October 04, 2005

A Tax with a View

If you want to move to New Hampshire and buy a home that has a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside, get ready to dig deep: the state has a view tax.

That's right, a view tax. You have to pay to look. The problem is, lots of people are upset about how the tax is being assessed. Property owners can look to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $300,000. The assessment method is being sent to the state Board of Tax and Land Appeals for review.

John Chandler of Hill pointed out that he doesn't own the land that the view comes from and that others benefit from the same view, such as travelers on a nearby road. He also noted that since he is legally blind, he does not get to enjoy his view "at least to extent Avitar thinks I should," he said.

Among the key points made by Chandler was the fact that businesses are exempt from the view tax Ñ when it is businesses that profit the most from a view, such as the hotels, restaurants etc. Chandler asked why the tax only affected residential landowners.

Frankly, I find it hard to believe that a state could be levying a "view tax." The quality of any view is subjective, and the idea of taxing such a thing is preposterous.

I guess the New Hampshire motto "Live Free or Die" is so much lip service these days.

h/t: Weekend Pundit

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