RPD-41279                STATE OF NEW MEXICO - TAXATION AND REVENUE DEPARTMENT
Rev. 08/17/2015
                         Job Mentorship Tax Credit Certificate Request Form

Purpose of this form. An accredited New Mexico secondary school sponsoring a school-sanctioned career preparation 
education program may use this form to request Job Mentorship Tax Credit Certificates (Form RPD-41281) from the Depart-
ment. The principal of an eligible school must submit a completed Form RPD-41279 to a local district tax office to obtain 
the certificates. The Department may issue a maximum number of certificates equal to the number of qualified students in 
the school-sanctioned career preparation education program on October 15 of that school year, as certified by the school 
principal. See the definitions below. For assistance call (505) 827-0792. 

 Name of New Mexico accredited secondary school

 Mailing address

 City, state and ZIP code

 Contact name                        Telephone number                          E-mail address

Definitions
Career Preparation Education Program means a work-based learning or school-to-career program designed for second-
ary school students to create academic and career goals and objectives and find employment in a job meeting those goals 
and objectives. 
Qualified Student means an individual who is at least 14 years old but not more than 21 years old who is attending an 
accredited New Mexico secondary school full time and who is a participant in a career preparation education program sanc-
tioned by the secondary school. 

The principal of the New Mexico accredited school must complete this form.
1.   Enter the beginning and ending dates of the school year for which  Job   From                           through     
   Mentorship Tax Credit certificates are requested. A separate request 
   form must be submitted for each school year. 

2.   Enter the number of certificates requested. 
   The number of certificates requested in a school year by a qualifying 
   school cannot exceed the number of qualified students participating 
   in the school-sanctioned career preparation education program on 
   October 15 of the applicable school year.

3. Certifications. (You must check the applicable boxes)

   I certify that the school named above:   

   is an accredited New Mexico secondary school,

   participates in a school-sanctioned career preparation education program, and

   that the number of certificates requested does not exceed the number of qualified students participating in the 
   career preparation education program sanctioned by this school on October 15th of the school year indicated 
   above.

   Signature of the school principal                                             Date

RPD-41279
Rev. 08/17/2015         State of New Mexico  - Taxation & Revenue Department
                        Job Mentorship Tax Credit Certificate Instructions

ABOUT THIS CREDIT
To encourage New Mexico businesses to hire youth participating in career preparation education programs, a New Mexico 
business may claim a credit equal to fifty percent of gross wages paid to qualified students who are employed by the busi-
ness during the taxable year. See Important Definitions below. For assistance completing this form, call (505) 827-0792.

The following restrictions apply:
• The credit cannot be allowed for more than 10 qualified students by a business in a taxable year,
• The credit cannot be allowed for more than 50% of gross wages paid on the first 320 hours of employment for each 
  qualified student,
• A credit for a qualified student cannot be allowed for more than three taxable years, and
• No taxpayer may claim a credit in excess of $12,000 in any taxable year. 

Important Definitions
Career Preparation Education Program means a work-based learning or school-to-career program designed for second-
ary school students to create academic and career goals and objectives and find employment in a job meeting those goals 
and objectives. 
New Mexico business means a corporation, a partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company treated as a partner-
ship for federal income tax purposes, S corporation or sole proprietorship that carries on a trade or business in New Mexico 
and employs in New Mexico fewer than 300 full-time employees at any one time during the tax year.
Qualified Student means an individual who is at least 14 years old, but not more than 21 years old, who is attending an 
accredited New Mexico secondary school full-time and who is a participant in a career preparation education program sanc-
tioned by the secondary school. 

HOW TO OBTAIN CERTIFICATES AND CLAIM THE CREDIT 
The Taxation and Revenue Department issues certificates to a school according to the number of qualified students in the 
program on October 15 of that school year. To obtain the certificates, the school principal completes and submits Form 
RPD-41279,      New Mexico Job Mentorship Tax Credit Certificate Request Form, to a local district tax office. See the local 
district office information included with these instructions. The Job Mentorship Tax Credit Certificate (Form RPD-41280) is 
executed by the school principal and transferred to a New Mexico business (employer) participating in the  school-sanctioned 
career preparation education program sponsored by the school. A certificate specifies the qualified student and the school 
year to which the certificate applies. A certificate cannot be transferred to another business, another school year or another 
qualified student.

To claim the credit, the employer must complete Form RPD-41281, Job Mentorship Tax Credit Claim Form, and the ac-
companying Detail Report, and attach it to the personal or corporate income tax return for the tax year in which the qualified 
student was employed. Attach Schedule A to RPD-41281,  Job Mentorship Tax Credit Claim Form, if you have unused job 
mentorship tax credit available for carry forward from prior years, or your total available credit can be claimed by one or 
more owners, partners or associates. 

Married individuals who file separate returns for a tax year in which they could have filed a joint return may each claim only 
one-half of the credit that would have been allowed on a joint return. A taxpayer who qualifies for and claims a job mentorship 
tax credit for employment of qualified students by a partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, S corporation or 
other business association of which the taxpayer is a member may claim a credit only in proportion to his interest. The total 
credit claimed by all members of the business shall not exceed the maximum credit allowable of $12,000 in any tax year.

Also attach a copy of an executed Form RPD-41280, Job Mentorship Tax Credit Certificate, for each qualified student em-
ployed during the tax year of the claim. The job mentorship tax credit may only be deducted from the taxpayer’s New Mexico 
income tax liability for the tax year. Any unused portion of the credit allowed may be carried forward for three consecutive 
tax years, under certain conditions.

Form RPD-41279, New Mexico Job Mentorship Tax Credit Certificate Request Form, and Form RPD-41281, Job Mentorship 
Tax Credit Claim Form, can be found on the Department’s web site, www.tax.newmexico.gov. Click on “Forms and Publica-
tions”, then click “Tax Credits”, and click on Job Mentorship.