This is Day 2 of your opinions on taxes in New Hampshire. Many people have responded – and are still responding – to our invitation to share your perspective on taxes in New Hampshire. We will post at least two more days. Thanks for telling us what you think. This is an important conversation. Nancy West. Keep sending to nancywestnews@gmail.com
Phil Sletten of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute says in a related news story about taxes, not counting your local property tax: “The State relies heavily on federal funding, like all states do, as well as business taxes, taxes on restaurant meals and hotel rooms, State-level property taxes for education, taxes on cigarettes, sales of liquor and lottery tickets, taxes on buying and selling property, and a bunch of smaller taxes and fees. Recent reductions to business tax rates, the repeal of a tax on interest and dividends, and adjustments to other revenue sources all shape how much funding is available.”
BILL CANTLIN
The Property Tax with a broad base tax. It is past time.
BILL CANTLIN
JIM CRAWFORD
The NH General Court (that would include the House, the Senate, the Executive Council, as well as the Governor) has lost their moral compass. I ask: What is the purpose of Government? Why do we have one? 1) National Defense. 2) Avoid chaos. 3) Help people by providing services.
Services incur a cost. We pay that cost via taxes. Eventually, NH will have minimal services and run out of $$.
JIM CRAWFORD, Mason, NH
DON JUTTON
Taxes should be based upon annual gross income, both earned & unearned — a simple % that ignores the first $100,000 and is graduated up by income level, with few, if any, deductions (loopholes).
DON JUTTON
JAMES GERRAUGHTY
Our governor and the legislators have really “Massed it up!” Properly taxes in NH are among the highest in America. Without some sort of broad based alternative, NH is in such desperate state that we are effectively taxing Medicaid recipients!
Property taxes are driving homeowners and renters out, in some cases onto the streets.
Our schools are underperforming!
Local roads rival the streets of Boston!
Other essential services are disappearing!
Businesses are closing!
JAMES GERRAUGHTY
ROBBIE MAHROU
I saw your request for what we may think of taxes and thought I should introduce myself. I am running as an independent for NH-02 (livefreenh02.com). I released my platform this weekend and am starting to build my social media. But to answer your question.
One earned dollar. How many times does it get taxed?
Earn it: income tax + payroll tax. Spend it: sales tax + excise tax. Buy a home or car: property tax + registration fees. Die: estate tax.
That’s three to five scoops out of the same dollar — sometimes more. The average working person keeps somewhere between 50 and 65 cents of every dollar they earned. The rest was “harvested” at various points by various levels of government, each with their own justification.
With respect — run that math and call it what it is. Which brings us to New Hampshire — and the fact that we’re even having a conversation about imposing a state income tax is unacceptable.
New Hampshire isn’t broke — it’s been neglected. The farms, the forests, the small manufacturers, the local food economy — 93% of NH farms are operating at a loss or under $50K a year not because farming doesn’t work, while we import 97% of our food. Fix the processing bottlenecks. Lower the energy costs. The resources are here for the state to operate within its means. Infrastructure and smart policy are needed, but we spend too much time debating politics instead of policy.
Anyway, that’s my quick two cents on the topic. Would love an opportunity to connect with you on other topics and story ideas. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
ROBBIE MAHROU
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE, NH-02
DAN LEVASSEUR
I think the writing on InDepth is really good and I enjoy it. I do find it unfortunate that the articles are strongly biased to the Democratic Party.
The feedback I would provide is that the New Hampshire tax system works well for the size and income level of our state. The reason many people fear a broad-based tax, such as an income or sales tax, is that it is simply too easy to increase and could lead to an overall increase in state spending. This could also lead to an outmigration of residents to lower-tax states, similar to some of our neighboring states.
As a recent case study, look at Connecticut, which instituted an income tax in 1991. I enjoy your writing and felt compelled to respond.
DAN LEVASSEUR
COREY MARTZALL
I don’t mind not having income tax, but a small sales tax could be beneficial in offsetting some of the crazy property taxes. There is a gas tax…
Live free or die would not be affected because you make the choices as to what you buy and when, to include not being taxed on earnings, whereas property tax is usually subjective and higher in areas with less affluent means. A sales tax would also shift some of the burden to those lovely people who come and use the resources of this state merely for enjoyment. I mean they want to increase the tolls.
COREY MARTZALL
BILL COTE
Taxes are inevitably unfair due to both the design of and loopholes created. NH should not be proud to tout “tax free” as it is not. The property tax is highly regressive and penalizes low income-large property owners. InDepth recently published property tax data from around the state showing the inequities that exist. Not until an equitable tax in NH is enacted, the housing crisis will continue, landowners will sell off to developers, and migration north for those who cannot afford it will continue (while the southern tier of NH will see an influx of wealthy from other states). ’Nuff said.
BILL COTE, Durham, NH
PHILIP DALEY
Town taxes are too high because the state does not provide enough coverage for local schools.
The state needs to pay more to support schools.
PHILIP DALEY, Hillsboro, NH
PATRICIA HUNT
You get what you pay for. Without sufficient monetary support, we won’t have good schools, roads, bridges, environmental protection, police, fire, public infrastructure, public parks, health care, etc. Taxes need to be sufficient to provide and maintain these things. Taxes should be fair — people with more should pay more. The downshifting of costs to the cities and towns by the radical free-staters who have highjacked the NH legislature has caused basic costs to be shifted to local property taxes, which is not a fair way to fund these things. I’d rather pay higher state taxes to ensure a high quality of life here in NH.
PATRICIA HUNT, Franconia
NICK MIKE
Considering other states, New Hampshire is very bearable. It’s primarily because Republican leadership cuts spending instead of blue state fraud and increasing taxes.
NICK MIKE
MARY AHLGREN, Sanbornton
I think NH’s fear of an income tax and reliance on local property taxes is absurd. There are services and institutions which are essential to the health of our communities which we should be proud to be able to pay for. And a fair income tax would do that, while freeing those of us who are below a predetermined level of income can breathe a little easier. See Andru Volinsky’s proposition and possible formula to see how you would fare with a fair and realistic income tax!
MARY AHLGREN, Sanbornton
Rep. LUCIUS PARSHALL
First, pardon my verbosity. I generally like listening more than responding, but I have seen that a Republican legislator has already weighted in, and I’d like to try and balance the scales. I have two paragraphs as brief commentary:
I was happy to see some of my constituents among those that responded to your query on taxes. I also know that there are far more in my district that see the unfairness inherent in property taxes. Republicans in Concord love to stand in front of the House of Representatives and claim the “Taxation is theft.” I’ve gathered that it is like pulling the handle of a slot machine hoping for a jackpot when “AFP” lines up in the window.
However, I worked as a public school teacher for 20 years. Does that make me an accessory to this claim of theft? Do I include the police as accomplices in this crime? What about the librarian, or the guy that plows our roads? We are in serious fiscal trouble because Republicans are unable to connect the dots, and even if they try to blame it on imaginary tax and spend Democrats, let’s remember which party has been in control in Concord since before most of us were born.
Rep. LUCIUS PARSHALL, D-Marlborough
TOBY TOUSLEY, Keene
I have lived in Keene my entire life. I have paid property taxes since 1981. Here’s the deal, as citizens we have bills to pay for schools, roads, safety, and many other amenities we expect as a civilization. What I have seen for decades is that nobody wants to cut these amenities. At the same time nobody wants to pay for these amenities. They want somebody else to pay.
Politicians point to the State to pay. Who do they think the State is? Is there a magic pot of gold in Concord that magically refills itself? The reality is that there is a bill to pay. As a taxpayer does it matter if I pay the City or the State? Ultimately I will pay, as will all the other taxpayers in the State. Shuffling the way we tax will not eliminate the bill.
What I have seen in Keene is the City just spends too much. The School board spends too much. Don’t brow beat me as anti public school. My father was a Keene High teacher for 30 years. My sister-in-law is a public school teacher for longer. My Grandfather was a public school teacher. My kids went to public schools as I did.
The reality is that the student body in Keene has decreased tremendously in the last 40 years. Yet the schools are physically larger than ever. There is more staff than ever. The Sau is even worse. No wonder the taxes are more. I am a fan of Charter schools and EFA’s. I think it’s short sighted to offer EFA to wealthy families. It should be exclusive to families of lesser income.
Likewise, why the State eliminated the INT & DIV tax for all taxpayers is short-sighted. They should have raised the exemption level instead. I am against any broad-based tax. If you think the City of Keene won’t just spend more money once the local property tax is reduced, you’re nuts.
What I am in favor of is a statewide property tax equalization. Call it donor towns or whatever you want. This would be the simplest way to make the taxes a little more fair. It should be as easy as that. But we will still have a bill to pay.
One of my best friends was living in Alstead with a $38 tax rate. He also owned a property in Center Harbor with a tax rate of $11. What sense does that make?
By the way, Andru Volinsky’s 3-3 won’t work. Use his calculator. Don’t put your info in. Put any crazy amounts in it. Guess what? Everybody saves taxes using the 3-3 calculator. You could have $5million in income and you will save money. You could have a $5 million house and you will save money. Answer this. If 100% of the taxpayers save money under Volinsky’s 3-3, how will the shortfall be made up?
TOBY TOUSLEY, Keene
KATIE DELAHAYE PAINE
We’ve had one opportunity in my lifetime to implement a fair tax system in New Hampshire when an income passed both houses but was vetoed by then-Governor Shaheen. Since then, my property taxes have gone up every year. They are currently five times what they were in 2000 — $67,210 a year. The only people who can afford to live here will soon be the ultra-rich and renters and the people who physically can’t move. I’m not sure there is an answer, but I’m watching every young couple I know move out of state because they can’t afford a house or the taxes.
KATIE DELAHAYE PAINE
CEO, Paine Publishing, LLC