HOUSE BILL 85

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Al Park

AN ACT

RELATING TO TAXATION; REPEALING THE CAP ON THE FILM PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT; RECONCILING MULTIPLE AMENDMENTS TO THE SAME SECTION OF LAW IN LAWS 2011.

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

     SECTION 1. Section 7-2F-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2002, Chapter 36, Section 1, as amended by Laws 2011, Chapter 165, Section 1 and by Laws 2011, Chapter 177, Section 2) is amended to read:

     "7-2F-1. FILM PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT.--

          A. The tax credit created by this section may be referred to as the "film production tax credit". An eligible film production company may apply for, and the taxation and revenue department may allow [subject to the limitation in Subsection D of this section], a tax credit in an amount equal to the percentage specified in Subsection B of this section of:

                (1) direct production expenditures made in New Mexico that:

                     (a) are directly attributable to the production in New Mexico of a film or commercial audiovisual product;

                     (b) are subject to taxation by the state of New Mexico; 

                     (c) exclude direct production expenditures for which another taxpayer claims the film production tax credit; and

                     (d) do not exceed the usual and customary cost of the goods or services acquired when purchased by unrelated parties. The secretary of taxation and revenue may determine the value of the goods or services for purposes of this section when the buyer and seller are affiliated persons or the sale or purchase is not an arm's length transaction; and

                (2) postproduction expenditures made in New Mexico that: 

                     (a) are directly attributable to the production of a commercial film or audiovisual product;

                     (b) are for services performed in New Mexico;

                     (c) are subject to taxation by the state of New Mexico;

                     (d) exclude postproduction expenditures for which another taxpayer claims the film production tax credit; and

                     (e) do not exceed the usual and customary cost of the goods or services acquired when purchased by unrelated parties. The secretary of taxation and revenue may determine the value of the goods or services for purposes of this section when the buyer and seller are affiliated persons or the sale or purchase is not an arm's length transaction.

          B. Except as provided in Subsections C and [P] O of this section, the percentage to be applied in calculating the amount of the film production tax credit is twenty-five percent.

          C. With respect to expenditures attributable to a production for which the film production company receives a tax credit pursuant to the federal new markets tax credit program, the percentage to be applied in calculating the film production tax credit is twenty percent.

          D. A claim for film production tax credits shall be filed as part of a return filed pursuant to the Income Tax Act or the Corporate Income and Franchise Tax Act. The date a credit claim is received by the department shall determine the order that a credit claim is authorized for payment by the department. [The aggregate amount of the film production tax credit claims that may be authorized for payment in any fiscal year is fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) with respect to the direct production expenditures or postproduction expenditures made on film or commercial audiovisual products. A film production company that submits a claim for a film production tax credit that is unable to receive the tax credit because the claims for the fiscal year exceed the limitation in this subsection shall be placed for the subsequent fiscal year at the front of a queue of film production tax credit claimants submitting claims in the subsequent fiscal year in the order of the date on which the credit was authorized for payment.]

          E. Credit claims authorized for payment pursuant to the Film Production Tax Credit Act shall be paid pursuant to provisions of the Tax Administration Act to the taxpayer as follows:

                (1) a credit claim amount of less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per taxable year shall be paid immediately upon authorization for payment of the credit claim;

                (2) a credit claim amount of two million dollars ($2,000,000) or more but less than five million dollars ($5,000,000) per taxable year shall be divided into two equal payments, with the first payment to be made immediately upon authorization of the payment of the credit claim and the second payment to be made twelve months following the date of the first payment; and

                (3) a credit claim amount of five million dollars ($5,000,000) or more per taxable year shall be divided into three equal payments, with the first payment to be made immediately upon authorization of payment of the credit claim, the second payment to be made twelve months following the date of the first payment and the third payment to be made twenty-four months following the date of the first payment.

          [F. Any amount of a credit claim that is carried forward pursuant to Subsection E of this section shall be subject to the limit on the aggregate amount of credit claims that may be authorized for payment pursuant to Subsection D of this section in the fiscal year in which that amount is paid.

          G.] F. A credit claim shall only be considered received by the department if the credit claim is made on a complete tax return filed timely after the close of the taxable year. All direct production expenditures and postproduction expenditures incurred during the taxable year by a film production company shall be submitted as part of the same income tax return and paid pursuant to this section. A credit claim shall not be divided and submitted with multiple returns or in multiple years.

          [H.] G. For purposes of determining the payment of credit claims pursuant to Subsection E of this section, the secretary of taxation and revenue may require that credit claims of affiliated persons be combined into one claim if necessary to accurately reflect closely integrated activities of affiliated persons.

          [I.] H. The film production tax credit shall not be claimed with respect to direct production expenditures or postproduction expenditures for which the film production company has delivered a nontaxable transaction certificate pursuant to Section 7-9-86 NMSA 1978.

          [J.] I. A long-form narrative film production for which the film production tax credit is claimed pursuant to Paragraph (1) of Subsection A of this section shall contain an acknowledgment that the production was filmed in New Mexico.

          [K.] J. To be eligible for the film production tax credit, a film production company shall submit to the division information required by the division to demonstrate conformity with the requirements of the Film Production Tax Credit Act, including detailed information on each direct production expenditure and each postproduction expenditure. A film production company shall provide to the division a projection of the film production tax credit claim the film production company plans to submit in the fiscal year. In addition, the film production company shall agree in writing:

                (1) to pay all obligations the film production company has incurred in New Mexico;

                (2) to post a notice at completion of principal photography on the web site of the division that:

                     (a) contains production company information, including the name of the production, the address of the production company and contact information that includes a working phone number, fax number and email address for both the local production office and the permanent production office to notify the public of the need to file creditor claims against the film production company; and

                     (b) remains posted on the web site until all financial obligations incurred in the state by the film production company have been paid;

                (3) that outstanding obligations are not waived should a creditor fail to file;

                (4) to delay filing of a claim for the film production tax credit until the division delivers written notification to the taxation and revenue department that the film production company has fulfilled all requirements for the credit; and

                (5) to submit a completed application for the film production tax credit and supporting documentation to the division within one year of making the final expenditures in New Mexico that are included in the credit claim. 

          [L.] K. The division shall determine the eligibility of the company and shall report this information to the taxation and revenue department in a manner and at times the economic development department and the taxation and revenue department shall agree upon. The division shall also post on its web site all information provided by the film production company that does not reveal revenue, income or other information that may jeopardize the confidentiality of income tax returns, including that the division shall report monthly the projected amount of credit claims for the fiscal year.

          [M.] L. To provide guidance to film production companies regarding the amount of credit capacity remaining in the fiscal year, the taxation and revenue department shall post monthly on that department's web site the aggregate amount of credits claimed and processed for the fiscal year.

          [N.] M. To receive a film production tax credit, a film production company shall apply to the taxation and revenue department on forms and in the manner the department may prescribe. The application shall include a certification of the amount of direct production expenditures or postproduction expenditures made in New Mexico with respect to the film production for which the film production company is seeking the film production tax credit; provided that for the film production tax credit, the application shall be submitted within one year of the date of the last direct production expenditure in New Mexico or the last postproduction expenditure in New Mexico. If the amount of the requested tax credit exceeds five million dollars ($5,000,000), the application shall also include the results of an audit, conducted by a certified public accountant licensed to practice in New Mexico, verifying that the expenditures have been made in compliance with the requirements of this section. If the requirements of this section have been complied with [subject to the provisions of Subsection D of this section], the taxation and revenue department shall approve the film production tax credit and issue a document granting the tax credit.

          [O.] N. The film production company may apply all or a portion of the film production tax credit granted against personal income tax liability or corporate income tax liability. If the amount of the film production tax credit claimed exceeds the film production company's tax liability for the taxable year in which the credit is being claimed, the excess shall be refunded.

          [P.] O. As applied to direct production expenditures for the services of performing artists, the film production tax credit authorized by this section shall not exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000) for services rendered by all performing artists in a production for which the film production tax credit is claimed."

     SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2012.