HB 1102 increases two key limits on New Hampshire's research and development (R&D) tax credit program. It raises the annual cap on total credits claimed by all businesses from $7 million to $10 million per fiscal year, and increases the maximum credit an individual business can claim from $50,000 to $100,000. This bill directly affects businesses conducting qualifying R&D activities in New Hampshire, allowing them to claim larger credits against their state business taxes. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, and do not require new state funding.
HB 1002 repeals the property tax exemption for solar energy systems, meaning homeowners and businesses with solar installations will no longer be excluded from taxable property assessments. The bill removes specific tax code provisions (RSA 72:62 and related sections) that previously allowed solar systems to be valued separately for tax purposes. Starting April 1, 2027, solar energy systems will be included in standard property tax valuations, requiring owners to pay taxes on these systems as part of their property assessment. This change directly affects property owners who currently benefit from the exemption, shifting their tax obligation to align with standard property valuation practices.
HB 1588 establishes a process for cities and towns to create special assessment districts to fund infrastructure improvements (like roads, water, and sewer systems) directly tied to new housing developments. Municipalities can finance these projects through property assessments on benefiting parcels - collected over up to 20 years - without using general tax revenue. The bill also expands an existing state grant program to fund municipal infrastructure upgrades for new housing, with a $1 appropriation for fiscal year 2027. This directly affects municipalities planning new housing projects and property owners within designated districts who may face assessments based on their specific benefit from improvements.
HB 155 reduces New Hampshire's business enterprise tax (BET) rate from 0.55% to 0.50% for tax years ending on or after December 31, 2026. This directly affects businesses that pay the BET, calculated on their taxable enterprise value. The rate change takes effect July 1, 2025, applying permanently to all future tax periods meeting the end-date requirement. The bill does not alter other tax provisions but will decrease state revenue from this tax, with estimated impacts of $4.3 million in fiscal year 2026.
SB 586 requires New Hampshire school districts and charter public schools to publish a detailed annual financial audit report by September 1 each year. The report must include receipts, expenditures, assets, liabilities, payroll details, and capital projects. Schools failing to submit the report by the deadline will have state funding withheld until compliance is achieved. This bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and amends existing law to standardize the submission deadline for all school entities.
HB 1708 reduces the statewide education property tax (SWEPT) rate for homeowners and property owners while increasing the business profits tax rate from 7.5% to 8.5% (with 40-44.2% of this revenue directed to the education trust fund). It sets specific annual revenue targets for the SWEPT - $346 million for 2026-2027, $284 million for 2027-2028, and $273 million annually thereafter - to maintain current education funding levels. Affected parties include residential property owners (who see lower taxes) and businesses (which pay higher profits taxes), with municipalities impacted by the tax shift receiving capped compensation up to $90 million. The bill ensures no net reduction in education funding by offsetting the SWEPT cut through increased business tax revenue.
This constitutional amendment (CACR 12) would require a two-thirds vote in both the New Hampshire Senate and House of Representatives to pass new broad-based taxes, such as income, sales, or capital gains taxes. It directly affects the legislative process for enacting new taxes that broadly impact many residents or businesses, not existing tax laws. The key mechanism is changing the constitutional requirement for such taxes from a simple majority to a supermajority vote. If approved by voters in 2026, this would apply to all new broad-based tax legislation moving forward.
HB 1196 repeals New Hampshire's Housing Champion Designation and Grant Program, which provided financial incentives and recognition to municipalities for adopting housing-friendly policies. The bill ends the state's authority to issue new grants or designations under this program, affecting participating municipalities and the Department of Business and Economic Affairs that administered it. Existing contracts (worth approximately $2.6 million) will be honored until June 2027, but no new funding or recognition will be provided after the bill's effective date. The repeal also eliminates the Housing Champion Program Fund and the associated advisory committee.
HB 1609 prohibits New Hampshire state, county, and municipal governments from using public funds or property to build, operate, or pay for immigrant detention facilities, particularly those managed by private companies. It bans spending on construction, renovation, repurposing public property for detention, selling public property for such use, and making payments to private detention operators. The bill does not affect existing 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities or the provision of health and safety services to detained individuals. Counties may face potential revenue losses if they stop cooperating with federal immigration programs, but municipalities are not expected to have financial impacts.
