(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) "Federal housing tax credit" means the federal tax credit as provided in Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(2) "Median income" means those incomes that are determined by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines and adjusted for family size.

(3) "Project" means a housing project that has restricted rents that do not exceed 30 percent of median income for at least 40 percent of its units occupied by persons or families having incomes of 60 percent or less of the median income, or at least 20 percent of the units occupied by persons or families having incomes of 50 percent or less of the median income.

(4) "Qualified basis" means that portion of the tax basis of a qualified Georgia project eligible for the federal housing tax credit, as that term is defined in Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(5) "Qualified Georgia project" means a qualified low-income building as that term is defined in Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, that is located in Georgia.

(b)(1) A tax credit against the taxes imposed under Code Sections 33-5-31, 33-8-4, and 33-40-5, to be termed the Georgia housing tax credit, shall be allowed with respect to each qualified Georgia project placed in service after January 1, 2001. The amount of such credit shall, when combined with the total amount of credit authorized under Code Section 48-7-29.6, in no event exceed an amount equal to the federal housing tax credit allowed with respect to such qualified Georgia project.

(2)(A) If under Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, a portion of any federal housing tax credit taken on a project is required to be recaptured as a result of a reduction in the qualified basis of such project, the taxpayer claiming any state tax credit with respect to such project shall also be required to recapture a portion of any state tax credit authorized by this Code section. The state recapture amount shall be equal to the proportion of the state tax credit claimed by the taxpayer that equals the proportion the federal recapture amount bears to the original federal housing tax credit amount subject to recapture. The tax credit under this Code section shall not be subject to recapture if such recapture is due solely to the sale or transfer of any direct or indirect interest in such qualified Georgia project.

(B) In the event that recapture of any Georgia housing tax credit is required, any amended return submitted to the Commissioner as provided in this Code section shall include the proportion of the state tax credit required to be recaptured, the identity of each taxpayer subject to the recapture, and the amount of tax credit previously allocated to such taxpayer.

(3) In no event shall the total amount of the tax credit under this Code section for a taxable year exceed the taxpayer's income tax liability. Any unused tax credit shall be allowed to be carried forward to apply to the taxpayer's next three succeeding years' tax liability. No such tax credit shall be allowed the taxpayer against prior years' tax liability.

(4) The tax credit allowed under this Code section, and any recaptured tax credit, shall be allocated among some or all of the partners, members, or shareholders of the entity owning the project in any manner agreed to by such persons, whether or not such persons are allocated or allowed any portion of the federal housing tax credit with respect to the project.

(c) The commissioner and the state department designated by the Governor as the state housing credit agency for purposes of Section 42(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, shall each be authorized to promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to implement and administer this Code section.