A film production company may apply for, and the taxation and revenue department may allow, subject to the limitation in this section, a tax credit in an amount equal to fifteen percent of the payment of wages, fringe benefits and per diem for nonresident industry crew; provided that:
A. the service for which payment is made is rendered in New Mexico;
B. payments for nonresident industry crew exclude payments for production designer, director of photography, line producer, costume designer, still unit photographer and driver whose sole responsibility is driving;
C. the number of nonresident industry crew shall be employed by the film production company in New Mexico, and shall be, as calculated by the division upon receipt of the first application for a film production tax credit and review of the project's New Mexico budget:
(1) four positions for up to two million dollars ($2,000,000) of the final New Mexico budget;
(2) one additional position for each additional one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the project's final New Mexico budget of at least two million dollars ($2,000,000) up to ten million dollars ($10,000,000);
(3) one additional position for each additional five million dollars ($5,000,000) of the project's final New Mexico budget of at least ten million dollars ($10,000,000) up to fifty million dollars ($50,000,000);
(4) one additional position for every additional ten million dollars ($10,000,000) of the project's final New Mexico budget of at least fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) and thereafter;
(5) eight additional positions, above the number of positions described in this subsection, for a television pilot episode that has not been ordered to series at the time of New Mexico production; provided that the film production company certifies to the division that the series is intended to be produced in New Mexico if the pilot is ordered to series; and
(6) no more than thirty positions; provided that, at the discretion of the division, up to and including ten additional positions may be permitted if five other films are being produced in New Mexico at the time of the film production company's production; and
D. the film production company makes financial or promotional contributions toward educational or work force development efforts in New Mexico as determined by the division, including:
(1) a payment to a New Mexico educational institution that administers at least one industry-recognized film or multimedia program, as determined by the division, equal to at least two and one-half percent of the direct production expenditures for the payment of wages, fringe benefits and per diem for nonresident industry crew made by the film production company to nonresident industry crew; or
(2) promotion of the New Mexico film industry by directors, actors or producers affiliated with the film production company's project through:
(a) social media that is managed by the state;
(b) radio interviews facilitated by the division;
(c) enhanced screen credit acknowledgments; or
(d) related events that are facilitated, conducted or sponsored by the division.
History: Laws 2015, ch. 143, § 8.
ANNOTATIONSEffective dates. — Laws 2015, ch. 143 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective June 19, 2015, 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature.