The program, which provided an average of $163 in aid for 2024, remains underutilized
By Kelly Burch, Granite State News Collaborative
The deadline for homeowners looking for 2025 tax relief through an underutilized state program is fast approaching – applications must be filed by Tuesday, June 30.
“This relief can make a difference by helping homeowners free up resources for other essential expenses,” said Lindsey Stepp, commissioner of the N.H. Department of Revenue Administration.
Under the state’s Low & Moderate Property Tax Relief Program, eligible homeowners received an average amount of $163 in relief last year, according to a report from the N.H. Fiscal Policy Institute. The report noted the amount is “relatively limited compared to the amount of total property tax paid by homeowners.”
Yet the relief “is meaningful for Granite Staters who need to pay for housing, childcare and other costs with limited resources,” said Phil Sletten, research director at the institute.
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Homeowners can apply for relief online or by sending in a paper application that must be postmarked by the June 30 deadline.
Open the Granite Tax Connect website
Scroll to the box titled “Registration and Applications”
Click the link titled “Apply for Property Tax Relief”
For more information, homeowners can call the Department of Revenue Administration at 603-230-5000
The program is available to individuals who earn less than $37,000 annually and couples or heads of households with an income of less than $47,000. It can only be used on properties that have an assessed value of $220,000 or less.
Homeowners with lower incomes pay a higher percentage of their income to property taxes, research shows. The relief program is particularly valuable for seniors and others living on fixed incomes, Stepp said, as it can “[help] them remain in their homes despite rising property tax costs.”
Nevertheless, the program remains underutilized, according to Sletten, largely due to lack of awareness. State law requires that some taxpayers — including seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities — receive a notice that they may be eligible for relief, but many others are likely unaware.
“Many homeowners likely eligible for aid have not accessed it,” according to the N.H. Fiscal Policy Institute, which found in a study released in May that more than 42,000 New Hampshire homeowners had household incomes below $35,000. Many of those, and more, may be eligible for tax relief.
Participation in the program has dropped steeply since it was implemented in 2003, the study found. In 2003, 27,208 taxpayers utilized the program and received a total of $7.5 million in claims. By 2024, preliminary data showed 4,901 claims totaling $800,000 were granted – the lowest amount on record.
While income limits for the program were raised in 2021, they have not been adjusted for inflation or increased since then.
In every legislative session since — except this year — the House has introduced measures to update the program, including “modifying eligibility requirements, making inflation adjustments, [and] mailing application forms to prior recipients,” Stepp said. However, none of those efforts have made it out of the House.
The current round of eligibility is for 2025 tax bills — those typically mailed between October and December of 2025, according to the Department of Revenue Administration. People who apply are still required to pay their tax bills on time, though homeowners who have not paid can still apply for relief, according to the state. To apply, homeowners need their property tax bill and a copy of their federal tax returns. Approved relief funds are sent via a check that is typically issued within 120 days.
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