(a) Except in the case of a Headquarters Management Corporation subject to the tax payable under § 6402(2) of this title, any Headquarters Management Corporation that at all times during any taxable year consisting of 12 full months employs 5 or more qualified employees shall be allowed a credit against the income tax otherwise imposed by Chapter 64 of this title that is in excess of $5,000 for such taxable year and for each of the 4 immediately following taxable years in which all conditions set forth in this section shall be met, in the amount determined under subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Subject to the limitation contained in subsection (c) of this section, the amount of the credit allowable under subsection (a) of this section with respect to the qualified employees employed during each taxable year falling within the 5-year life of such credit shall be the sum of $400 multiplied by that number that is the difference between:
(1) The number of qualified employees employed by the taxpayer on the last day of such taxable year, and
(2) The number of individuals, if any, that were employed by the taxpayer in this State on the day immediately preceding the effective date of its original license as a Headquarters Management Corporation under Chapter 64 of this title.
(c) The amount of the credit allowable under this section for any taxable year shall not:
(1) Exceed 50% of the amount of tax imposed upon the taxpayer by § 6402(1) of this title for such taxable year (computed without regard to this section) that is in excess of the minimum tax required by § 6402(2) of this title, nor
(2) Reduce the tax imposed upon the taxpayer below the minimum tax required by § 6402(2) of this title.
(d) The amount of the credit determined under this section for any taxable year that is not allowable for such taxable year solely as a result of the limitation contained in subsection (c) of this section shall be a credit carryover to each of the following taxable years that fall within the 5-year life of the credit. The entire amount of the credit that is not so allowable shall be carried to the earliest of such following taxable years.