0001|                            HOUSE BILL 47
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                           DAVID M. PARSONS
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|        FOR THE REVENUE STABILIZATION AND TAX POLICY COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO TAXATION; AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE INCOME
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0012|     TAX ACT.
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0013|     
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0014|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0015|          Section 1.  Section 7-2-5.6 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1995,
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0016|     Chapter 93, Section 8) is amended to read:
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0017|          "7-2-5.6.  EXEMPTION--MEDICAL CARE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.--
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0018|     Except as provided in Section ~[6 of this act]~ |59A-23D-6
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0019|     NMSA 1978|, employer and employee contributions to medical
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0020|     care savings accounts established pursuant to the Medical Care
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0021|     Savings Account Act, the interest earned on those accounts and
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0022|     money reimbursed to an employee for eligible medical expenses
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0023|     from those accounts or money advanced to the employee by the
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0024|     employer for eligible medical expenses pursuant to that act
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0025|     are exempt from taxation."
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                                        - 1 -

0001|          Section 2.  Section 7-2-12 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965,
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0002|     Chapter 202, Section 10, as amended) is amended to read:
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0003|          "7-2-12.  TAXPAYER RETURNS--PAYMENT OF TAX.--Every
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0004|     resident of this state and every individual deriving income
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0005|     from any business transaction, property or employment within
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0006|     this state and not exempt from tax under the Income Tax Act
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0007|     who is required by the laws of the United States to file a
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0008|     federal income tax return |or who files a federal income tax
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0009|     return| shall file a complete tax return with the department
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0010|     in form and content as prescribed by the secretary.  |Unless
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0011|     otherwise required under the Income Tax Act or prescription of
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0012|     the secretary, in completing a return for a taxable year the
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0013|     taxpayer shall declare the same filing status and number of
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0014|     personal exemptions as the taxpayer declared for federal
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0015|     income tax purposes for that same taxable year or, if the
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0016|     taxpayer was not required to file a federal income tax return
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0017|     for the taxable year, the filing status and number of personal
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0018|     exemptions that would have been required or allowed for that
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0019|     taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Code and regulations
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0020|     thereunder.|  The return required and the tax imposed on
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0021|     individuals under the Income Tax Act are due and payment is
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0022|     required on or before the fifteenth day of the fourth month
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0023|     following the end of the taxable year."
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0024|          Section 3.  Section 7-2-12.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990,
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0025|     Chapter 23, Section 1) is amended to read:
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                                        - 2 -

0001|          "7-2-12.1.  LIMITATION ON CLAIMING OF CREDITS AND TAX
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0002|     REBATES.--
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0003|               A.  Except as provided otherwise in this section, a
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0004|     credit or tax rebate provided in the Income Tax Act that is
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0005|     claimed shall be disallowed if the claim for the credit or tax
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0006|     rebate was first made after the end of the third calendar year
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0007|     following the calendar year in which the return upon which the
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0008|     credit or tax rebate was first claimable was initially due.
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0009|               B.  Subsection A of this section does not apply to
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0010|     ~[(1)]~  the credit authorized by Section 7-2-13 NMSA 1978 for
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0011|     income taxes paid another state ~[or
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0012|                    (2)  the credit authorized by Section 7-2-19
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0013|     NMSA 1978 for income taxes paid another state]~."
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0014|          Section 4.  Section 7-2-18 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1977,
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0015|     Chapter 196, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
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0016|          "7-2-18.  TAX REBATE OF PROPERTY TAX DUE THAT EXCEEDS THE
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0017|     ELDERLY TAXPAYER'S MAXIMUM PROPERTY TAX LIABILITY--REFUND.--
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0018|               A.  Any resident who has attained the age of
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0019|     sixty-five and files an individual New Mexico income tax
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0020|     return and is not a dependent of another individual may claim
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0021|     a tax rebate for the taxable year for which the return is
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0022|     filed.  The tax rebate shall be the amount of property tax due
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0023|     on the resident's principal place of residence for the taxable
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0024|     year that exceeds the property tax liability indicated by the
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0025|     table in Subsection F or G, as appropriate, of this section,
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                                        - 3 -

0001|     based upon the taxpayer's modified gross income.
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0002|               B.  Any resident otherwise qualified under this
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0003|     section who rents a principal place of residence from another
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0004|     person may calculate the amount of property tax due by
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0005|     multiplying the gross rent for the taxable year by six
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0006|     percent.  The tax rebate shall be the amount of property tax
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0007|     due on the taxpayer's principal place of residence for the
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0008|     taxable year that exceeds the property tax liability 
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0009|     indicated by the table in Subsection F or G, as appropriate,
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0010|     of this section, based upon the taxpayer's modified gross
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0011|     income.
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0012|               C.  As used in this section, "principal place of
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0013|     residence" means the resident's dwelling, whether owned or
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0014|     rented, and so much of the land surrounding it, not to exceed
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0015|     five acres, as is reasonably necessary for use of the dwelling
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0016|     as a home and may consist of a part of a multi-dwelling or a
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0017|     multi-purpose building and a part of the land upon which it is
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0018|     built.
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0019|               D.  No claim for the tax rebate provided in this
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0020|     section shall be allowed a resident who was an inmate of a
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0021|     public institution for more than six months during the taxable
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0022|     year or who was not physically present in New Mexico for at
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0023|     least six months during the taxable year for which the tax
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0024|     rebate could be claimed.
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0025|               E.  A husband and wife who file separate returns
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0001|     for a taxable year in which they could have filed a joint
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0002|     return may each claim only one-half of the tax rebate that
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0003|     would have been allowed on a joint return.
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0004|               F.  For taxpayers whose principal place of
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0005|     residence is in a county that does not have in effect for the
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0006|     taxable year a resolution in accordance with Subsection J of
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0007|     this section, the tax rebate provided for in this section may
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0008|     be claimed in the amount of the property tax due each taxable
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0009|     year that exceeds the amount shown as property tax liability
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0010|     in the following table:
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0011|          ELDERLY HOMEOWNERS' MAXIMUM PROPERTY TAX LIABILITY TABLE
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0012|                                             Property Tax
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0013|     Taxpayer's Modified Gross Income        Liability
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0014|                          But Not
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0015|          Over             Over
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0016|                   $    0         $ 1,000                   $20
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0017|                    1,000           2,000                    25
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0018|                    2,000           3,000                    30
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0019|                    3,000           4,000                    35
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0020|                    4,000           5,000                    40
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0021|                    5,000           6,000                    45
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0022|                    6,000           7,000                    50
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0023|                    7,000           8,000                    55
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0024|                    8,000           9,000                    60
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0025|                    9,000          10,000                    75
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0001|                   10,000          11,000                    90
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0002|                   11,000          12,000                   105
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0003|                   12,000          13,000                   120
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0004|                   13,000          14,000                   135
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0005|                   14,000          15,000                   150
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0006|                   15,000          16,000                   180.
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0007|               G.  For taxpayers whose principal place of
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0008|     residence is in a county that has in effect for the taxable
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0009|     year a resolution in accordance with Subsection J of this
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0010|     section, the tax rebate provided for in this section may be
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0011|     claimed in the amount of the property tax due each taxable
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0012|     year that exceeds the amount shown as property tax liability
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0013|     in the following table:
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0014|          ELDERLY HOMEOWNERS' MAXIMUM PROPERTY TAX LIABILITY TABLE
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0015|                                             Property Tax
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0016|          Taxpayer's Modified Gross Income   Liability
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0017|                         But Not   
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0018|            Over           Over
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0019|                   $    0         $ 1,000                  $ 20
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0020|                    1,000           2,000                    25
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0021|                    2,000           3,000                    30
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0022|                    3,000           4,000                    35
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0023|                    4,000           5,000                    40
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0024|                    5,000           6,000                    45
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0025|                    6,000           7,000                    50
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0001|                    7,000           8,000                    55
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0002|                    8,000           9,000                    60
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0003|                    9,000          10,000                    75
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0004|                   10,000          11,000                    90
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0005|                   11,000          12,000                   105
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0006|                   12,000          13,000                   120
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0007|                   13,000          14,000                   135
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0008|                   14,000          15,000                   150
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0009|                   15,000          16,000                   165
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0010|                   16,000          17,000                   180
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0011|                   17,000          18,000                   195
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0012|                   18,000          19,000                   210
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0013|                   19,000          20,000                   225
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0014|                   20,000          21,000                   240
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0015|                   21,000          22,000                   255
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0016|                   22,000          23,000                   270
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0017|                   23,000          24,000                   285
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0018|                   24,000          25,000                   300.
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0019|               H.  If a taxpayer's modified gross income is zero,
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0020|     the taxpayer may claim a tax rebate based upon the amount
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0021|     shown in the first row of the appropriate table.  The tax
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0022|     rebate provided for in this section shall not exceed two
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0023|     hundred fifty dollars ($250) per return, and, if a return is
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0024|     filed separately that could have been filed jointly, the tax
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0025|     rebate shall not exceed one hundred twenty-five dollars
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0001|     ($125).  No tax rebate shall be allowed any taxpayer whose
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0002|     modified gross income exceeds sixteen thousand dollars
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0003|     ($16,000) for taxpayers whose principal place of residence is
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0004|     in a county that does not have in effect for the taxable year
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0005|     a resolution in accordance with Subsection J of this section
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0006|     and twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for all other
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0007|     taxpayers.
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0008|               I.  The tax rebate provided for in this section may
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0009|     be deducted from the taxpayer's New Mexico income tax
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0010|     liability for the taxable year.  If the tax rebate exceeds the
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0011|     taxpayer's income tax liability, the excess shall be refunded
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0012|     to the taxpayer.
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0013|               J.  The board of county commissioners may adopt a
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0014|     resolution authorizing otherwise qualified taxpayers whose
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0015|     principal place of residence is in the county to claim the
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0016|     rebate provided by this section in the amounts set forth in
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0017|     Subsection G of this section.  The resolution must also
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0018|     provide that the county will reimburse the state for the
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0019|     additional amount of tax rebates paid to such taxpayers over
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0020|     the amount that would have been paid to such taxpayers under
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0021|     Subsection F of this section.  The resolution may apply to one
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0022|     or more taxable years.  |If a county adopts such a
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0023|     resolution|, the county must adopt the resolution and notify
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0024|     the department of the adoption by no later than September 1 of
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0025|     the taxable year to which the resolution first applies.  The
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0001|     department shall determine the additional amounts paid to
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0002|     taxpayers of the county for each taxable year and shall bill
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0003|     the county for the amount at the time and in the manner
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0004|     determined by the department.  If the county fails to pay any
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0005|     bill within thirty days, the department may deduct the amount
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0006|     due from any amount to be transferred or distributed to the
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0007|     county by the state, other than debt interceptions."
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0008|          Section 5.  Section 7-2-18.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1981,
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0009|     Chapter 170, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
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0010|          "7-2-18.1.  CREDIT FOR EXPENSES FOR DEPENDENT CHILD DAY
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0011|     CARE NECESSARY TO ENABLE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT TO PREVENT
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0012|     INDIGENCY.--
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0013|               A.  As used in this section:
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0014|                    (1)  "caregiver" means a corporation or an
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0015|     individual eighteen years of age or over who receives
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0016|     compensation from the resident for providing direct care,
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0017|     supervision and guidance to a qualifying dependent of the
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0018|     resident for less than twenty-four hours daily and includes
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0019|     related individuals of the resident but does not include a
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0020|     dependent of the resident;
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0021|                    (2)  "cost of maintaining a household" means

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0022|     the expenses incurred for the mutual benefit of the occupants
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0023|     thereof by reason of its operation as the principal place of
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0024|     abode of such occupants, including property taxes, mortgage
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0025|     interest, rent, utility charges, upkeep and repairs, property
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0001|     insurance and food consumed on the premises.  "Cost of
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0002|     maintaining a household" shall not include expenses otherwise
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0003|     incurred, including cost of clothing, education, medical
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0004|     treatment, vacations, life insurance, transportation and
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0005|     mortgages;
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0006|                    (3)  "dependent" means "dependent" as defined
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0007|     by Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code, as that section
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0008|     may be amended or renumbered, but also includes any minor
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0009|     child or stepchild of the resident who would be a dependent
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0010|     for federal income tax purposes if the public assistance
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0011|     contributing to the support of the child or stepchild was
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0012|     considered to have been contributed by the resident;
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0013|                    (4)  "disabled person" means a person who has
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0014|     a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, as
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0015|     certified by a licensed physician, that renders such person
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0016|     unable to engage in gainful employment;
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0017|                    (5)  "gainfully employed" means working for
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0018|     remuneration for others, either full time or part time, or
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0019|     self-employment in a business or partnership; and
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0020|                    (6)  "qualifying dependent" means a dependent
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0021|     under the age of fifteen at the end of the taxable year who
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0022|     receives the services of a caregiver.
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0023|               B.  Any resident who files an individual New Mexico
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0024|     income tax return and who is not a dependent of another
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0025|     taxpayer may claim a credit for child day care expenses
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0001|     incurred and paid to a caregiver in New Mexico during the
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0002|     taxable year by such resident if the resident:
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0003|                    (1)  singly or together with a spouse
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0004|     furnishes over half the cost of maintaining the household for
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0005|     one or more qualifying dependents for any period in the
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0006|     taxable year for which the credit is claimed;
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0007|                    (2)  is gainfully employed for any period for
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0008|     which the credit is claimed or, if a joint return is filed,
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0009|     both spouses are gainfully employed or one is disabled for any
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0010|     period for which the credit is claimed;
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0011|                    (3)  compensates a caregiver for child
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0012|     day care for a qualifying dependent to enable such resident
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0013|     together with his spouse, if any and if not disabled, to be
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0014|     gainfully employed;
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0015|                    (4)  is not a recipient of public assistance
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0016|     under a program of aid to families with dependent children,
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0017|     |temporary assistance to needy families or any successor
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0018|     program| during any period for which the credit provided by
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0019|     this section is claimed; and
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0020|                    (5)  has a modified gross income, including
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0021|     child support payments, if any, of not more than the annual
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0022|     income that would be derived from earnings at double the
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0023|     federal minimum wage.
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0024|               C.  The credit provided for in this section shall
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0025|     be forty percent of the actual compensation paid to a
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0001|     caregiver by the resident for a qualifying dependent not to
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0002|     exceed four hundred eighty dollars ($480) for each qualifying
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0003|     dependent or a total of one thousand two hundred dollars
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0004|     ($1,200) for all qualifying dependents for a taxable year. 
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0005|     For the purposes of computing the credit, actual compensation
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0006|     shall not exceed eight dollars ($8.00) per day for each
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0007|     qualifying dependent.
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0008|               D.  The caregiver shall furnish the resident with a
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0009|     signed statement of compensation paid by the resident to the
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0010|     caregiver for day care services.  Such statements shall
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0011|     specify the dates and the total number of days for which
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0012|     payment has been made.
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0013|               E.  If the resident taxpayer has a federal tax
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0014|     liability, the taxpayer shall claim from the state not more
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0015|     than the difference between the amount of the state child care
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0016|     credit for which the taxpayer is eligible and the federal
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0017|     credit for child and dependent care expenses the taxpayer is
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0018|     able to deduct from federal tax liability for the same taxable
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0019|     year; provided, for first year residents only, the amount of
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0020|     the federal credit for child and dependent care expenses may
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0021|     be reduced to an amount equal to the amount of federal credit
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0022|     for child and dependent care expenses the resident is able to
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0023|     deduct from federal tax liability multiplied by the ratio of
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0024|     the number of days of residence in New Mexico during the
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0025|     resident's taxable year to the total number of days in the
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0001|     resident's taxable year.
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0002|               F.  The credit provided for in this section may be
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0003|     deducted from the taxpayer's New Mexico income tax liability
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0004|     for the taxable year.  If the credit exceeds the taxpayer's
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0005|     income tax liability, the excess shall be refunded to the
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0006|     taxpayer.
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0007|               G.  A husband and wife maintaining a household for
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0008|     one or more qualifying dependents and filing separate returns
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0009|     for a taxable year for which they could have filed a joint
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0010|     return:
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0011|                    (1)  may each claim only one-half of the
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0012|     credit that would have been claimed on a joint return; and
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0013|                    (2)  are eligible for the credit provided in
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0014|     this section only if their joint modified gross income,
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0015|     including child support payments, if any, is not more than the
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0016|     annual income that would be derived from earnings at double
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0017|     the federal minimum wage."
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0018|          Section 6.  APPLICABILITY.--The provisions of this act
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0019|     are applicable to taxable years beginning on or after January
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0020|     1, 1998.
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0021|                              
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