44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

RELATING TO TAXATION; CREATING THE RURAL JOB TAX CREDIT.

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

Section 1. TAX CREDIT--RURAL JOB TAX CREDIT.--

A. The tax credit created by this section may be referred to as the "rural job tax credit". Until June 30, 2006, every eligible employer may apply for, and the taxation and revenue department may allow, a tax credit for each qualifying job the employer creates in the period beginning July 1, 2000 and ending June 30, 2005. The maximum tax credit amount with respect to each qualifying job is equal to:

(1) twenty-five percent of the first sixteen thousand dollars ($16,000) in wages paid for the qualifying job if the job is performed or based at a location in a tier one area; or

(2) twelve and one-half percent of the first sixteen thousand dollars ($16,000) in wages paid if the qualifying job is performed or based at a location in a tier two area.

B. As used in this section:

(1) "eligible employee" means any individual other than an individual who:

(a) bears any of the relationships described in Paragraphs (1) through (8) of 26 U.S.C. Section 152(a) to the employer or, if the employer is a corporation, to an individual who owns, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent in value of the outstanding stock of the corporation or, if the employer is an entity other than a corporation, to any individual who owns, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent of the capital and profits interests in the entity;

(b) if the employer is an estate or trust, is a grantor, beneficiary or fiduciary of the estate or trust or is an individual who bears any of the relationships described in Paragraphs (1) through (8) of 26 U.S.C. Section 152(a) to a grantor, beneficiary or fiduciary of the estate or trust; or

(c) is a dependent, as that term is described in 26 U.S.C. Section 152(a)(9), of the employer or, if the taxpayer is a corporation, of an individual who owns, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent in value of the outstanding stock of the corporation or, if the employer is an entity other than a corporation, of any individual who owns, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent of the capital and profits interests in the entity or, if the employer is an estate or trust, of a grantor, beneficiary or fiduciary of the estate or trust;

(2) "eligible employer" means an employer

who has been approved for in-plant training assistance pursuant to Section 21-19-7 NMSA 1978;

(3) "metropolitan statistical area" means a metropolitan statistical area in New Mexico as determined by the United States bureau of the census;

(4) "modified combined tax liability" means the total liability for the reporting period for the gross receipts tax imposed by Section 7-9-4 NMSA 1978 together with any tax collected at the same time and in the same manner as that gross receipts tax, such as the compensating tax, the withholding tax, the interstate telecommunications gross receipts tax, the surcharges imposed by Section 63-9D-5 NMSA 1978 and the surcharge imposed by Section 63-9F-11 NMSA 1978, minus the amount of any credit other than the rural job tax credit applied against any or all of these taxes or surcharges; but "modified combined tax liability" excludes all amounts collected with respect to local option gross receipts taxes;

(5) "qualifying job" means a job established by the employer that:

(a) qualifies for in-plant training assistance; and

(b) is occupied by an eligible employee for at least forty-eight weeks of a qualifying period;

(6) "qualifying period" means the period of twelve months beginning on the day an eligible employee begins working in a qualifying job or the period of twelve months beginning on the anniversary of the day an eligible employee began working in a qualifying job;

(7) "rural area" means any part of the state other than:

(a) an H class county;

(b) the state fairgrounds;

(c) an incorporated municipality within a metropolitan statistical area if the municipality's population is thirty thousand or more according to the most recent federal decennial census; and

(d) any area within ten miles of the exterior boundaries of a municipality described in Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph;

(8) "tier one area" means any municipality within the rural area if the municipality's population according to the most recent federal decennial census is fifteen thousand or less;

(9) "tier two area" means any part of the rural area not a tier one area; and

(10) "wages" means wages as defined by Paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) of 26 U.S.C. Section 51(c).

C. The amount of the rural job tax credit shall be six and one-fourth percent of the first sixteen thousand dollars ($16,000) in wages paid for the qualifying job in a qualifying period. The rural job tax credit may be claimed for each qualifying job for a maximum of:

(1) four qualifying periods for each qualifying job performed or based at a location in a tier one area; and

(2) two qualifying periods for each qualifying job performed or based at a location in a tier two area.

D. With respect to each qualifying job for which an eligible employer seeks the rural job tax credit, the employer shall request the economic development department to certify the amount of wages paid to each eligible employee during each qualifying period, the number of weeks during the qualifying period the position was occupied and whether the qualifying job was in a tier one or tier two area. The economic development department may require the employer to submit such information as is necessary for the economic development department to make the certification requested. When the economic development department obtains sufficient information, either from its own records or from the employer, the economic development department shall make the certification requested.

E. The economic development department shall determine which employers are eligible employers and shall report the listing of eligible businesses to the taxation and revenue department in a manner and at times the departments shall agree upon.

F. To receive a rural job tax credit with respect to any qualifying period, an eligible employer must apply to the taxation and revenue department on forms and in the manner the department may prescribe. The application shall include a copy of the certification from the economic development department made pursuant to Subsection D of this section. If all the requirements of this section have been complied with, the taxation and revenue department may issue to the applicant a document granting a tax credit for the respective qualifying period. The tax credit document shall be numbered for identification and declare its date of issuance and the amount of rural job tax credit allowed for the respective jobs created. Such tax credit documents may be sold, exchanged or otherwise transferred and can be carried forward for a period of three years from the date of issuance. The parties to such a transaction shall notify the department of the sale, exchange or transfer within ten days of the sale, exchange or transfer.

G. The holder of the tax credit document may apply all or a portion of the rural job tax credit granted by the document against the holder's modified combined tax liability, personal income tax liability or corporate income tax liability. Any balance of rural job tax credit granted by the document may be carried forward for up to three years from the date of issuance of the tax credit document. No amount of rural job tax credit may be applied against a gross receipts tax imposed by a municipality or county.

H. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-1-8 NMSA 1978, the taxation and revenue department may disclose to any person the balance of rural job tax credit remaining on any tax credit document and the balance of credit remaining on that document for any period.

I. The secretary of economic development, the secretary of taxation and revenue and the secretary of labor or their designees shall annually evaluate the effectiveness of the rural job tax credit in stimulating economic development in the rural areas of New Mexico and make a joint report of their findings to each session of the legislature so long as the rural job tax credit is in effect.

Section 2. CONTINUED APPLICABILITY OF RURAL JOB TAX CREDIT.--The balance of any rural job tax credit granted with respect to qualifying periods occurring after July 1, 2006 or remaining on a tax credit document issued prior to that date may be applied after that date in the manner provided in Section 1 of this act against the holder's modified combined tax liability or corporate or personal income tax liability as if the provisions of Section 1 of this act were still in effect.

Section 3. DELAYED REPEAL.--Section 1 of this act is repealed on July 1, 2006.

Section 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2000.