492 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH.. 435

The successor employer shall be liable for the contributions
for such business from the first day of the calendar quarter in
which the transfer occurred.

If the successor is an employer at the time of the transfer,
and has been assigned a contribution rate pursuant to the
provisions of this sub-section, he shall continue to pay con-
tributions at such previously assigned rate from the first day
of the calendar quarter in which the transfer occurred through
the next June 30.

If the successor is not an employer at the time of the trans-
fer, and acquires the business of one employer or the busi-
nesses of two or more employers with the same rate he shall
pay contributions at the rate assigned to the predecessor em-
ployer or employers from the first day of the calendar quarter
in which the transfer occurred through the next June 30.

If the successor is not an employer at the time of the
transfer, and simultaneously acquires the businesses of two or
more employers with different rates of contribution, his rate
from the first day of the calendar quarter in which the transfer
occurred through the next June 30 shall be a recomputed rate
based on the combined experience of his predecessors as of the
regular computation date for the fiscal year in which the
transfer occurred.

In all cases,, from and after the July 1 following the trans-
fer, the successor's rate of contribution for each fiscal year
shall be based on his experience with pay rolls and benefits
combined with the experience of his predecessor or predeces-
sors, as of the regular computation date for that fiscal year.
A successor employer shall be deemed to have met the require-
ments of Sub-section (e) (3) of this section if he or any one
of his predecessors has had the 36-month experience with bene-
fit charges and the 4-year experience with pay rolls which is
required by Sub-section (e) (3), and if his payroll for the pre-
ceding calendar year did not exceed 150 per cent of his or his
predecessor's payroll in the calendar year 1940.

(6) No employer's rate shall be varied from the 2. 7 percent
rate, for any fiscal year unless, as of the preceding March 31
the total amount available for benefits in the Maryland unem-
ployment fund equals or exceeds f50, 000, 000. 00 or 1. 5% of the
total payrolls for the last five years or 6% of the total payroll
for the previous year, whichever is greatest.

(7) As used in this sub-section:

(i) The term "fiscal year" means the 12-month period from
July 1 of each year through June 30 of the next year.

(ii) The term "computation date" with respect to rates of
contribution for any. fiscal year means March 31 of the preced-
ing fiscal year.