A. Whenever justified by the circumstances, the secretary or the secretary's delegate may enter into a written agreement with a taxpayer in which the taxpayer admits conclusive liability for the entire amount of taxes due and agrees to make monthly installment payments according to the terms of the agreement, but not for a period longer than seventy-two months. No installment agreement shall prevent the accrual of interest otherwise provided by law.

B. The agreement provided for in this section is to be known as an "installment agreement". If entered into after a court acquires jurisdiction over the matter, the agreement shall be part of a stipulated order or judgment disposing of the case.

C. At the time of entering into an installment agreement, the secretary shall require the affected taxpayer or person to furnish security for payment of the taxes admitted to be due according to the terms of the agreement, but if the taxpayer does not provide security, the secretary shall cause a notice of lien to be filed in accordance with the provisions of Section 7-1-38 NMSA 1978, and when so filed it shall constitute a lien upon all the property or rights to property of the taxpayer in that county in the same manner as in the case of the lien provided for in Section 7-1-37 NMSA 1978.

D. An installment agreement is conclusive as to liability for payment of the amount of taxes specified therein but does not preclude the assessment of any additional tax.

E. After entering into the agreement, except in unusual circumstances as require the secretary in the secretary's discretion to take further action to protect the interests of the state, no further attempts to enforce payment of the tax by levy or injunction shall be made; however, if installment payments are not made on or before the times specified in the agreement, if any other condition contained in the agreement is not met or if the taxpayer does not make payment of all other taxes for which the taxpayer becomes liable as they are due, the secretary may proceed to enforce collection of the tax as if the agreement had not been made or may proceed, as provided in Section 7-1-54 NMSA 1978, against the security furnished.

F. Records of installment agreements in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) shall be available for inspection by the public. The department shall keep the records for a minimum of three years from the date of the installment agreement.

History: 1953 Comp., § 72-13-35, enacted by Laws 1965, ch. 248, § 23; 1979, ch. 144, § 20; 1987, ch. 169, § 5; 2003, ch. 439, § 2; 2017, ch. 63, § 23.

The 2017 amendment, effective June 16, 2017, increased the amount of time over which a taxpayer may make installment payments on taxes due, and made technical changes; in Subsection A, after "for a period no longer than", deleted "sixty" and added "seventy-two"; and in Subsection E, after "the secretary in", deleted "his" and added "the secretary's", and after "all other taxes for which", deleted "he" and added "the taxpayer".

The 2003 amendment, effective July 1, 2003, substituted "sixty months" for "thirty-six months" near the end of Subsection A.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 71 Am. Jur. 2d State and Local Taxation § 135; 72 Am. Jur. 2d State and Local Taxation § 845.

Constitutionality of statute permitting payment of taxes in installments, 101 A.L.R. 1335.

Failure of property owner to make formal election to avail himself of privilege of paying taxes or special assessment in installments, 140 A.L.R. 1442.

84 C.J.S. Taxation §§ 851 et seq., 884, 915 to 916.