SECTION 1. Section 3B(a) of Chapter 62 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subparagraph;

(5) Amounts not to exceed $2,000 received by persons under age 60 as pensions from employers, the United States, the State or any subdivision, or amounts not to exceed $12,500 received by persons age 60 or older as pensions from employers, the United States, the State or any subdivision or as eligible retirement income.

For the purposes of this paragraph, "eligible retirement income" shall include distributions received from qualified retirement plans defined in § 4974 of the federal Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") [26 U.S.C. § 4974] or a successor provision, cash or deferred arrangements described in IRC § 401(k) [26 U.S.C. § 401(k)] or a successor provision, government deferred compensation plans described in IRC § 457 [26 U.S.C. § 457] or a successor provision, dividends, capital gains, interest and rental income from real property less deductible rental expenses. For purposes of this paragraph, eligible retirement income received by spouses as joint tenants with right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety shall be deemed to have been received one-half by each;