209 - Imposition of tax; exemptions.
§ 209. Imposition of tax; exemptions. 1. For the privilege of exercising its corporate franchise, or of doing business, or of employing capital, or of owning or leasing property in this state in a corporate or organized capacity, or of maintaining an office in this state, for all or any part of each of its fiscal or calendar years, every domestic or foreign corporation, except corporations specified in subdivision four of this section, shall annually pay a franchise tax, upon the basis of its entire net income base, or upon such other basis as may be applicable as hereinafter provided, for such fiscal or calendar year or part thereof, on a report which shall be filed, except as hereinafter provided, on or before the fifteenth day of March next succeeding the close of each such year, or, in the case of a corporation which reports on the basis of a fiscal year, within two and one-half months after the close of such fiscal year, and shall be paid as hereinafter provided. 2. A foreign corporation shall not be deemed to be doing business, employing capital, owning or leasing property, or maintaining an office in this state, for the purposes of this article, by reason of (a) the maintenance of cash balances with banks or trust companies in this state, or (b) the ownership of shares of stock or securities kept in this state, if kept in a safe deposit box, safe, vault or other receptacle rented for the purpose, or if pledged as collateral security, or if deposited with one or more banks or trust companies, or brokers who are members of a recognized security exchange, in safekeeping or custody accounts, or (c) the taking of any action by any such bank or trust company or broker, which is incidental to the rendering of safekeeping or custodian service to such corporation, or (d) the maintenance of an office in this state by one or more officers or directors of the corporation who are not employees of the corporation if the corporation otherwise is not doing business in this state, and does not employ capital or own or lease property in this state, or (e) the keeping of books or records of a corporation in this state if such books or records are not kept by employees of such corporation and such corporation does not otherwise do business, employ capital, own or lease property or maintain an office in this state, or (f) the use of fulfillment services of a person other than an affiliated person and the ownership of property stored on the premises of such person in conjunction with such services, or (g) any combination of the foregoing activities. For purposes of this subdivision, persons are affiliated persons with respect to each other where one of such persons has an ownership interest of more than five percent, whether direct or indirect, in the other, or where an ownership interest of more than five percent, whether direct or indirect, is held in each of such persons by another person or by a group of other persons which are affiliated persons with respect to each other. The term "person" in the preceding sentence and in paragraph (f) of this subdivision shall have the meaning ascribed thereto by subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred one of this chapter. 2-a. An alien corporation shall not be deemed to be doing business, employing capital, owning or leasing property, or maintaining an office in this state, for the purposes of this article, if its activities in this state are limited solely to (a) investing or trading in stocks and securities for its own account within the meaning of clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of section eight hundred sixty-four of the internal revenue code or (b) investing or trading in commodities for its own account within the meaning of clause (ii) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of section eight hundred sixty-four of the internal revenue code or (c) anycombination of activities described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subdivision. For purposes of this subdivision, an alien corporation is a corporation organized under the laws of a country, or any political subdivision thereof, other than the United States. 3. Any receiver, referee, trustee, assignee or other fiduciary, or any officer or agent appointed by any court, who conducts the business of any corporation, shall be subject to the tax imposed by this article in the same manner and to the same extent as if the business were conducted by the agents or officers of such corporation. A dissolved corporation which continues to conduct business shall also be subject to the tax imposed by this article. 4. Corporations liable to tax under sections one hundred eighty-three to one hundred eighty-five, inclusive, corporations taxable under articles thirty-two and thirty-three of this chapter, any trust company organized under a law of this state all of the stock of which is owned by not less than twenty savings banks organized under a law of this state, bank holding companies filing a combined return in accordance with subdivision (f) of section fourteen hundred sixty-two of this chapter, a captive REIT or a captive RIC filing a combined return under either subdivision (f) of section fourteen hundred sixty-two or subdivision (f) of section fifteen hundred fifteen of this chapter, and housing companies organized and operating pursuant to the provisions of article two or article five of the private housing finance law and housing development fund companies organized pursuant to the provisions of article eleven of the private housing finance law shall not be subject to tax under this article. 5. For any taxable year of a real estate investment trust as defined in section eight hundred fifty-six of the internal revenue code in which such trust is subject to federal income taxation under section eight hundred fifty-seven of such code, such trust shall be subject to a tax computed under either paragraph (a), (c) or (d) of subdivision one of section two hundred ten of this chapter, whichever is greatest, and shall not be subject to any tax under article thirty-two or article thirty-three of this chapter except for a captive REIT required to file a combined return under subdivision (f) of section fourteen hundred sixty-two or subdivision (f) of section fifteen hundred fifteen of this chapter. In the case of such a real estate investment trust, including a captive REIT as defined in section two of this chapter, the term "entire net income" means "real estate investment trust taxable income" as defined in paragraph two of subdivision (b) of section eight hundred fifty-seven (as modified by section eight hundred fifty-eight) of the internal revenue code plus the amount taxable under paragraph three of subdivision (b) of section eight hundred fifty-seven of such code, subject to the modification required by subdivision nine of section two hundred eight of this article (other than the modification required by subparagraph two of paragraph (a) thereof) including the modifications required by paragraphs (d) and (e) of subdivision three of section two hundred ten of this article. 6. For any taxable year of a DISC, not exempt from tax under paragraph (i) of subdivision nine of section two hundred eight of this article, the taxes imposed by subdivision one of this section shall be computed only under either paragraph (b) or (d) of subdivision one of section two hundred ten of this chapter, whichever is greater, and paragraph (e) of such subdivision. 7. For any taxable year, beginning on or after January first, nineteen hundred eighty of a regulated investment company, as defined in section eight hundred fifty-one of the internal revenue code, in which such company is subject to federal income taxation under section eighthundred fifty-two of such code, such company shall be subject to a tax computed under either paragraph (a), (c) or (d) of subdivision one of section two hundred ten of this chapter, whichever is greatest, and shall not be subject to any tax under article thirty-two or article thirty-three of this chapter except for a captive RIC required to file a combined return under subdivision (f) of section fourteen hundred sixty-two or subdivision (f) of section fifteen hundred fifteen of this chapter. In the case of such a regulated investment company, including a captive RIC as defined in section two of this chapter, the term "entire net income" means "investment company taxable income" as defined in paragraph two of subdivision (b) of section eight hundred fifty-two, as modified by section eight hundred fifty-five, of the internal revenue code plus the amount taxable under paragraph three of subdivision (b) of section eight hundred fifty-two of such code subject to the modification required by subdivision nine of section two hundred eight of this chapter, other than the modification required by subparagraph two of paragraph (a) and by paragraph (f) thereof, including the modification required by paragraphs (d) and (e) of subdivision three of section two hundred ten of this chapter. 8. For any taxable year beginning on or after January first, two thousand six, a corporation that is no longer doing business, employing capital, or owning or leasing property in this state in a corporate or organized capacity that has filed a final tax return with the department for the last tax year it was doing business and has no outstanding tax liability for such final tax return or any tax return for prior tax years shall be exempt from all taxes imposed by paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section two hundred ten of this article for tax years following the last year such corporation was doing business. 9. For any taxable year beginning on or after January first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven, an organization described in paragraph two or twenty-five of subdivision (c) of section five hundred one of the internal revenue code of nineteen hundred eighty-six shall be exempt from all taxes imposed by this article. 10. QSSS. For exemption from tax of a qualified subchapter S subsidiary, see paragraph (k) of subdivision nine of section two hundred eight of this article.