Tax season is here. This is what New Mexicans need to know.

The tax man returneth ... again.

Tax season begins Monday, and the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department will begin accepting 2024 personal income tax returns.

Qualifying New Mexicans can file their federal taxes for free using the Internal Revenue Service’s Direct File system. The system will ask a series of questions to verify eligibility, including the state, types of income, savings and retirement, deductions and credits.

Filers can export their federal return information to their personal income tax returns using the state’s Taxpayer Access Point, or TAP. The free system from TRD allows people to file and pay taxes, check refund statuses and manage their tax accounts online.

TRD officials said for those who don’t qualify for the IRS’ Direct File, TAP is still free for state personal income tax returns. “First-year personal income tax filers in New Mexico must file through a third-party software electronically or file a paper return if they cannot use IRS Direct File,” TRD spokesperson Bobbie Marquez wrote in a news release.

The deadline to file paper returns is April 15. Those who file electronically have until April 30.

In addition, some New Mexico families are eligible for the state child tax credit — which gives families with an adjusted gross income of up to $25,000 a $600 tax credit per qualifying child. The tax credit decreases the higher the income. Families who make between $25,000 and $50,000 are eligible to receive $400 per child. Families bringing in between $50,000 and $75,000 annually can get $200 per child.

“Moderate-income families with earned income should also check their eligibility for the working families tax credit, which is worth 25% of the federal earned income tax credit,” wrote Marquez. “Both credits are refundable, ensuring that taxpayers receive the full value even if it exceeds their tax liability.”

Personal income tax forms and instructions can be found on TRD’s website, tax.newmexico.gov, Marquez added. Marquez said paper forms are available at TRD’s district offices and in libraries throughout the state. In Albuquerque, forms are available in the lobby of the department’s Copper Pointe Office at 10500 Copper NE.