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How New Hampshire’s tax system shifts costs, hides choices, and puts pressure on local property taxes New Hampshire is known as a low-tax state. We have no broad-based income tax or sales tax. That is part of the New Hampshire brand, and it is one of the reasons many people choose to live here, work here, retire here, or start a business here. Maintaining this unique tax structure, however, comes with choices. Over the years, New Hampshire’s tax system has evolved into a comp

Tax Cut or Tax Shift? The Next Piece of New Hampshire’s Downshifting Puzzle In a recent NH Journal opinion piece, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne and Senate Majority Leader Regina Birdsell argued that rising property taxes are not the result of state downshifting. Their explanation was much simpler: “Your local tax bill went up because your local officials voted to spend more of your money.” They went further: “If ‘down-shifting’ were real, that would be impossible.” That

New Hampshire’s Hidden Tax Shift: How State Budget Decisions Increase Pressure on Local Property Taxes New Hampshire is often praised for having no broad-based income tax or sales tax. That is a significant part of the state’s identity. Despite its low-tax reputation, New Hampshire relies heavily on local property taxes to fund public services. According to Citizens Count, property taxes make up 64.7% of state and local government tax revenue in New Hampshire, the highest rel