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(1) 2 5/10%, if such excess equals or exceeds 4%, but less than 5%, of his average annual payroll (as defined in paragraph (2), subsection (a) of R.S.43:21-19);

(2) 2 2/10%, if such excess equals or exceeds 5%, but is less than 6%, of his average annual payroll;

(3) 1 9/10%, if such excess equals or exceeds 6%, but is less than 7%, of his average annual payroll;

(4) 1 6/10%, if such excess equals or exceeds 7%, but is less than 8%, of his average annual payroll;

(5) 1 3/10%, if such excess equals or exceeds 8%, but is less than 9%, of his average annual payroll;

(6) 1%, if such excess equals or exceeds 9%, but is less than 10%, of his average annual payroll;

(7) 7/10 of 1%, if such excess equals or exceeds 10%, but is less than 11%, of his average annual payroll;

(8) 4/10 of 1%, if such excess equals or exceeds 11% of his average annual payroll.

(B) If the total of an employer's contributions, paid on his own behalf, for all past periods for the purposes of this paragraph (4), is less than the total benefits charged against his account during the same period, his rate shall be:

(1) 4%, if such excess is less than 10% of his average annual payroll;

(2) 4 3/10%, if such excess equals or exceeds 10%, but is less than 20%, of his average annual payroll;

(3) 4 6/10%, if such excess equals or exceeds 20% of his average annual payroll.

(C) Specially assigned rates.

(i) If no contributions were paid on wages for employment in any calendar year used in determining the average annual payroll of an employer eligible for an assigned rate under this paragraph (4), the employer's rate shall be specially assigned as follows:

if the reserve balance in its account is positive, its assigned rate shall be the highest rate in effect for positive balance accounts for that period, or 5.4%, whichever is higher, and