(b) Examination of books and witnesses.---(1) The tax commission for the purpose of ascertaining the correctness of any return, or for the purpose of making an estimate of tax liability of any corporation, shall have power to examine or to cause to have examined, by any agent or representative designated by it for that purpose, any books, papers, records or memoranda bearing upon the matters required to be included in the return, and may require the attendance of the corporation rendering the return through any officer or employee of such corporation, or the attendance of any other person having knowledge in the premises, and may take testimony and require proof material for its information, with power to administer oaths to such person or persons.

(2) The commissioner may take any action under paragraph one of this subdivision to inquire into the commission of an offense connected with the administration or enforcement of this article or article nine, nine-A, thirteen, thirteen-A or thirty-three of this chapter, provided, however, that notwithstanding the provisions of section one hundred seventy-four of this chapter no such action shall be taken when a referral by the department or the commissioner to the attorney general, a district attorney or any other prosecutorial agency is in effect. Provided, however, the commissioner shall have power, during the period when such referral is in effect, to examine or to cause to have examined, by any agent or representative designated by it for that purpose, any books, papers, records or memoranda bearing upon the matters required to be included in the return, where such books, papers, records or memoranda are in its possession, or where such books, papers, records or memoranda are in the possession of the attorney general, district attorney or other prosecutorial agency to which such referral is made.

(c) Abatement authority.---The tax commission, of its own motion, may abate any small unpaid balance of an assessment of tax, or any liability in respect thereof, if the tax commission determines under uniform rules prescribed by it that the administration and collection costs involved would not warrant collection of the amount due. It may also abate, of its own motion, the unpaid portion of the assessment of any tax or any liability in respect thereof, which is excessive in amount, or is assessed after the expiration of the period of limitation properly applicable thereto, or is erroneously or illegally assessed. No claim for abatement under this subsection shall be filed by a taxpayer.

(d) Special refund authority.---Where no questions of fact or law are involved and it appears from the records of the tax commission that any moneys have been erroneously or illegally collected from any taxpayer or other person, or paid by such taxpayer or other person under a mistake of facts, pursuant to the provisions of this article or of article nine, nine-a, nine-b or nine-c, the tax commission at any time, without regard to any period of limitations, shall have the power, upon making a record of its reasons therefor in writing, to cause such moneys so paid and being erroneously and illegally held to be refunded and to issue therefor its certificate to the comptroller.

(e) (1) Authority to set interest rates.---The commissioner shall set the overpayment and underpayment rates of interest to be paid pursuant to sections two hundred thirteen, two hundred thirteen-b, two hundred fifty-eight, two hundred sixty-three, two hundred ninety-four, one thousand eighty-four, one thousand eighty-five and one thousand eighty-eight of this chapter, but if no such rate or rates of interest are set, such overpayment rate shall be deemed to be set at six percent per annum and such underpayment rate shall be deemed to be set at seven and one-half percent per annum. Such overpayment and underpayment rates shall be the rates prescribed in paragraph two of this subsection, but the underpayment rate shall not be less than seven and one-half percent per annum. Any such rates set by the commissioner shall apply to taxes, or any portion thereof, which remain or become due or overpaid on or after the date on which such rates become effective and shall apply only with respect to interest computed or computable for periods or portions of periods occurring in the period during which such rates are in effect.

(2) General rule. (A) Overpayment rate. The overpayment rate set under this subsection shall be the sum of (i) the federal short-term rate as provided under paragraph three of this subsection, plus (ii) two percentage points.

(B) Underpayment rate. The underpayment rate set under this subsection shall be the sum of (i) the federal short-term rate as provided under paragraph three of this subsection, plus (ii) seven percentage points.

(3) Federal short-term rate. For purposes of this subsection:

(A) The federal short-term rate for any month shall be the federal short-term rate determined by the United States secretary of the treasury during such month in accordance with subsection (d) of section twelve hundred seventy-four of the internal revenue code for use in connection with section six thousand six hundred twenty-one of the internal revenue code. Any such rate shall be rounded to the nearest full percent (or, if a multiple of one-half of one percent, such rate shall be increased to the next highest full percent).

(B) Period during which rate applies.

(i) In general. Except as provided in clause (ii) of this subparagraph, the federal short-term rate for the first month in each calendar quarter shall apply during the first calendar quarter beginning after such month.

(ii) Special rule for the month of September, nineteen hundred eighty-nine. The federal short-term rate for the month of April, nineteen hundred eighty-nine shall apply with respect to setting the overpayment and underpayment rates for the month of September, nineteen hundred eighty-nine.

(4) In computing the amount of any interest required to be paid under this article by the commissioner of taxation and finance or by the taxpayer, or any other amount determined by reference to such amount of interest, such interest and such amount shall be compounded daily. The preceding sentence shall not apply for purposes of computing the amount of any addition to tax for failure to pay estimated tax under subsection (c) of section one thousand eighty-five of this article.

(5) Publication of interest rates. The commissioner of taxation and finance shall cause to be published in the section for miscellaneous notices in the state register, and give other appropriate general notice of, the interest rates to be set under this subsection no later than twenty days preceding the first day of the calendar quarter during which such interest rates apply. The setting and publication of such interest rates shall not be included within paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section one hundred two of the state administrative procedure act relating to the definition of a rule.

(6) Cross-reference. For provisions relating to the power of the commissioner of taxation and finance to abate small amounts of interest, see subsection (c) of this section.