Reliance on sales taxes in New Hampshire is well below national average, study finds

The Center Square

As a share of total state and local tax revenues, sales tax collections in New Hampshire came in at 0 percent, representing a tie for the lowest percentage among the 50 states, according to a new Tax Foundation analysis.

That percentage was well below the average level of state reliance on sales taxes (23.3 percent). The Tax Foundation study is based on the most recent data available, which reflects tax collections during fiscal year 2018.

Consumption levies such as sales taxes are considered more stable than other taxes, including state income taxes, during economic downturns, according to the Tax Foundation. During the coronavirus era, sales tax collections initially dropped, but they recovered as more businesses reopened and consumers turned to online venues for products, the study says.

Four states – Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon – have no state or local sales taxes, while Alaska allows for local sales taxes but has no statewide sales tax, according to the Tax Foundation. The remaining 45 states have statewide sales taxes in place, the study states, and 38 allow local governments to collect separate sales taxes

Which States Are Most Dependent on Sales Taxes?

Rank State % of Total State and Local Revenues Coming From Sales Taxes
1 Louisiana 42.3%
2 Nevada 41.3%
3 Tennessee 40.7%
4 Arizona 40.5%
5 South Dakota 39.3%
6 Florida 38.3%
7 Arkansas 37.8%
8 New Mexico 37.3%
9 Hawaii 36.7%
10 Washington 36.4%
11 Texas 34.5%
12 Oklahoma 32.7%
13 Mississippi 31.7%
14 Alabama 30.5%
15 Kansas 29.6%
16 Indiana 28.5%
17 Missouri 27.4%
18 Ohio 26.8%
19 Colorado 26.7%
20 Idaho 26.6%
21 Wyoming 26.5%
22 North Carolina 26.2%
23 Georgia 23.9%
24 Utah 23.9%
25 Nebraska 22.5%
26 Michigan 22.3%
27 Iowa 22.2%
28 South Carolina 21.1%
29 Maine 20.6%
30 Kentucky 20.3%
31 Wisconsin 20.2%
32 North Dakota 20.1%
33 California 19.7%
34 Illinois 18.4%
35 West Virginia 18.1%
36 Rhode Island 17.1%
37 Pennsylvania 17.0%
38 Minnesota 16.9%
39 New York 16.6%
40 New Jersey 15.9%
41 Connecticut 14.9%
42 Massachusetts 13.5%
43 Virginia 13.0%
44 Maryland 12.0%
45 Vermont 10.4%
46 Alaska 6.9%
47 (tie) Delaware 0.0%
47 (tie) Montana 0.0%
47 (tie) New Hampshire 0.0%
47 (tie) Oregon 0.0%

Source: Tax Foundation

Image courtesy of Wikipedia/Famartin

4 thoughts on “Reliance on sales taxes in New Hampshire is well below national average, study finds

  1. NH is so much more advanced than VT – we are a backwater plagued with stupid leaders who play us like a tin piano *sigh*
    From our friends at Granite Grok in Live Free Or Die:
    Rhode Island Advances Bill to Make NH Even More Popular for Tourists and Job Creators
    by Steve MacDonald / 18 March 2021
    “If we can keep Democrats from ruining the Granite State, we’re in great shape for years to come. Every state around us has gone full-stupid (or close to it), punishing their residents with higher taxes and regulations. Add to that their epic cash grab disguised as a “climate” gas tax, and you can stick a fork in them.”
    https://granitegrok.com/blog/2021/03/rhode-island-advances-bill-to-make-nh-even-more-popular-for-tourists-and-job-creators

    • SEAX

      New Hampshire

      – practices private enterprise
      – has a VERY SMALL STATE GOVERNMENT; governments are notoriously inefficient with YOUR money
      – has few government programs
      – provides minimal subsidies of any kind.

      NH does not need much taxes PER CAPITA.

      NH:

      – has no EARNED income tax
      – does not tax Social Security payments
      – does not tax pension payments
      – has no sales tax
      – does not tax required minimum withdrawals from IRAs, SEPs and Keoghs
      – taxes dividends at a flat 5%
      – has no inheritance tax

      Property taxes are slightly higher than in Vermont.

      Many well-off people do not even consider COMING to Vermont.
      They move from elsewhere to NH
      Many of them MOVE OUT of Vermont to elsewhere and NH

      The shenanigans of Vermont Dem/Progs have made Vermont toxic for people.

    • I’m a resident. Depends where in the state you live. South of Route 4 (east to west) thru Concord the golden triangle of Portsmouth, Concord, Nashua being high density and close to MA is high. North of Rt 4 it’s very much less. I lived in Alton 21 years. Don’t have the space to say what taxes I paid and what I had, was low. Currently in Moultonboro on the big lake. Moultonboro has about the lowest property taxes being on the lake.

      So it hard to say NH has high property taxes, depends where you live. However without the sale tax and income tax, it’s reported (Wallet Hub) that NH is in the top 10 states to retire to. There has been several articles that mention NH is lowering taxes on business.

      There’s much more to this subject that cannot be painted as overall status. It’s what you make it, research and live in a low taxed area.

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