RELATING TO TAXATION; CHANGING CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE TAX ADMINISTRATION ACT.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 7-1-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-2. APPLICABILITY.--The Tax Administration Act applies to and governs:
A. the administration and enforcement of the following taxes or tax acts as they now exist or may hereafter be amended:
(1) Income Tax Act;
(2) Withholding Tax Act;
(3) Venture Capital Investment Act;
(4) Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act and any state gross receipts tax;
(5) Liquor Excise Tax Act;
(6) Local Liquor Excise Tax Act;
(7) any municipal local option gross receipts tax;
(8) any county local option gross receipts tax;
(9) Special Fuels Supplier Tax Act;
(10) Gasoline Tax Act;
(11) petroleum products loading fee, which fee shall be considered a tax for the purpose of the Tax Administration Act;
(12) Alternative Fuel Tax Act;
(13) Cigarette Tax Act;
(14) Estate Tax Act;
(15) Railroad Car Company Tax Act;
(16) Investment Credit Act, Capital Equipment Tax Credit Act, rural job tax credit, Laboratory Partnership with Small Business Tax Credit Act and Technology Jobs Tax Credit Act;
(17) Corporate Income and Franchise Tax Act;
(18) Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act;
(19) Multistate Tax Compact;
(20) Tobacco Products Tax Act; and
(21) the telecommunications relay service surcharge imposed by Section 63-9F-11 NMSA 1978, which surcharge shall be considered a tax for the purposes of the Tax Administration Act;
B. the administration and enforcement of the following taxes, surtaxes, advanced payments or tax acts as they now exist or may hereafter be amended:
(1) Resources Excise Tax Act;
(2) Severance Tax Act;
(3) any severance surtax;
(4) Oil and Gas Severance Tax Act;
(5) Oil and Gas Conservation Tax Act;
(6) Oil and Gas Emergency School Tax Act;
(7) Oil and Gas Ad Valorem Production Tax Act;
(8) Natural Gas Processors Tax Act;
(9) Oil and Gas Production Equipment Ad Valorem Tax Act;
(10) Copper Production Ad Valorem Tax Act;
(11) any advance payment required to be made by any act specified in this subsection, which advance payment shall be considered a tax for the purposes of the Tax Administration Act;
(12) Enhanced Oil Recovery Act;
(13) Natural Gas and Crude Oil Production Incentive Act; and
(14) intergovernmental production tax credit and intergovernmental production equipment tax credit;
C. the administration and enforcement of the following taxes, surcharges, fees or acts as they now exist or may hereafter be amended:
(1) Weight Distance Tax Act;
(2) the workers' compensation fee authorized by Section 52-5-19 NMSA 1978, which fee shall be considered a tax for purposes of the Tax Administration Act;
(3) Uniform Unclaimed Property Act;
(4) 911 emergency surcharge and the network and database surcharge, which surcharges shall be considered taxes for purposes of the Tax Administration Act;
(5) the solid waste assessment fee authorized by the Solid Waste Act, which fee shall be considered a tax for purposes of the Tax Administration Act;
(6) the water conservation fee imposed by Section 74-1-13 NMSA 1978, which fee shall be considered a tax for the purposes of the Tax Administration Act; and
(7) the gaming tax imposed pursuant to the Gaming Control Act; and
D. the administration and enforcement of all other laws, with respect to which the department is charged with responsibilities pursuant to the Tax Administration Act, but only to the extent that the other laws do not conflict with the Tax Administration Act."
Section 2. Section 7-1-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-3. DEFINITIONS.--Unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning, the definitions of words and phrases as they are stated in this section are to be used, and whenever in the Tax Administration Act these words and phrases appear, the singular includes the plural and the plural includes the singular:
A. "automated clearinghouse transaction" means an electronic credit or debit transmitted through an automated clearinghouse payable to the state treasurer and deposited with the fiscal agent of New Mexico;
B. "department" means the taxation and revenue department, the secretary or any employee of the department exercising authority lawfully delegated to that employee by the secretary;
C. "electronic payment" means a payment made by automated clearinghouse deposit, any funds wire transfer system or a credit card, debit card or electronic cash transaction through the internet;
D. "employee of the department" means any employee of the department, including the secretary, or any person acting as agent or authorized to represent or perform services for the department in any capacity with respect to any law made subject to administration and enforcement under the provisions of the Tax Administration Act;
E. "financial institution" means any state or federally chartered, federally insured depository institution;
F. "Internal Revenue Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
G. "levy" means the lawful power, hereby invested in the secretary, to take into possession or to require the present or future surrender to the secretary or the secretary's delegate of any property or rights to property belonging to a delinquent taxpayer;
H. "local option gross receipts tax" means a tax authorized to be imposed by a county or municipality upon the taxpayer's gross receipts, as that term is defined in the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act, and required to be collected by the department at the same time and in the same manner as the gross receipts tax; "local option gross receipts tax" includes the taxes imposed pursuant to the Municipal Local Option Gross Receipts Taxes Act, Supplemental Municipal Gross Receipts Tax Act, County Local Option Gross Receipts Taxes Act, Local Hospital Gross Receipts Tax Act, County Correctional Facility Gross Receipts Tax Act and such other acts as may be enacted authorizing counties or municipalities to impose taxes on gross receipts, which taxes are to be collected by the department in the same time and in the same manner as it collects the gross receipts tax;
I. "managed audit" means a review and analysis conducted by a taxpayer under an agreement with the department to determine the taxpayer's compliance with the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act and local option gross receipts taxes and the presentation of the results to the department for assessment of tax found to be due;
J. "net receipts" means the total amount of money paid by taxpayers to the department in a month pursuant to a tax or tax act less any refunds disbursed in that month with respect to that tax or tax act;
K. "overpayment" means an amount paid, pursuant to any law subject to administration and enforcement under the provisions of the Tax Administration Act, by a person to the department or withheld from the person in excess of tax due from the person to the state at the time of the payment or at the time the amount withheld is credited against tax due;
L. "paid" includes the term "paid over";
M. "pay" includes the term "pay over";
N. "payment" includes the term "payment over";
O. "person" means any individual, estate, trust, receiver, cooperative association, club, corporation, company, firm, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, joint venture, syndicate, other association or gas, water or electric utility owned or operated by a county or municipality; "person" also means, to the extent permitted by law, a federal, state or other governmental unit or subdivision, or an agency, department or instrumentality thereof; and "person", as used in Sections
7-1-72 through 7-1-74 NMSA 1978, also includes an officer or employee of a corporation, a member or employee of a partnership or any individual who, as such, is under a duty to perform any act in respect of which a violation occurs;
P. "property" means property or rights to property;
Q. "property or rights to property" means any tangible property, real or personal, or any intangible property of a taxpayer;
R. "secretary" means the secretary of taxation and revenue and, except for purposes of Subsection B of Section 7-1-4 and Subsection E of Section 7-1-24 NMSA 1978, also includes the deputy secretary or a division director or deputy division director delegated by the secretary;
S. "secretary or the secretary's delegate" means the secretary or any employee of the department exercising authority lawfully delegated to that employee by the secretary;
T. "security" means money, property or rights to property or a surety bond;
U. "state" means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and any territory or possession of the United States;
V. "tax" means the total amount of each tax imposed and required to be paid, withheld and paid or collected and paid under provision of any law made subject to administration and enforcement according to the provisions of the Tax Administration Act and, unless the context otherwise requires, includes the amount of any interest or civil penalty relating thereto; "tax" also means any amount of any abatement of tax made or any credit, rebate or refund paid or credited by the department under any law subject to administration and enforcement under the provisions of the Tax Administration Act to any person contrary to law and includes, unless the context requires otherwise, the amount of any interest or civil penalty relating thereto;
W. "taxpayer" means a person liable for payment of any tax, a person responsible for withholding and payment or for collection and payment of any tax or a person to whom an assessment has been made, if the assessment remains unabated or the amount thereof has not been paid; and
X. "tax return preparer" means a person who prepares for others for compensation or who employs one or more persons to prepare for others for compensation any return of income tax, a substantial portion of any return of income tax, any claim for refund with respect to income tax or a substantial portion of any claim for refund with respect to income tax; provided that a person shall not be a "tax return preparer" merely because such person:
(1) furnishes typing, reproducing or other mechanical assistance;
(2) is an employee who prepares an income tax return or claim for refund with respect to an income tax return of the employer, or of an officer or employee of the employer, by whom the person is regularly and continuously employed; or
(3) prepares as a trustee or other fiduciary an income tax return or claim for refund with respect to income tax for any person."
Section 3. Section 7-1-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 13, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-8. CONFIDENTIALITY OF RETURNS AND OTHER INFORMATION.--It is unlawful for any employee of the department or any former employee of the department to reveal to any individual other than another employee of the department any information contained in the return of any taxpayer made pursuant to any law subject to administration and enforcement under the provisions of the Tax Administration Act or any other information about any taxpayer acquired as a result of his employment by the department and not available from public sources, except:
A. to an authorized representative of another state; provided that the receiving state has entered into a written agreement with the department to use the information for tax purposes only and that the receiving state has enacted a confidentiality statute similar to this section to which the representative is subject;
B. to a representative of the secretary of the treasury or the secretary's delegate pursuant to the terms of a reciprocal agreement entered into with the federal government for exchange of the information;
C. to the multistate tax commission or its authorized representative; provided that the information is used for tax purposes only and is disclosed by the multistate tax commission only to states that have met the requirements of Subsection A of this section;
D. to a district court or an appellate court or a federal court:
(1) in response to an order thereof in an action relating to taxes to which the state is a party and in which the information sought is about a taxpayer who is party to the action and is material to the inquiry, in which case only that information may be required to be produced in court and admitted in evidence subject to court order protecting the confidentiality of the information and no more;
(2) in any action in which the department is attempting to enforce an act with which the department is charged or to collect a tax; or
(3) in any matter in which the department is a party and the taxpayer has put his own liability for taxes at issue, in which case only that information regarding the taxpayer who is party to the action may be produced, but this shall not prevent the disclosure of department policy or interpretation of law arising from circumstances of a taxpayer who is not a party;
E. to the taxpayer or to the taxpayer's authorized representative; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require any employee to testify in a judicial proceeding except as provided in Subsection D of this section;
F. information obtained through the administration of any law not subject to administration and enforcement under the provisions of the Tax Administration Act to the extent that release of that information is not otherwise prohibited by law;
G. in such manner, for statistical purposes, that the information revealed is not identified as applicable to any individual taxpayer;
H. with reference to any information concerning the tax on tobacco imposed by Sections 7-12-1 through 7-12-13 and Sections 7-12-15 and 7-12-17 NMSA 1978 to a committee of the legislature for a valid legislative purpose or to the attorney general for purposes of Section 6-4-13 NMSA 1978 and the master settlement agreement defined in Section 6-4-12 NMSA 1978;
I. to a transferee, assignee, buyer or lessor of a liquor license, the amount and basis of any unpaid assessment of tax for which his transferor, assignor, seller or lessee is liable;
J. to a purchaser of a business as provided in Sections 7-1-61 through 7-1-63 NMSA 1978, the amount and basis of any unpaid assessment of tax for which the purchaser's seller is liable;
K. to a municipality of this state upon its request for any period specified by that municipality within the twelve months preceding the request for the information by that municipality:
(1) the names, taxpayer identification numbers and addresses of registered gross receipts taxpayers reporting gross receipts for that municipality under the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act or a local option gross receipts tax imposed by that municipality. The department may also release the information described in this paragraph quarterly or upon such other periodic basis as the secretary and the municipality may agree; and
(2) information indicating whether persons shown on any list of businesses located within that municipality furnished by the municipality have reported gross receipts to the department but have not reported gross receipts for that municipality under the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act or a local option gross receipts tax imposed by that municipality.
The employees of municipalities receiving information as provided in this subsection shall be subject to the penalty contained in Section 7-1-76 NMSA 1978 if that information is revealed to individuals other than other employees of the municipality in question or the department;
L. to the commissioner of public lands for use in auditing that pertains to rentals, royalties, fees and other payments due the state under land sale, land lease or other land use contracts; the commissioner of public lands and employees of the commissioner are subject to the same provisions regarding confidentiality of information as employees of the department;
M. the department shall furnish, upon request by the child support enforcement division of the human services department, the last known address with date of all names certified to the department as being absent parents of children receiving public financial assistance. The child support enforcement division personnel shall use such information only for the purpose of enforcing the support liability of the absent parents and shall not use the information or disclose it for any other purpose; the child support enforcement division and its employees are subject to the provisions of this section with respect to any information acquired from the department;
N. with respect to the tax on gasoline imposed by the Gasoline Tax Act, the department shall make available for public inspection at monthly intervals a report covering the amount and gallonage of gasoline and ethanol blended fuels imported, exported, sold and used, including tax-exempt sales to the federal government reported or upon which the gasoline tax was paid and covering taxes received from each distributor in the state of New Mexico;
O. the identity of distributors and gallonage reported on returns required under the Gasoline Tax Act, Special Fuels Supplier Tax Act or Alternative Fuel Tax Act to any distributor or supplier, but only when it is necessary to enable the department to carry out its duties under the Gasoline Tax Act, the Special Fuels Supplier Tax Act or the Alternative Fuel Tax Act;
P. the department shall release upon request only the names and addresses of all gasoline or special fuel distributors, wholesalers and retailers to the New Mexico department of agriculture, the employees of which are thereby subject to the penalty contained in Section 7-1-76 NMSA 1978 if that information is revealed to individuals other than employees of either the New Mexico department of agriculture or the department;
Q. the department shall answer all inquiries concerning whether a person is or is not a registered taxpayer;
R. upon request of a municipality or county of this state, the department shall permit officials or employees of the municipality or county to inspect the records of the department pertaining to an increase or decrease to a distribution or transfer made pursuant to Section 7-1-6.15 NMSA 1978 for the purpose of reviewing the basis for the increase or decrease. The municipal or county officials or employees receiving information provided in this subsection shall not reveal that information to any person other than another employee of the municipality or the county, the department or a district court, an appellate court or a federal court in a proceeding relating to a disputed distribution and in which both the state and the municipality or county are parties. Any information provided pursuant to provisions of this subsection that is revealed other than as provided in this subsection shall subject the person revealing the information to the penalties contained in Section 7-1-76 NMSA 1978;
S. to a county of this state that has in effect any local option gross receipts tax imposed by the county upon its request for any period specified by that county within the twelve months preceding the request for the information by that county:
(1) the names, taxpayer identification numbers and addresses of registered gross receipts taxpayers reporting gross receipts either for that county in the case of a local option gross receipts tax imposed on a countywide basis or only for the areas of that county outside of any incorporated municipalities within that county in the case of a county local option gross receipts tax imposed only in areas of the county outside of any incorporated municipalities. The department may also release the information described in this paragraph quarterly or upon such other periodic basis as the secretary and the county may agree;
(2) in the case of a local option gross receipts tax imposed by a county on a countywide basis, information indicating whether persons shown on any list of businesses located within the county furnished by the county have reported gross receipts to the department but have not reported gross receipts for that county under the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act or a local option gross receipts tax imposed by that county on a countywide basis; and
(3) in the case of a local option gross receipts tax imposed by a county only on persons engaging in business in that area of the county outside of any incorporated municipalities, information indicating whether persons shown on any list of businesses located in the area of that county outside of any incorporated municipalities within that county furnished by the county have reported gross receipts to the department but have not reported gross receipts for the area of that county outside of any incorporated municipalities within that county under the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act or any local option gross receipts tax imposed by the county only on persons engaging in business in that area of the county outside of any incorporated municipalities.
The officers and employees of counties receiving information as provided in this subsection shall be subject to the penalty contained in Section 7-1-76 NMSA 1978 if such information is revealed to individuals other than other officers or employees of the county in question or the department;
T. to authorized representatives of an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo, the territory of which is located wholly or partially within New Mexico, pursuant to the terms of a reciprocal agreement entered into with the Indian nation, tribe or pueblo for the exchange of that information for tax purposes only; provided that the Indian nation, tribe or pueblo has enacted a confidentiality statute similar to this section;
U. information with respect to the taxes or tax acts administered pursuant to Subsection B of Section 7-1-2 NMSA 1978, except that:
(1) information for or relating to any period prior to July 1, 1985 with respect to Sections 7-25-1 through 7-25-9 and 7-26-1 through 7-26-8 NMSA 1978 may be released only to a committee of the legislature for a valid legislative purpose;
(2) except as provided in Paragraph (3) of this subsection, contracts and other agreements between the taxpayer and other parties and the proprietary information contained in such contracts and agreements shall not be released without the consent of all parties to the contract or agreement; and
(3) audit workpapers and the proprietary information contained in such workpapers shall not be released except to:
(a) the minerals management service of the United States department of the interior, if production occurred on federal land;
(b) a person having a legal interest in the property that is subject to the audit;
(c) a purchaser of products severed from a property subject to the audit; or
(d) the authorized representative of any of the persons in Subparagraphs (a) through (c) of this paragraph. This paragraph does not prohibit the release of any proprietary information contained in the workpapers that is also available from returns or from other sources not subject to the provisions of this section;
V. information with respect to the taxes, surtaxes, advance payments or tax acts administered pursuant to Subsection C of Section 7-1-2 NMSA 1978;
W. to the public regulation commission, information with respect to the Corporate Income and Franchise Tax Act required to enable the commission to carry out its duties;
X. to the state racing commission, information with respect to the state, municipal and county gross receipts taxes paid by race tracks;
Y. upon request of a corporation authorized to be formed under the Educational Assistance Act, the department shall furnish the last known address and the date of that address of every person certified to the department as being an absent obligor of an educational debt that is due and owed to the corporation or that the corporation has lawfully contracted to collect. The corporation and its officers and employees shall use that information only for the purpose of enforcing the educational debt obligation of such absent obligors and shall not disclose that information or use it for any other purpose;
Z. any decision and order made by a hearing officer pursuant to Section 7-1-24 NMSA 1978 with respect to a protest filed with the secretary on or after July 1, 1993;
AA. information required by any provision of the Tax Administration Act to be made available to the public by the department;
BB. upon request by the Bernalillo county metropolitan court, the department shall furnish the last known address and the date of that address for every person certified to the department by the court as being a person who owes fines, fees or costs to the court or who has failed to appear pursuant to a court order or a promise to appear;
CC. upon request by a magistrate court, the department shall furnish the last known address and the date of that address for every person certified to the department by the court as being a person who owes fines, fees or costs to the court or who has failed to appear pursuant to a court order or a promise to appear;
DD. to the national tax administration agencies of Mexico and Canada, provided the agency receiving the information has entered into a written agreement with the department to use the information for tax purposes only and is subject to a confidentiality statute similar to this section;
EE. to a district attorney, a state district court grand jury or federal grand jury with respect to any investigation of or proceeding related to an alleged criminal violation of the tax laws; and
FF. to a third party subject to a subpoena or levy issued pursuant to the provisions of the Tax Administration Act, the identity of the taxpayer involved, the taxes or tax acts involved and the nature of the proceeding."
Section 4. Section 7-1-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 16, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-11. INSPECTION OF BOOKS OF TAXPAYERS--CREDENTIALS.--
A. The department shall cause the records and books of account of taxpayers to be inspected or audited at such times as the department deems necessary for the effective execution of the department's responsibilities.
B. Auditors and other officials of the department designated by the secretary are authorized to request and require the production for examination of the records and books of account of a taxpayer. Those auditors and officials of the department so designated by the secretary shall be furnished with credentials identifying them as such, which they shall display to any taxpayer whose books are sought to be examined.
C. Taxpayers shall upon request make their records and books of account available for inspection at reasonable hours to the secretary or the secretary's delegate who properly identifies himself to the taxpayer.
D. If the taxpayer's records and books of account do not exist or are insufficient to determine the taxpayer's tax liability, if any, the department may use any reasonable method of estimating the tax liability, including but not limited to using information about similar persons, businesses or industries to estimate the taxpayer's liability.
E. The secretary or the secretary's delegate shall develop and maintain written audit policies and procedures for all audit programs in which the department routinely conducts field audits of taxpayers, including policies and procedures concerning audit notification, scheduling, records that may be examined, analysis that may be done, sampling procedures, gathering information or evidence from third parties, policies concerning the rights of taxpayers under audit and related matters. Department audit policies and procedures shall be made available to a person who requests them, at a reasonable charge to defray the cost of preparing and distributing those policies and procedures. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the department to provide information that is confidential pursuant to Section 7-1-8 NMSA 1978, nor shall the department be required to provide information concerning how taxpayers are selected for audit."
Section 5. Section 7-1-41 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 43, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-41. NOTICE OF SEIZURE.--As soon as practicable after the levy, the secretary or the secretary's delegate shall notify the owner thereof of the amount and kind of property seized and of the total amount demanded in payment of tax."
Section 6. Section 7-1-42 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 44, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-42. NOTICE OF SALE.--As soon as practicable after the levy, the secretary or the secretary's delegate shall decide on a time and place for the sale of the property, shall make a diligent inquiry as to the identity and whereabouts of the owner of the property and persons having an interest therein and shall notify the owner and persons having an interest therein of the time and place for the sale. The fact that any person entitled thereto does not receive the notice provided for in this section does not affect the validity of the sale."
Section 7. Section 7-1-43 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 45, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-43. SALE OF INDIVISIBLE PROPERTY.--If any property of the taxpayer subject to levy is not divisible so as to enable the secretary or the secretary's delegate by sale of a part thereof to raise the whole amount of the tax and expenses, the whole of the taxpayer's interest in the property shall be sold but is always subject to redemption before sale according to the provisions of Section 7-1-47 NMSA 1978."
Section 8. Section 7-1-45 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 47, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-45. MANNER OF SALE OR CONVERSION TO MONEY.--All property levied upon, not consisting of money, shall be sold at public auction at one o'clock in the afternoon on the steps or in front of the courthouse of the county in which the property was located when levied upon or may be consigned to an auctioneer for sale. Payment may be accepted only in full and immediately after the acceptance of a bid for the property. Stocks, bonds, securities and similar property may be negotiated or surrendered for money in accordance with uniform regulations issued by the secretary, notwithstanding the above."
Section 9. Section 7-1-46 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 48, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-46. MINIMUM PRICES.--Before the sale, the secretary or the secretary's delegate shall determine a minimum price for which the property shall be sold, and if no person offers for the property at the sale the amount of the minimum price, the property shall not be sold but the sale shall be readvertised and held at a later time. In determining the minimum price, the secretary or the secretary's delegate shall take into account and determine the expense of making the levy and sale."
Section 10. Section 7-1-47 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 49, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-47. REDEMPTION BEFORE SALE.--Any person whose property has been levied upon shall have the right to pay the amount due, together with the expenses of the proceeding, or furnish acceptable security for the payment thereof according to the provisions of Section 7-1-54 NMSA 1978 to the department at any time prior to the sale thereof, and upon payment or furnishing of security, the secretary or the secretary's delegate shall restore the property to that person, and all further proceedings in connection with the levy on the property shall cease from the time of the payment. Any person who has a sufficient interest in property or rights to property levied upon to entitle the person to redeem it from sale, according to the provisions of this section, who does pay the amount due and accomplishes the redemption shall have a lien against the property in the amount paid and may file a notice thereof in the records of any county in the state in which the property is located and may foreclose the lien as provided by law."
Section 11. Section 7-1-48 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 50, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-48. DOCUMENTS OF TITLE.--In case property is sold as above provided, the department, after payment for the property is received, shall prepare and deliver to the purchaser thereof a certificate of sale, in the case of personalty, or, in the case of realty, a deed, in a form as the secretary shall by regulation prescribe. Such documents of title shall recite the authority for the transaction, the date of the sale, the interest in the property that is conveyed and the price paid therefor."
Section 12. Section 7-1-49 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 51, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-49. LEGAL EFFECT OF CERTIFICATE OF SALE.--In all cases of sale of property other than real property, the certificate of sale provided for in Section 7-1-48 NMSA 1978 shall:
A. be prima facie evidence of the right of the department to make the sale and conclusive evidence of the regularity of the proceedings in making the sale;
B. transfer to the purchaser all right, title and interest of the delinquent taxpayer in and to the property sold, subject to all outstanding prior interests and encumbrances of record and free of any subsequent encumbrance;
C. if such property consists of stock certificates, be notice, when received, to any corporation, company or association of such transfer and be authority to such corporation, company or association to record the transfer on its books and records in the same manner as if the stock certificates were transferred or assigned by the record owner;
D. if the subject of sale is securities or other evidences of debt, be a good and valid receipt to the person holding the same, as against any person holding or claiming to hold possession of the securities or other evidences of debt; and
E. if such property consists of a motor vehicle as represented by its title, be notice, when received, to any public official charged with the registration of title to motor vehicles of the transfer and be authority to that official to record the transfer on the official's books and records in the same manner as if the certificate of title to the motor vehicle were transferred or assigned by the record owner."
Section 13. Section 7-1-52 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 54, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-52. RELEASE OF LEVY.--It shall be lawful for the secretary or the secretary's delegate, under regulations prescribed by the secretary, to release the levy upon all or part of the property or rights to property levied upon if the secretary or the secretary's delegate determines that such action will facilitate the collection of the liability, but the release shall not operate to prevent any subsequent levy."
Section 14. Section 7-1-53 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 55, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-53. ENJOINING DELINQUENT TAXPAYER FROM CONTINUING IN BUSINESS.--
A. In order to ensure or to compel payment of taxes and to aid in the enforcement of the provisions of the Tax Administration Act, the secretary may apply to a district court of this state to have any delinquent taxpayer or person who may be or may become liable for payment of any tax enjoined from engaging in business until the delinquent taxpayer ceases to be a delinquent taxpayer or until the delinquent taxpayer or person complies with other requirements, reasonably necessary to protect the revenues of the state, placed on the delinquent taxpayer or person by the secretary.
B. Upon application to a court for the issuance of an injunction against a delinquent taxpayer, the court may forthwith issue an order temporarily restraining the delinquent taxpayer from doing business. The court shall hear the matter within three days, and, upon a showing by the preponderance of the evidence that the taxpayer is delinquent and that the taxpayer has been given notice of the hearing as required by law, the court may enjoin the taxpayer from engaging in business in New Mexico until the taxpayer ceases to be a delinquent taxpayer. Upon issuing an injunction, the court may also order the business premises of the taxpayer to be sealed by the sheriff and may allow the taxpayer access thereto only upon approval of the court.
C. Upon application to a court for the issuance of an injunction against a person other than a delinquent taxpayer, the court may issue an order temporarily restraining the person from engaging in business. The court shall hear the matter within three days and upon a showing that:
(1) the person has been given notice of the hearing as required by law;
(2) demand has been made upon the taxpayer for the furnishing of security;
(3) the taxpayer has not furnished security; and
(4) the secretary considers the collection from the person primarily responsible therefor of the total amount of tax due or reasonably expected to become due to be in jeopardy;
the court may forthwith issue an injunction to such taxpayer in terms commanding the person to refrain from engaging in business until the person complies in full with the demand of the department for the furnishing of security.
D. No temporary restraining order or injunction shall issue by provision of this section against any person who has furnished security in accordance with the provisions of Section 7-1-54 NMSA 1978. Upon a showing to the court by any person against whom a temporary restraining order or writ of injunction has issued by provision of this section that the person has furnished security in accordance with the provisions of Section 7-1-54 NMSA 1978, the court shall dissolve or set aside the temporary restraining order or injunction."
Section 15. Section 7-1-56 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 57, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-56. SALE OF OR PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SECURITY.--If liability for any tax for the payment of which security has been furnished becomes conclusive, the department may:
A. redeem for cash or, as specified in the Tax Administration Act for sale of property levied upon, sell such security; or
B. compel the surety directly to discharge the liability for payment of the principal debtor by serving demand upon him therefor."
Section 16. Section 7-1-57 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 58, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-57. SURETY BONDS.--Surety bonds accepted by the secretary as security in compliance with the provisions of Sections 7-1-54 and 7-1-55 NMSA 1978 shall be payable to the state of New Mexico upon demand by the secretary or the secretary's delegate and a showing to the surety that the principal debtor is a delinquent taxpayer."
Section 17. Section 7-1-71.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1985, Chapter 65, Section 19) is amended to read:
"7-1-71.1. TAX RETURN PREPARERS--REQUIREMENTS--PENALTIES.--
A. The secretary may require by regulation any tax return preparer with respect to any return of income tax or claim for refund with respect to income tax to sign such return or claim for refund.
B. The secretary may require by regulation any tax return preparer with respect to any return of income tax or claim for refund with respect to income tax to furnish the tax return preparer's identification number on such return or claim for refund.
C. Any tax return preparer with respect to any return of income tax or claim for refund with respect to income tax who is required by regulations promulgated by the secretary to sign a return or claim for refund or to furnish an identification number on such return or claim for refund and who fails to sign such return or claim for refund or to furnish an identification number on such return or claim for refund shall pay a penalty of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for such failure unless it is shown that such failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect.
D. Any tax return preparer who endorses or otherwise negotiates, either directly or through an agent, any warrant in respect of the Income Tax Act issued to a taxpayer, other than the tax return preparer, shall pay a penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) with respect to each such warrant; provided that the provisions of this subsection shall not apply with respect to the deposit by a bank, savings and loan association, credit union or other financial corporation of the full amount of the warrant in the taxpayer's account for the benefit of the taxpayer.
E. For the purposes of this section, any penalty determined to be due shall be considered to be tax due."
Section 18. Section 7-1-78 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 248, Section 81, as amended) is amended to read:
"7-1-78. BURDEN OF PROOF IN FRAUD CASES.--In any proceeding involving the issue of whether any person has been guilty of fraud or corruption, the burden of proof in respect of such issue shall be upon the secretary or the state."
Section 19. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2001.
HB 252
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