By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD — State revenues ended the fiscal year in a strong position with a $182 million surplus although accounting adjustments are likely to change the numbers before they are finalized for the state’s annual comprehensive financial audit.
For the 2026 fiscal year, the state rode an unanticipated $104 million boost from a tax amnesty program, and higher than anticipated Lottery Commission returns, insurance premiums, interest on invested funds, real estate sales, and business taxes to a revenue surplus after a significant deficit last fiscal year.
The state collected a total of $3.82 billion on a cash basis for both the general and education trust funds, which was $143 million more than it collected in the 2025 fiscal year.
For the month of June, the state collected $357.6 million, which is $25.6 million more than budget writer estimates for the month, and $19.2 million more than a year ago.
Business taxes, which have lagged estimates for most of the fiscal year, finished strong, returning $190 million, which is $25.7 million more than the estimates for the month and $9.6 million more than a year ago.
The Department of Revenue Administration said “the increase is due to an increase in estimate payments as well as a decrease in refunds compared to the prior year.”
For the 2026 fiscal year, business taxes returned $1.14 billion, which is $34 million more than estimates and $13.1 million more than was collected last fiscal year.
The state’s second largest levy, the rooms and meals tax, produced $30.4 million during June, which was $1.8 million more than estimates, and $1 million more than a year ago.
The DRA said those figures reflect a 2.1 percent decrease in gross receipts for meals and a 2.7 percent decrease in hotel gross receipts.
For the 2026 fiscal year, the levy produced $348.4 million, which is $2.6 million less than estimates, but $10.5 million more than a year ago.
The real estate transfer tax produced $19.7 million in June, which is $1 million more than estimates and $2.5 million more than a year ago.
The DRA said those figures reflect a 2.2 percent decrease in transactions, but a 13.6 percent increase in property values from a year ago.
For the fiscal year, the tax produced $230.7 million, which is $16.3 million more than estimates and $29.7 million more than last fiscal year.
Lottery commission transfers for June totaled $34.4 million, which is $2.4 million more than estimates, but $3.5 million less than a year ago.
For the fiscal year, the commission transferred $251 million to the Education Trust Fund, which is $58.2 million more than estimates, and $40.6 million more than last fiscal year.
The newly established video lottery terminals produced $6 million in June, which is $3.3 million less than estimates.
For the fiscal year, the terminals produced $22 million in state revenue, which is $21.6 million less than estimates.
For June the insurance tax produced $2.5 million, which was $100,000 less than a year ago.
For the fiscal year, the tax produced $195.5 million, which is $14.3 million more than estimates, and $30.5 million more than last fiscal year.
The tobacco tax produced $16 million in June, which is $1.9 million more than estimates and $3.3 million more than a year ago.
For the fiscal year, the levy produced $182.6 million which is $5.6 million more than estimates and $2 million more than last fiscal year.
The other category, which performed well over estimates for the last four years largely due to the interest income on invested surplus and federal COVID related funds, produced $33.8 million in June, which is $3.8 million less than estimates and $3.1 million less than a year ago.
For the 2026 fiscal year, the levy produced $162.7 million, which is $27 million more than estimates, but $21.6 million less than last fiscal year.
Revenues from the liquor commission, and the beer and communications taxes were all below estimates for the month.
The Highway Fund comprised largely of the gas tax and vehicle registrations produced $25.2 million for June, which is $2.2 million more than estimates and $2.6 million more than a year ago.
For the year to date, the fund totaled $273.2 million, which is $4.6 million more than estimates and $4.6 million more than last fiscal year.
The Fish and Game Fund, comprised of fishing and hunting licenses, collected $2.2 million during June, which is $400,000 more than estimates and $600,000 more than a year ago.
For the fiscal year, the fund collected $14.5 million, which is $500,000 more than estimates, but $100,000 less than last fiscal year.
The 2026 fiscal year ended June 30 and the 2027 fiscal year began July 1.
Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com