3. a. A taxpayer shall be allowed a credit against the portion of the tax imposed in section 5 of P.L.1945, c.162 (C. 54:10A-5), that is attributable to and the direct consequence of the taxpayer’s qualified investment in a new or expanded business facility in this State which results in the creation of at least five new jobs in the case of a small or mid-size business taxpayer, or at least 50 new jobs in the case of any other taxpayer, provided that the median compensation of all new jobs included in the taxpayer’s determination of the new jobs factor shall not be less than $27,000 per year, provided that beginning with tax years commencing on and after January 1 next following the operative date of this act the director shall adjust the median annual compensation which shall apply as provided in subsection e. of this section. The amount of this credit shall be determined and applied as hereinafter provided.

b. The amount of the credit allowed shall be determined by multiplying the amount of the taxpayer’s “qualified investment,” determined under section 5 of this act, in “property purchased for business relocation or expansion” by the taxpayer’s new jobs factor determined under section 6 of this act. The product of this calculation shall establish the maximum amount of credit allowed under this act due to the qualified investment.

c. The amount of credit allowed shall be taken over a five-year period, at the rate of one-fifth of the amount thereof per tax year, beginning with the tax year in which the taxpayer places the qualified investment in service or use in this State.

d. For purposes of the credit allowed by this section, property shall be considered placed in service or use in the earlier of the following tax years:

(1) The tax year in which, under the taxpayer’s depreciation practice, the period for depreciation with respect to such property begins; or

(2) The taxable year in which the property is placed in a condition or state of readiness and availability for a specifically assigned function.

e. Beginning with tax years commencing on and after January 1 next following the operative date of this act the director shall prescribe the annual median compensation of all new jobs included in the taxpayer’s determination of new jobs factor by increasing the amount of median compensation set forth in subsection a. of this section by an annual inflation adjustment factor, which prescribed amount shall be rounded to the next lowest multiple of $50. “Annual inflation adjustment factor” means the factor calculated by dividing the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers for the nation, as prepared by the United States Department of Labor for September of the calendar year prior to the calendar year in which the tax year begins, by that index for September of the calendar year two years prior to the calendar year in which the tax year begins.

L.1993,c.170,s.3; amended 2002, c.40, s.19.