Governor Hassan and Department of Revenue Administration Announce Tax Amnesty Program Generated Nearly $19 Million for 2016 General Fund

Press Release

As part of her efforts to support businesses and taxpayers while maintaining fiscal responsibility, Governor Maggie Hassan and the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) Commissioner John Beardmore today announced that the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration's one-time Tax Amnesty Program generated significant revenue, netting $18.9 million in owed taxes. The program exceeded goals, bringing in $3 million more than was originally anticipated while supporting businesses and taxpayers.

"The tax amnesty program provided support to taxpayers who may have fallen behind by allowing them to catch up with reduced penalties and giving them time to get out from under the weight of these debts," Governor Hassan said. "It has proven to be both fiscally responsible and an important opportunity for businesses and taxpayers, and I am thrilled to see the positive benefits it has brought to the Granite State and our people."

Originally proposed by Governor Hassan and included as part of the fiscally responsible, bipartisan compromise on the current budget, the one-time tax amnesty program allowed taxpayers the opportunity to pay outstanding taxes without penalty and with 50 percent of accrued interest. The program ran from December 1, 2015, to February 15, 2016.

"This program was a win-win for taxpayers and for the state," said John Beardmore, Commissioner of the Department of Revenue Administration. "People fall behind on taxes for any number of reasons, so by allowing this one-time opportunity to pay less than you owe, we reengaged taxpayers and generated much-needed state revenue."

In total, 4,437 taxpayers participated in the one-time tax amnesty program, 5.8 percent of which were new filers. The remainder of participants paid existing unpaid tax notices or tax notices that were pending in audit or in the DRA's Hearings Bureau, part of which would have been collected by the DRA in the future.

The last time the DRA coordinated a similar tax amnesty program was in 2001, raising nearly $15 million in revenue for the state. The DRA collects 80 percent of New Hampshire's general taxes and uses them for critical services and programs such as education, health and social services, justice and public protection programs and resource development and protection.

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