New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 3 - TAXATION
Chapter 1 - TAX ADMINISTRATION
Part 9 - REFUND
Section 3.1.9.11 - CLAIM FOR REFUND OF INCOME TAXES OR BANKING AND FINANCIAL CORPORATIONS TAXES BASED ON A NET OPERATING LOSS CARRYBACK OR CARRYFORWARD - 1990 AND PRIOR INCOME TAX YEARS

A. For the 1990 and prior income tax years, New Mexico tax law had no provision for net operating loss carrybacks or carryforwards. The only way the federal Internal Revenue Code provisions concerning net operating loss carrybacks and carryforwards can affect New Mexico taxes for the 1990 and prior income tax years is through the fact that New Mexico taxes are based on federal tax computations and federal net operating loss carryback or carryforward provisions change those federal tax computations.

B. The New Mexico individual income tax, corporate income tax and banking and financial corporations taxes are based on either adjusted gross income of individuals or federal taxable income of corporations, subject to various modifications. Application of federal law concerning net operating loss carrybacks may thus result in a reduction of adjusted gross income or federal taxable income for a past tax year. This reduction in federal adjusted gross income or taxable income for that past year will then result in a reduction of the New Mexico tax owed under one of those tax acts. In such case, a taxpayer may claim a refund on those taxes within one year of the date on which the adjustment of federal tax became fixed or within the period limited by Subsection 7-1-26 D NMSA 1978, whichever expires later. No other provision for a net operating loss carryback exists under New Mexico tax law for the 1990 and prior income tax years.

C. Example: X Bank is permitted under federal law to carryback a net operating loss for ten years. In 1986 X has a net operating loss of $10,000. In 1976 X had federal taxable income reflecting a net loss. Under federal law, the net operating loss cannot be carried back to a previous loss year. Thus, even though the add-back provision under Subsection 7-6-2 F NMSA 1978 of the New Mexico Banking and Financial Corporation Tax Act produced net income resulting in state tax liability in 1976, no modification is permitted to the state tax in the 1976 tax year. If X had federal taxable income of $10,000 in 1977, federal tax law does allow X to carry back the 1986 net operating loss to 1977, thereby reducing the 1977 federal taxable income to $0. X could then recompute its 1977 state tax under the Banking and Financial Corporations Tax Act by starting with a federal taxable income of $0 instead of $10,000 and completing its computation using the appropriate add backs for that year. The result would be a lessened state tax liability for 1977. X would then have one year from the adjustment in the federal tax to file a claim for refund of the excess New Mexico bank tax paid in 1977.