HOUSE BILL 50

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

Eleanor Chavez

AN ACT

RELATING TO TAXATION; ESTABLISHING A PRESUMPTION THAT CERTAIN INTERNET SALES OF GOODS AND SERVICES ARE SUBJECT TO GROSS RECEIPTS TAX; CLARIFYING NEXUS IN REGARD TO CERTAIN INTERNET SALES.

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

     Section 1. Section 7-9-3.3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 272, Section 4) is amended to read:

     "7-9-3.3. DEFINITION--ENGAGING IN BUSINESS.--As used in the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act, "engaging in business" means carrying on or causing to be carried on any activity with the purpose of direct or indirect benefit, except that

          [A. "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

          B.] "engaging in business" [does not include] excludes 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."

     Section 2. Section 7-9-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1966, Chapter 47, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:

     "7-9-5. PRESUMPTION OF TAXABILITY--AGGREGATED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES--CERTAIN INTERNET SALES.--

          A. To prevent evasion of the gross receipts tax and to aid in its administration, it is presumed that all receipts of a person engaging in business are subject to the gross receipts tax. [Any] A person engaged solely in transactions specifically exempt under the provisions of the Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act shall not be required to register or file a return under that act.

          B. If receipts from nontaxable charges for mobile telecommunications services are aggregated with and not separately stated from taxable charges for mobile telecommunications services, [then] the charges for nontaxable mobile telecommunications services shall be subject to gross receipts tax unless the home service provider can reasonably identify nontaxable charges in its books and records that are kept in the regular course of business. For the purposes of this subsection, "charges for mobile telecommunications services", "home service provider" and "mobile telecommunications services" have the meanings given in the federal Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act.

          C. A person with a business with no physical presence in New Mexico is presumed to be engaging in business in New Mexico and has nexus with the state for purposes of due process and interstate commerce if:

                (1) that person enters into an agreement with a resident of the state under which the resident, for a commission or other consideration, directly or indirectly refers potential customers, whether by link or an internet web site or otherwise, to that person; and

                (2) the cumulative gross receipts from sales by that person to customers in the state who are referred to that person by all residents with an agreement described in this subsection are in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) during the preceding twelve-month period ending on June 30 of any year.

          D. The presumption of nexus established in Subsection C of this section may be rebutted by proof that the resident made no solicitation in the state that would satisfy the nexus requirements of the United States constitution on behalf of the person presumed to be engaging in business in New Mexico."

- 4 -