SECTION 39. Tax rate

Except as otherwise provided in this section, every business corporation, organized under the laws of the commonwealth, or exercising its charter or other means of legal authority, or qualified to do business or actually doing business in the commonwealth, or owning or using any part or all of its capital, plant or any other property in the commonwealth, shall pay, on account of each taxable year, the excise provided in subsection (a) or (b), whichever is greater, except that an insurance mutual holding company established under chapter 175 or under the equivalent law of another state shall pay, on account of each taxable year, only the excise provided in clause (2) of subsection (a) or subsection (b), whichever is greater.

Without limitation, the excise levied in this section is due and payable on any 1 or all of the following alternative incidents:—

(1) The authority or qualification to carry on or do business in this state or the actual doing of business within the commonwealth. The term ''doing business'' as used herein shall mean and include each and every act, power, right, privilege, or immunity exercised or enjoyed in the commonwealth, as an incident to or by virtue of the powers and privileges acquired by the nature of those organizations, as well as, the buying, selling or procuring of services or property.

(2) The exercising or continuance of a business corporation's charter or other means of legal authority within the commonwealth.

(3) The owning or using any part or all of its capital, plant or other property in the commonwealth.

It is the purpose of this section to require the payment of this excise to the commonwealth by a business corporation for the enjoyment under the protection of the laws of the commonwealth, of the powers, rights, privileges and immunities derived by reason of its existence and operation.

In the case of a business corporation whose taxable year is a period of less than 12 calendar months, the portion of the amount determined under clause (1) of subsection (a) shall be multiplied by a fraction whose numerator is the number of months included in the taxable year and whose denominator is 12.

(a) An amount equal to the sum of:—

(1) $2.60 per 1,000 upon the value of: (i) its tangible property as determined to be taxable under paragraph 7 of section 30 if a tangible property corporation; or (ii) its net worth as determined to be taxable under paragraph 8 of section 30 if an intangible property corporation; and

(2)(i) For tax years beginning before January 1, 2010, 9.5 per cent of its net income determined to be taxable in accordance with this chapter; (ii) for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2010, but before January 1, 2011, 8.75 per cent of its net income determined to be taxable in accordance with this chapter; (iii) for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2011, but before January 1, 2012, 8.25 per cent of its net income determined to be taxable in accordance with this chapter; or (iv) for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2012, 8.0 per cent of its net income determined to be taxable in accordance with this chapter.

(b) $456.

A business corporation shall not be subject to the income measure of tax under clause (2) of subsection (a) if it is engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property and taxation of that business corporation under this chapter is precluded by the constitution or laws of the United States, or would be so precluded except for the fact that the business corporation stored tangible personal property in a licensed public storage warehouse, but no portion of any warehouse which is owned or leased by a consignor or consignee of the tangible personal property shall be considered a licensed public warehouse. A business corporation exempt from the income measure of the excise under this paragraph pursuant to federal Public Law 86–272 shall be subject to the excise under clause (1) of subsection (a) or subsection (b), whichever is greater.