The Legislation Raises BET Filing Threshold, Uses Surpluses to Lower Rate

AMHERST, NH (July 10, 2026) — The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in New Hampshire, which represents more than 1,700 small businesses in the Granite State, is thanking Gov. Kelly Ayotte today for signing into law the historic employment tax relief passed by lawmakers in the conference report on House Bill 155.

“New Hampshire small businesses are grateful to Governor Ayotte for signing off on badly needed Main Street tax relief,” said John Reynolds, NFIB New Hampshire State Director. “Lowering the cost of employing people makes hiring and retaining employees easier for small businesses.”

“Helping small businesses grow will boost our state and local economies,” continued Reynolds. “It means paying our bills without raising taxes on hardworking people, creating more good-paying jobs, and making Main Streets across the Granite State more vibrant.”

“By reducing the state’s employment tax burden, Governor Ayotte and lawmakers have scored a major win for small employers in New Hampshire,” concluded Reynolds. “The Business Enterprise Tax is a financial drag on small business owners that makes it more expensive to hire workers, increase compensation, and keep up with competitors in lower tax states. The legislation signed today by Governor Ayotte exempts thousands of additional small employers from the BET and will use future surpluses to lower the tax rate, a fiscally responsible plan for helping Granite State businesses hire, grow, and thrive.”

The committee of conference report on HB 155 approved by the Legislature last month and signed today includes three provisions:

BET Filing Threshold: raises the filing threshold from $300,000 to $400,000 in enterprise value, exempting an estimated additional 4,500 small employers from having to file a BET return.

BET Rate Reduction: for every $100 million in combined surplus business tax revenue, reduces the BET rate by 0.05% until the rate reaches its original level of 0.25%.

Nursing Home Funding: appropriates $2.5 million to increase per diem nursing home rates and draw down additional federal matching funds.

###

For over 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses, and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.