Concord Legislators Try To "DC" New Hampshire's Tax Code - Granite Grok

Concord Legislators Try To “DC” New Hampshire’s Tax Code

taxesIn a staff editorial today the Union Leader points out how a series of bills promoted as tax cuts (by Democrats) aren’t tax cuts at all; which is why some Republicans are voting against them.

The Democratic approach would be to keep tax rates high, but carve out ways for taxpayers to avoid them. SB 75 would give tax credits for donations to career and technical education centers.

Of the non-denominational variety, we presume?

I should point out (because the UL didn’t have the bandwidth or the will) that the long list of sponsors for SB 75 includes three Republicans.

 

SB 75 Sponsors include, Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. McGilvray, Dist 16; Sen. D’Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 5; Sen. Lasky, Dist 13; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Woodburn, Dist 1; Rep. Cornell, Hills. 18; Rep. Southworth, Straf. 20; Rep. Gile, Merr. 27; Rep. Grenier, Sull. 7

So it’s not just Democrats but it is always nice to see Sen. Bradley’s name attached to these sorts of things, right?

Next up from the UL is SB 76. It,

“would let businesses collect their research and development tax rebates up front before the taxes were even due.”

The prime sponsors of this nifty carve out are Sen. D’Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Feltes, Dist 15; Sen. Innis, Dist 24

The Union Leader also points to SB 173, which it says,

“would let the New Hampshire High Tech Council hand out tax credits for businesses that recruit high-tech workers.”

It’s SB183 that does that, and Sen. Bradley is not a sponsor, but ‘Republican’ Sen. Dan Innis is. And all three of these bills assume the opposite of the truth which is that (and back to the UL again)

“… even well-meaning politicians lack the capability to plan the state’s economy from Concord.”

Exactly.

Businesses, their owners, and their investors would be better-served with legislators ‘Researching’ ways to reduce the cost of doing business for everyone. Lower taxes, less regulation, more affordable energy, and (at least in the case of New Hampshire) more focus on excessive licensing requirements.

The resources freed up by fewer taxes and less red-tape will go into something other than the lawyers or tax attorneys needed to take advantage of new carve-outs imagined in the State Capitol.

Employers could even spend it on the employees they have or (here’s a crazy idea) the employees they want.

Last time I checked New Hampshire needed workers up and down the skills ladder, and no one knows better what they need than the business owners themselves.

They are (after all) already risking their own time and money, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt on this.

So, instead of creating more hoops for them jump through, take a few more hoops out of their way.

And Kudos to the legislators who opposed these bills.

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