Revenue and taxation; authorizing a state income tax credit for expenditures made for purchase of feral swine removal equipment. Effective date.
SB 255 creates a new Oklahoma income tax credit for certain expenditures made to purchase equipment used to remove feral swine. The credit equals 70% of qualifying equipment costs and applies beginning in tax year 2025. The bill defines key terms such as agricultural damage, ecological impacts, feral swine, qualified expenses, removal, and taxpayer, and it limits eligible equipment to items specifically used to capture, trap, or remove feral swine, including traps, nets, suppressors, thermal or night-vision equipment, and similar devices.
The credit may be claimed by individual landowners or business entities that own at least 20 acres of land and use the property primarily for agricultural purposes. Individuals must submit a federal Schedule F with the claim, and business entities engaged in the business of hunting, trapping, or removing feral swine for a fee are excluded. The credit cannot reduce tax liability below zero, is capped at $15,000 per taxpayer over all years, and unused credit may be carried forward for up to five subsequent tax years.
The bill would add a new section to Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, creating a targeted income tax incentive for landowners and agricultural businesses that incur costs to control feral swine. It would affect state income tax administration by requiring the Oklahoma Tax Commission to recognize a new nonrefundable credit, apply the 70% calculation, enforce the $15,000 lifetime cap, and allow five-year carryforward of unused amounts. The practical effect is to subsidize feral swine eradication efforts on qualifying agricultural property while excluding commercial nuisance-animal removal operators.
The available context suggests the bill is generally framed as a pro-agriculture, pro-conservation measure intended to help landowners address a recognized pest problem. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the supplied materials. The bill’s structure and purpose indicate support for reducing crop loss, property damage, and ecological harm caused by feral swine.
The main potential points of contention are the scope and eligibility rules for the credit. The bill limits claims to taxpayers with at least 20 acres and primarily agricultural property, which may exclude smaller landowners or non-agricultural property owners affected by feral swine. It also excludes businesses that remove feral swine for a fee, which could be seen as narrowing the credit to private land management rather than commercial eradication services. Another possible issue is the inclusion of equipment such as suppressors, silencers, and night-vision devices, which may draw scrutiny even though the bill ties them to feral swine removal.