135.279.  Tax credit, amount (Hazelwood Ford Plant) — calculation and limitations on credit. — 1.  Any taxpayer that operates an approved retained business facility in an enterprise zone may be allowed a credit, each year for ten years, in an amount determined pursuant to subsection 2 or 3 of this section, whichever is applicable, against the tax imposed by chapter 143, excluding withholding tax imposed by sections 143.191 to 143.265, as follows:

  (1)  The credit allowed for each retained business facility employee shall be four hundred dollars, except that for each retained business facility employee that exceeds the level of employment set forth in paragraph (b) of subdivision (7) of section 135.276, the credit shall be five hundred dollars.  Transfers from another facility operated by the taxpayer in the state will not count as retained business facility employees;

  (2)  An additional credit of four hundred dollars shall be granted for each twelve-month period that a retained business facility employee is a resident of an enterprise zone;

  (3)  An additional credit of four hundred dollars shall be granted for each twelve-month period that the person employed as a retained business facility employee is a person who, at the time of such employment by the new business facility, met the criteria as set forth in section 135.240;

  (4)  To the extent that expenses incurred by a retained business facility in an enterprise zone for the training of persons employed in the operation of the retained business facility is not covered by an existing federal, state, or local program, such retained business facility shall be eligible for a full tax credit equal to eighty percent of that portion of such training expenses which are in excess of four hundred dollars for each trainee who is a resident of an enterprise zone or who was at the time of such employment at the retained business facility unemployable or difficult to employ as defined in section 135.240, provided such credit shall not exceed four hundred dollars for each employee trained;

  (5)  The credit allowed for retained business facility investment shall be equal to the sum of ten percent of the first ten thousand dollars of such qualifying investment, plus five percent of the next ninety thousand dollars of such qualifying investment, plus two percent of all remaining qualifying investments within an enterprise zone.  The taxpayer's retained business facility investment shall be reduced by the amount of investment made by the taxpayer or related taxpayer which was subsequently transferred to the retained business facility from another Missouri facility and for which credits authorized in this section are not being earned.

  2.  The credits allowed by subsection 1 of this section shall offset the greater of:

  (1)  Some portion of the income tax otherwise imposed by chapter 143, excluding withholding tax imposed by sections 143.191 to 143.265, with respect to such taxpayer's retained business facility income for the taxable year for which such credit is allowed; or

  (2)  If the taxpayer operates no other facility in Missouri, the credits allowed in subsection 1 of this section shall offset up to fifty percent or, in the case of an economic development project located within a distressed community as defined in section 135.530, seventy-five percent of the business income tax otherwise imposed by chapter 143, excluding withholding tax imposed by sections 143.191 to 143.265, if the business operates no other facilities in Missouri;

  (3)  If the taxpayer operates more than one facility in Missouri, the credits allowed in subsection 1 of this section shall offset up to the greater of the portion prescribed in subdivision (1) of this subsection or twenty-five percent or, in the case of an economic development project located within a distressed community as defined in section 135.530, thirty-five percent of the business' tax, except that no taxpayer operating more than one facility in Missouri shall be allowed to offset more than twenty-five percent or, in the case of an economic development project located within a distressed community as defined in section 135.530, thirty-five percent of the taxpayer's business income tax in any tax period under the method prescribed in this subdivision.

  3.  In the case where a person employed by the retained business facility is a resident of the enterprise zone for less than a twelve-month period, or in the case where a person employed as a retained business facility employee is a person who, at the time of such employment by the retained business facility, met the criteria as set forth in section 135.240, is employed for less than a twelve-month period, the credits allowed by subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection 1 of this section shall be determined by multiplying the dollar amount of the credit by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days during the taxpayer's tax year for which such credits are claimed, in which the person met the requirements prescribed in subdivision (2) or (3) of this subsection, and the denominator of which is three hundred sixty-five.

  4.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any taxpayer who claims the exemption and credits allowed in sections 135.276 to 135.283 shall not be eligible to receive the exemption allowed in section 135.220, the credits allowed in sections 135.225 and 135.235, and the refund authorized by section 135.245 or the tax credits allowed in section 135.110.  The taxpayer must elect among the options.  To perfect the election, the taxpayer shall attach written notification of such election to the taxpayer's initial application for claiming tax credits.  The election shall be irreversible once perfected.

  5.  A taxpayer shall not receive the income exemption described in section 135.276 and the tax credits described in subsection 1 of this section for any year in which the terms and conditions of sections 135.276 to 135.283 are not met.  Such incentives shall not exceed the fifteen-year limitation pursuant to subsection 1 of section 135.230 or the seven-year limitation pursuant to subsection 5 of section 135.230.

  6.  The initial application for claiming tax credits must be made in the taxpayer's tax period immediately following the tax period in which commencement of commercial operations began at the new business facility.

  7.  Credits may not be carried forward but shall be claimed for the taxable year during which continuation of commercial operations occurs at such retained business facility, and for each of the nine succeeding taxable years.