article 19 (commencing with Section 69980) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of the Education Code.
(4) (A) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to that portion of any distribution that, within 60 days of distribution, is transferred to the credit of another beneficiary under the Scholarshare trust who is a “member of the family,” as that term is used in Section 529(e)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by Section 211 of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-34), of the former beneficiary of that Scholarshare trust.
(B) Any change in the beneficiary of an interest in the Scholarshare trust shall not be treated as a distribution for purposes of paragraph (1) if the new beneficiary is a “member of the family,” as that term is used in Section 529(e)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by Section 211 of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-34), of the former beneficiary of that Scholarshare trust.
(d) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2002, Sections 529(c) and 529(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to tax treatment of designated beneficiaries and contributors and to other definitions and special rules, respectively, shall apply, except as otherwise provided in Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001) and this part.
(e) (1) The amendments made by Section 302(a)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to other definitions and special rules, shall apply except as otherwise provided.
(2) The amendments made by Section 302(b)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to distributions, shall apply, except as otherwise provided.
(3) The amendments made by Section 302(c)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(c)(3)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to special rule for contributions of refunded amounts, shall apply, except as otherwise provided.
(f) (1) The amendments made by Section 11025(a) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to change in beneficiaries or programs, shall apply, except as otherwise provided.
(2) (A) The amendments made by Section 11032(a)(1) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to tax treatment of designated beneficiaries and contributors, shall not apply, except as otherwise provided.
(B) The amendments made by Section 11032(a)(2) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(e)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to qualified higher education expenses, shall not apply, except as otherwise provided.
(C) In the case of any distribution made under Section 529(e)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by Section 11032(a)(2) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law 115-97), that would be treated for federal income tax purposes as a “qualified higher education expense” under Section 529(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 11032(a)(1) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law 115-97), the amount of that distribution shall, notwithstanding anything in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code to the contrary, be includable in the gross income of the distributee in the manner as provided under Section 72 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(D) Any distribution includable in the gross income of a distributee under subparagraph (C) shall not affect the exempt status of the qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code for purposes of this part.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 39, Sec. 4. (AB 91) Effective July 1, 2019.)