45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2002

RELATING TO TAXATION; PROVIDING GROSS RECEIPTS TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR CERTAIN FOOD SALES AND CERTAIN HEALTH SERVICES; INCREASING THE RATE OF THE GROSS RECEIPTS TAX; INCREASING CERTAIN DISTRIBUTIONS TO MUNICIPALITIES; CREATING A DISTRIBUTION TO COUNTIES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. A new section of the Tax Administration Act is enacted to read:

"[NEW MATERIAL] DISTRIBUTION TO COUNTIES FROM GROSS RECEIPTS TAX.--A distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 shall be made to each county in an amount, subject to any increase or decrease made pursuant to Section 7-1-6.15 NMSA 1978, equal to three hundredths percent divided by the tax rate imposed by Section 7-9-4 NMSA 1978 multiplied by the net receipts for the month attributable to the gross receipts tax from business locations within that county."

Section 2. A new section of the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act is enacted to read:

"[NEW MATERIAL] DEDUCTION--GROSS RECEIPTS--SALES OF FOOD AT RETAIL FOOD STORES.--Receipts from the sale of food at a retail food store may be deducted from gross receipts."

Section 3. A new section of the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act is enacted to read:

"[NEW MATERIAL] DEDUCTION--GROSS RECEIPTS--MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES.--Receipts from the provision of medical and other health services provided by licensed health practitioners that are not otherwise deductible pursuant to Section 7-9-77.1 NMSA 1978 may be deducted from gross receipts."

Section 4. Section 7-1-6.4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1983, Chapter 211, Section 9, as amended) is amended to read:

"7-1-6.4. DISTRIBUTION--MUNICIPALITY FROM GROSS RECEIPTS TAX.--

A. Except as provided in Subsection B of this section, a distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 shall be made to each municipality in an amount, subject to any increase or decrease made pursuant to Section 7-1-6.15 NMSA 1978, equal to the product of the quotient of one and [two hundred twenty-five thousandths] four hundred eighty-five thousandths percent divided by the tax rate imposed by Section 7-9-4 NMSA 1978 [times] multiplied by the net receipts for the month attributable to the gross receipts tax from business locations:

(1) within that municipality;

(2) on land owned by the state, commonly known as the "state fair grounds", within the exterior boundaries of that municipality;

(3) outside the boundaries of any municipality on land owned by that municipality; and

(4) on an Indian reservation or pueblo grant in an area that is contiguous to that municipality and in which the municipality performs services pursuant to a contract between the municipality and the Indian tribe or Indian pueblo if:

(a) the contract describes an area in which the municipality is required to perform services and requires the municipality to perform services that are substantially the same as the services the municipality performs for itself; and

(b) the governing body of the municipality has submitted a copy of the contract to the secretary.

B. If the reduction made by Laws 1991, Chapter 9, Section 9 to the distribution under this section impairs the ability of a municipality to meet its principal or interest payment obligations for revenue bonds outstanding prior to July 1, 1991 that are secured by the pledge of all or part of the municipality's revenue from the distribution made under this section, then the amount distributed pursuant to this section to that municipality shall be increased by an amount sufficient to meet any required payment, provided that the distribution amount does not exceed the amount that would have been due that municipality under this section as it was in effect on June 30, 1992."

Section 5. Section 7-9-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 46, Section 1, as amended by Laws 2001, Chapter 65, Section 1 and also by Laws 2001, Chapter 343, Section 1) is amended to read:

"7-9-3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act:

A. "department" means the taxation and revenue department, the secretary of taxation and revenue or any employee of the department exercising authority lawfully delegated to that employee by the secretary;

B. "buying" or "selling" means any transfer of property for consideration or any performance of service for consideration;

C. "construction" means building, altering, repairing or demolishing in the ordinary course of business any:

(1) road, highway, bridge, parking area or related project;

(2) building, stadium or other structure;

(3) airport, subway or similar facility;

(4) park, trail, athletic field, golf course or similar facility;

(5) dam, reservoir, canal, ditch or similar facility;

(6) sewerage or water treatment facility, power generating plant, pump station, natural gas compressing station, gas processing plant, coal gasification plant, refinery, distillery or similar facility;

(7) sewerage, water, gas or other pipeline;

(8) transmission line;

(9) radio, television or other tower;

(10) water, oil or other storage tank;

(11) shaft, tunnel or other mining appurtenance;

(12) microwave station or similar facility;

(13) retaining wall, wall, fence gate or similar structure; or

(14) similar work;

"construction" also means:

(15) leveling or clearing land;

(16) excavating earth;

(17) drilling wells of any type, including seismograph shot holes or core drilling; or

(18) similar work;

D. "financial corporation" means any savings and loan association or any incorporated savings and loan company, trust company, mortgage banking company, consumer finance company or other financial corporation;

E. "engaging in business" means carrying on or causing to be carried on any activity with the purpose of direct or indirect benefit, except that:

(1) "engaging in business" does not include having a worldwide web site as a third-party content provider on a computer physically located in New Mexico but owned by another nonaffiliated person; and

(2) "engaging in business" does not include using a nonaffiliated third-party call center to accept and process telephone or electronic orders of tangible personal property or licenses primarily from non-New Mexico buyers, which orders are forwarded to a location outside New Mexico for filling, or to provide services primarily to non-New Mexico customers;

F. "gross receipts" means the total amount of money or the value of other consideration received from selling property in New Mexico, from leasing property employed in New Mexico, from selling services performed outside New Mexico the product of which is initially used in New Mexico or from performing services in New Mexico. In an exchange in which the money or other consideration received does not represent the value of the property or service exchanged, "gross receipts" means the reasonable value of the property or service exchanged.

(1) "Gross receipts" includes:

(a) any receipts from sales of tangible personal property handled on consignment;

(b) the total commissions or fees derived from the business of buying, selling or promoting the purchase, sale or leasing, as an agent or broker on a commission or fee basis, of any property, service, stock, bond or security;

(c) amounts paid by members of any cooperative association or similar organization for sales or leases of personal property or performance of services by such organization; and

(d) amounts received from transmitting messages or conversations by persons providing telephone or telegraph services.

(2) "Gross receipts" excludes:

(a) cash discounts allowed and taken;

(b) New Mexico gross receipts tax, governmental gross receipts tax and leased vehicle gross receipts tax payable on transactions for the reporting period;

(c) taxes imposed pursuant to the provisions of any local option gross receipts tax that is payable on transactions for the reporting period;

(d) any gross receipts or sales taxes imposed by an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo; provided that the tax is approved, if approval is required by federal law or regulation, by the secretary of the interior of the United States; and provided further that the gross receipts or sales tax imposed by the Indian nation, tribe or pueblo provides a reciprocal exclusion for gross receipts, sales or gross receipts-based excise taxes imposed by the state or its political subdivisions;

(e) any type of time-price differential; and

(f) amounts received solely on behalf of another in a disclosed agency capacity.

(3) When the sale of property or service is made under any type of charge, conditional or time-sales contract or the leasing of property is made under a leasing contract, the seller or lessor may elect to treat all receipts, excluding any type of time-price differential, under such contracts as gross receipts as and when the payments are actually received. If the seller or lessor transfers his interest in any such contract to a third person, the seller or lessor shall pay the gross receipts tax upon the full sale or leasing contract amount, excluding any type of time-price differential;

G. "manufacturing" means combining or processing components or materials to increase their value for sale in the ordinary course of business, but does not include construction;

H. "person" means:

(1) an individual, estate, trust, receiver, cooperative association, club, corporation, company, firm, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, joint venture, syndicate or other entity, including any gas, water or electric utility owned or operated by a county, municipality or other political subdivision of the state; or

(2) a national, federal, state, Indian or other governmental unit or subdivision, or an agency, department or instrumentality of any of the foregoing;

I. "property" means real property, tangible personal property, licenses, franchises, patents, trademarks and copyrights. Tangible personal property includes electricity and manufactured homes;

J. "leasing" means an arrangement whereby, for a consideration, property is employed for or by any person other than the owner of the property, except that the granting of a license to use property is the sale of a license and not a lease;

K. "service" means all activities engaged in for other persons for a consideration, which activities involve predominantly the performance of a service as distinguished from selling or leasing property. "Service" includes activities performed by a person for its members or shareholders. In determining what is a service, the intended use, principal objective or ultimate objective of the contracting parties shall not be controlling. "Service" includes construction activities and all tangible personal property that will become an ingredient or component part of a construction project. Such tangible personal property retains its character as tangible personal property until it is installed as an ingredient or component part of a construction project in New Mexico. However, sales of tangible personal property that will become an ingredient or component part of a construction project to persons engaged in the construction business are sales of tangible personal property;

L. "use" or "using" includes use, consumption or storage other than storage for subsequent sale in the ordinary course of business or for use solely outside this state;

M. "secretary" means the secretary of taxation and revenue or the secretary's delegate;

N. "manufactured home" means a movable or portable housing structure for human occupancy that exceeds either a width of eight feet or a length of forty feet constructed to be towed on its own chassis and designed to be installed with or without a permanent foundation;

O. "initial use" or "initially used" means the first employment for the intended purpose and does not include the following activities:

(1) observation of tests conducted by the performer of services;

(2) participation in progress reviews, briefings, consultations and conferences conducted by the performer of services;

(3) review of preliminary drafts, drawings and other materials prepared by the performer of the services;

(4) inspection of preliminary prototypes developed by the performer of services; or

(5) similar activities;

P. "research and development services" means an activity engaged in for other persons for consideration, for one or more of the following purposes:

(1) advancing basic knowledge in a recognized field of natural science;

(2) advancing technology in a field of technical endeavor;

(3) the development of a new or improved product, process or system with new or improved function, performance, reliability or quality, whether or not the new or improved product, process or system is offered for sale, lease or other transfer;

(4) the development of new uses or applications for an existing product, process or system, whether or not the new use or application is offered as the rationale for purchase, lease or other transfer of the product, process or system;

(5) analytical or survey activities incorporating technology review, application, trade-off study, modeling, simulation, conceptual design or similar activities, whether or not offered for sale, lease or other transfer; or

(6) the design and development of prototypes or the integration of systems incorporating advances, developments or improvements included in Paragraphs (1) through (5) of this subsection;

Q. "local option gross receipts tax" means a tax authorized to be imposed by a county or municipality upon the taxpayer's gross receipts 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;

R. "prescription drugs" means insulin and substances that are:

(1) dispensed by or under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist or by a physician or other person authorized under state law to do so;

(2) prescribed for a specified person by a person authorized under state law to prescribe the substance; and

(3) subject to the restrictions on sale contained in Subparagraph 1 of Subsection (b) of 21 USCA 353; [and]

S. "construction material" means tangible personal property that becomes or is intended to become an ingredient or component part of a construction project, but "construction material" does not include a replacement fixture when the replacement is not construction or a replacement part for a fixture;

T. "food" means any food or food product for home consumption that meets the definition of food in 7 USCA 2012(g)(1) for purposes of the federal food stamp program;

U. "retail food store" means an establishment that sells food for home preparation and consumption that meets the definition of retail food store in 7 USCA 2012(k)(1) for purposes of the federal food stamp program, whether or not the establishment participates in the food stamp program; and

V. "licensed health practitioner" means:

(1) a chiropractic physician licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Chiropractic Physician Practice Act;

(2) a dentist or dental hygienist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Dental Health Care Act;

(3) a physician or physician assistant licensed pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 61, Article 6 NMSA 1978;

(4) an osteopathic physician licensed pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 61, Article 10 NMSA 1978 or an osteopathic physician's assistant licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Osteopathic Physicians' Assistants Act;

(5) a doctor of oriental medicine licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practice Act;

(6) a podiatrist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Podiatry Act;

(7) an optometrist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Optometry Act;

(8) a psychologist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Professional Psychologist Act;

(9) a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Nursing Practice Act;

(10) a registered lay midwife registered by the department of health;

(11) a physical therapist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Physical Therapy Act;

(12) a registered occupational therapist licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Occupational Therapy Act; and

(13) a respiratory care practitioner licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Respiratory Care Act."

Section 6. Section 7-9-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1966, Chapter 47, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:

"7-9-4. IMPOSITION AND RATE OF TAX--DENOMINATION AS "GROSS RECEIPTS TAX".--

A. For the privilege of engaging in business, an excise tax equal to five and one-half percent of gross receipts is imposed on any person engaging in business in New Mexico.

B. The tax imposed by this section shall be referred to as the "gross receipts tax"."

Section 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2002.