(a) A person prosecuting or attempting to prosecute, or engaging in the business of mining in the state shall obtain a license from the department. All new mining operations are exempt from the tax levied by this chapter for three and one-half years after production begins.

(b) The Department of Natural Resources shall certify to the department the date upon which production begins, and the department shall issue a certificate of exemption to the producer accordingly.

(c) The license tax on mining is as follows: upon the net income of the taxpayer from the property in the state, computed with allowable depletion, plus royalty received in connection with mining property in the state

over $40,000 and not over $50,000 3 percentover $50,000 and not over $100,000 $1,500 plus 5 percent of the excess over $50,000over $100,000 $4,000 plus7 percent of the excess over $100,000.

(d) Where mining operations are conducted in two or more places by one person the operations are considered a single mining operation and the tax under this chapter is computed upon the aggregate income derived from all the mining operations. The lessor of a mine operated under a lease is considered to be engaged in mining within this chapter, and the royalties received by the lessor are considered to be the net income of the lessor's mining operations. If the lessor receives royalties from more than one mine or mining operation, the tax payable under this chapter by the lessor is computed upon the aggregate royalties received by the lessor from all the mines or mining operations as though they were a single mining operation.

(e) The allowance for depletion included as an allowable deduction from gross income is a percentage of the gross income from the property during the taxable year, excluding from the gross income an amount equal to the rents or royalties paid by the taxpayer in respect to the property, as follows:

(1) coal mines: 10 percent;

(2) metal mines, fluorspar, flake graphite, vermiculite, beryl, feldspar, mica, talc, lepidolite, spodumene, varite, ball and sagger clay, or rock asphalt mines and potash mines or deposits: 15 percent; and

(3) sulphur mines or deposits: 23 percent.

(f) The allowance for depletion may not exceed 50 percent of the net income of the taxpayer, computed without allowance for depletion, from the property, except that in no case may the depletion allowable be less than it would be if computed on a reasonable cost basis.

(g) Deductions that are not directly attributable to particular properties or processes shall be fairly allocated. To illustrate: If the taxpayer engages in activities in addition to mineral extraction in the state and to ordinary treatment processes, deductions for depreciation, taxes, general expenses, and overhead, which cannot be directly attributed to a specific activity, shall be fairly apportioned between (1) the mineral extraction and ordinary treatment processes, and (2) the additional activities, taking into account the ratio which the operating expenses directly attributable to the mineral extraction and ordinary treatment processes bear to the operating expenses directly attributable to the additional activities. If more than one mineral property is involved, the deductions apportioned to the mineral extraction and ordinary treatment processes shall, in turn, be fairly apportioned to the several properties taking into account their relative production.

(h) Taxes upon royalties shall be paid by the taxpayer receiving the royalties and no deduction, excepting depletion, is allowed.

(i) A license issued under this section must include

(1) the name and address of the licensee;

(2) the nature or type of mining activity to be conducted; and

(3) the year for which the license is issued.