New Hampshire — It’s been a battle over taxes in New Hampshire’s ski industry during the past week, which seems fitting for America’s 250th.
Back in April, New England Ski Industry reported that Vail Resorts was applying blended sales taxes to products purchased by New Hampshire residents. Four ski resorts in the state are owned or operated by Vail, which includes Attitash, Crotched, Mount Sunapee, and Wildcat. For reference, New Hampshire doesn’t have a sales tax. With the Governor being a skier, it seemed inevitable that she would hear about this.
Last week, Governor Kelly Ayotte announced that New Hampshire’s Attorney General would investigate Vail Resorts over the application of a blended sales tax on Epic Pass products. Vail Resorts originally stated that they couldn’t remove the taxes due to rules in other states.
In response, Vail Resorts decided to make some adjustments. For a select number of passes, Vail Resorts launched tax-free options. They also announced plans to help New Hampshire residents who have already purchased to get some compensation. However, this didn’t apply to the Epic Pass products that included access to out-of-state mountains.
On Monday, the Governor’s office issued a press release stating that they are ensuring that people who previously purchased a pass will receive a refund. With this less aggressive statement than beforehand, it sounds like the situation is reaching a quick resolution.
With this, Vail Resorts can breathe a sigh of relief, as they’ll have one less lawsuit to worry about.
Image Credits: Governor Kelly Ayotte, Vail Resorts
