NM · payroll profile

New Mexico

Everything an out-of-state employer needs before running a New Mexico payroll: what to withhold, which form the employee signs, whether reciprocity applies, and who to register with.

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Personal income tax
Graduated to 5.9%
Reciprocal agreements
None
SUI wage base 2026
$34,800
Local income taxes
No

Income tax withholding

Imposes wage income tax Yes
Rate structure Graduated, top marginal rate 5.9%
Withholding certificate Federal Form W-4
Employee's Withholding Certificate (New Mexico has no separate state certificate)
Accepts federal Form W-4 Yes
Convenience-of-the-employer rule No
Nonresident withholding threshold 15 days
New Mexico provides a de minimis exemption for nonresident employees temporarily present in the state. Sources differ slightly on the count: New Mexico's statute is commonly cited as 15 days or fewer, while COST's multistate chart states 'more than 16 days in a calendar year.' Not confirmed against a current NM TRD publication -- verify with FYI-104 (New Mexico Withholding Tax) before relying on the exact count.
Local income taxes No
No local personal income or wage taxes. New Mexico levies local gross receipts tax increments, which are not wage taxes.

Reciprocity

States that exempt New Mexico residents

A New Mexico resident working in these states files that state's certificate and is taxed only by New Mexico.

Unemployment insurance and paid leave

Taxable wage base 2026 $34,800
2025 base was $33,200.
New employer rate varies by industry
New employers pay the greater of the industry average rate or 1.00%, so there is no single statewide new-employer rate.
Experience rate range 0.33% – 5.4%
Experience-rating method benefit ratio
Employee UI contribution No
Paid family / medical leave No

Employer registration

Tax agency
New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department
UI agency
New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions

Sources

tax.newmexico.gov · cost.org · taxfoundation.org · oui.doleta.gov · oui.doleta.gov · oui.doleta.gov

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This is a determination aid, not advice. StateSide encodes published state rules and applies them mechanically to the facts you enter. It does not know your entity structure, your nexus history, your equity compensation, or the dozens of exceptions that turn a clean rule into a judgement call. Every determination cites the state source it came from — verify against that source, and take anything consequential to a payroll tax professional before you act on it.