NH House Testimony

HB1708

House · 2026 sessionDemocraticDied in House

Shifting education tax to businesses

AI

Lowers the statewide education property tax rate over several years, raises the business profits tax rate to offset the reduction, and directs the added revenue and offset payments to the education trust fund and affected municipalities.

relative to statewide education property taxes and other tax revenues.

Taxes - StateBusiness and IndustryEducation - General

Status

Committee recommended Inexpedient to Legislate; died at adjournment · February 6, 2026
  1. Introduced
  2. House
  3. Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Division of testimony

212 submissions
Support 203Oppose 9Neutral 0

Argument digest · AI-generated

from 51 of 51 written submissions

HB1708 would lower the statewide education property tax (SWEPT) rate while raising the business profits tax (BPT) to offset the lost revenue. Nearly all testimony shown here supports the bill as a way to shift tax burden from property owners onto businesses, framing recent business tax cuts as unwise. The submissions tagged "oppose" in this set actually concern unrelated bills (HB1293, HB1703), so no substantive opposition to HB1708 itself appears among the testimony reviewed.

Generated by claude-sonnet-5 (claude code agent) on Jul 22, 2026. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, verified against the cited submission before publication. Summaries are AI interpretation of the record, not part of it.

Gabriele LiebergSupportNewfields, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

I support this bill.

Hannah MeiselmanSupportManchester, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Ensures fair distribution of education funding across districts, protecting public schools and advancing equity in resources for all students.

Patricia HuntSupportFrancona, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

This would reduce statewide education property taxes (SWEPT) and make up the difference by increasing the business profits tax. Businesses should pay their share to educate the public. Businesses need educated employees and should help pay for it.

Sarah YoungSupportHANOVER, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

It makes no sense to yet again reduce the business profits tax. Our property and educational taxed are already too high.

Catharine FarkasSupportSanbornton, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Sounds like a solid solution!

John WalshSupportNew London, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Corporate taxes have been continually and unwisely decreased with no perceptible economic benefits to the public resulting in an overreliance on local property taxes for funding public schools. HB 1708 attempts to address this imbalance by reducing the SWEPT rate to a level that is offset by a proportionate increase in the BPT and should be supported. Thank you for your consideration, John Walsh

Marilyn WilkingSupportWalpole, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Business benefits from educated citizens; business should pay . The largest corporations doing business in NH should pay much more for NH public education. Their shareholders and executives are doing just fine. Our schools are not.

John CloutierSupportClaremont, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Dear Ways & Means Committee: I am a cosponsor who writes in strong support of House Bill 1708. A bill which should bring some property tax relief to many New Hampshire property owners who are struggling to pay their regressive school property taxes. Property tax relief that would be paid for by a modest increase in the more progressive Business Profits Tax. On behalf of my Croydon & Claremont constituents, I urge this committee to give a unanimous positve recommendation to House Bill 1708. Thank you. Rep. John Cloutier

Shirley MontgomerySupportHanover, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

I support this bill because it will increase the business profits tax, which has been reduced in recent years and is proposed to be reduced yet again this session. I think it would reduce the need to increase property taxes on home owners.

Robert DrysdaleSupportHanover, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Cutting the business profit tax when the state is struggling to balance its budget makes no sense. We should at least revert to our previous level.

Annie RobbinsSupportWakefield, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Anything to lower our property taxes. Please.

Joanna AndrosSupportWalpole, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

I support this bill which will help fund public schools by increasing somewhat the business profits tax to raise funds for public education.

Donna. Tully.SupportLittleton, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

I am supporting this bill for the benefit of NH voters.

Barbara CallawaySupportHanover, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

This bill would increase the business profits tax, which has been reduced in recent years and is proposed to be reduced yet again this session. The state cannot continue to reduce taxes and then push local jurisdictions to pick up the slack.. The state cannot continue to reward the wealthy to the detriment of the rest of the citizens.

Nancy JerauldSupportLitchfield, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

The state of NH has for too long relied on property taxes to fund our schools. NH should reduce the Statewide Education Property Tax and INCREASE the Business Profits Tax in order to reduce property owner's burdens. The state has been mandated by the court to increase funding for public schools.

Sharon RacusinSupportHanover, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Since I support broad based taxes this bill is a no-brainer.

Mary CadwalladerSupportHanover, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

We have to find a way to support public education if we want it to benefit our children and our lives as we grow older.

Kelly ButlerSupportGilsum, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

I feel a 1% tax increase on businesses is fair and reasonable, considering my personal tax bill goes up by more than that every year.

Susan MayerSupportLee, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

I support using business taxes to support our public schools, especially since the Republican majority, in a fit of fiscal irresponsibility, has decided to throw millions of dollars of taxpayer funds at private and religious schools, a true travesty. This is a way to recover that lost funding for public schools.

Brianna TaylorSupportDurham, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Property taxes have become untenable in NH. I fully support helping to level the playing field and letting tax paying citizens benefit. We frequent local business, and while they get a tax break (and have for years) tax payers are paying for it with increased property taxes. This is not right.

Sally PattonSupportNEW LONDON, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

This bill would help to reduce the property tax burden on citizens while increasing the Business PROFITS Tax. That tax has been reduced in recent years without some offset to state revenues. That makes no sense to me... an ordinary citizen.

Kathleen BeanSupportDurham, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

The NH tax system is rewarding the wealthy and businesses, especially large companies and corporations while property taxes and taxes designated as fees are increasing at an exorbitant rate. Support this bill and the citizens of our wonderful state.

Leo SandySupportChesterfield, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Programs need funding and those who make profits in NH should pay rent for doing so.

Regina ConradSupportLyndeborough, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Please, stop cutting business taxes and bring the taxes that were cut back.

Clifford KahrsSupportConcord, NHfor MyselfJan 29, 2026

Do not let law enforcement hide! They already have the the law that shields them when they perform their duties properly.