NH House Leaders Comment on Marketplace Fairness Act

CONCORD – House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) and House Ways and Means Chairman Stephen Stepanek (R-Amherst) today released the following statement regarding the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) support of the Marketplace Fairness Act. NCSL has cited the legislation as one of its “top priorities.” New Hampshire House Democratic Leader Terie Norelli is sworn in as the new President of NCSL this week. 

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

“Republicans have been working hard over the past two years to make New Hampshire as competitive as possible. Democrats, on the other hand, want to undermine the New Hampshire Advantage. This year we eliminated the internet tax in New Hampshire and now Rep. Norelli, in her capacity as President of NCSL, wants to destroy New Hampshire's right not to have a sales tax. Norelli and the Democrats continue down the same road of taxing our citizens and growing government even though we saw the ill effects of what four years of making New Hampshire less competitive does to our employers and our job market. The 25% spending increase over the Democrats reign, fueled by over 100 tax and fee increases, was destroying the low tax, limited government environment. This positive environment built by Republicans, including no sales tax, is what makes our state special and differentiates us from the rest of the states around us and we need to make sure the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act that Norelli is pushing does not impede upon that advantage.”

House Ways and Means Chairman Stephen Stepanek

“We need to be working with our employers to give them confidence and means to invest, grow and hire. That means making, and keeping, New Hampshire a competitive place in which to do business. Forcing our businesses that sell online to collect a sales tax does exactly the opposite and we need to fight this disastrous legislation and those who seek to impose it in order to protect the New Hampshire Advantage. Our businesses need an advocate in government, not an enemy.”

NH House Leaders Comment on Passage of Bill to Lower Tax on Employers, Eliminate Internet Tax

CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) and House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) offered the following comments on passage of House Bill 1418, which increases the business enterprise tax (BET) exemption 33% from $150-200k and increases the enterprise value 33% from $75k-100k – both indexed to inflation. It also eliminates the internet service tax and puts $3 million toward funding the developmentally disabled wait list.

House Speaker William O’Brien

“When Republicans took office in 2010, New Hampshire ranked 50^th – dead last – in the nation for our business tax rate, according to the non-partisan Tax Foundation.  Through our efforts to reduce taxes last year, we were able to reduce that ranking to 46^th.  That’s progress, but 46^th in the nation does not make our state the type of attractive state that can bring new employers and convince our current companies to grow here.  In fact, it represents a New Hampshire Disadvantage.  The BET is a payroll tax, so reducing it provides a strong incentive for employers to create good, new jobs here.  This legislation will also reduce compliance costs for the many companies who will no longer need to file tax forms, and for the state, which will no longer need to process these forms.  As a result of this bill, one-third of New Hampshire small businesses will not pay BET.  Cutting the BET helps restore the New Hampshire Advantage by making us more competitive and will bring jobs to the Granite State.  And eliminating the tax on the Internet will put money into the pockets of New Hampshire’s working families.  The progress continues.”

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

“All around this is a pro-business, pro-jobs bill.  This is one more example of Republicans keeping our commitment to deliver affordable government to the citizens of the state.”