(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the commissioner may relieve an insurer of its obligation to make prepayments where the insurer establishes to the satisfaction of the commissioner that either the insurer has ceased to transact insurance in this state, or the insurer’s annual tax for the current year will be less than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
(b) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2012.