New Hampshire HB 1420: creating a temporary local newspaper advertisement tax credit.

Bill Text

HB 1420-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2330

 07/09

HOUSE BILL 1420-FN

AN ACT creating a temporary local newspaper advertisement tax credit.

SPONSORS: Rep. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Andrus, Merr. 5; Rep. DeRoy, Straf. 3; Rep. Sabourin dit Choiniere, Rock. 30; Rep. Panek, Hills. 1; Rep. Ankarberg, Straf. 7; Rep. Kuttab, Rock. 17; Rep. Popovici-Muller, Rock. 17

COMMITTEE: Ways and Means

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ANALYSIS

 This bill creates a temporary local newspaper advertisement tax credit program.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2330

 07/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT creating a temporary local newspaper advertisement tax credit.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Short Title. This act may be known and cited as the "Lift Our Communities Advertise Locally Act". 

 2 New Paragraph; Taxation; Business Profits Tax; Credits. Amend RSA 77-A:5 by inserting after paragraph XVII the following new paragraphs: 

 XVIII. The local advertisement tax credit as computed in RSA 77-H. If the amount of the credit allowed under this section for the taxable year exceeds the taxpayer's tax for such year, the excess shall be treated as an overpayment of tax to be credited or refunded, but with no interest to be paid thereon. 

 3 New Section; Business Enterprise Tax; Local Advertisement Tax Credit. Amend RSA 77-E by inserting after section 14 the following new section: 

 77-E:15 Local Advertisement Tax Credit. The local advertisement tax credit, as computed in RSA 77-H, shall be allowed against the tax due under this chapter. If the amount of the credit allowed under this section for the taxable year exceeds the taxpayer's tax for such year, the excess shall be treated as an overpayment of tax to be credited or refunded, but with no interest to be paid thereon. 

 4 New Chapter; Local Advertisement Tax Credit. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 77-G the following new chapter: 

CHAPTER 77-H

LOCAL ADVERTISEMENT TAX CREDIT

 77-H:1 Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter: 

 I. "Advertising" means providing consideration for the publication, broadcast, dissemination, solicitation, or circulation of visual, aural, spoken, or written communication to directly or indirectly: 

 (a) Induce any person or organization to purchase a good, program, product, or service, or to contribute financially to a cause; or 

 (b) Raise awareness of a brand, good, program, product, service, or issue.

 II. "Broadcast media business" means any broadcast station which: 

 (a) Owns or operates a broadcast station, as defined by section 3 of the Federal Communications Act of 1934;

 (b) Discloses its ownership to the public at such times and in such manner as identified by the commissioner;

 (c) Broadcasts news content that is primarily focused on local or current events of this state, or of a county, city, town, village, or unincorporated place therein, otherwise known as such broadcast media business' primary coverage area;

 (d) Employs at least one full-time local news journalist that resides in, or within 50 miles of, the broadcast media business' primary coverage area;

 (e) Broadcasts local news content not less frequently than once per week, and has done so continuously for the preceding 12-month period;

 (f) Carries valid libel or media liability insurance; and

 (g) For a broadcast media business that distributes in only a digital format: 

 (1) Earned revenue of at least $1 in the preceding taxable year; and

 (2) Derives at least 33.33 percent of its audience, averaged over the preceding 12-month period, from its primary coverage area.

 II-a. For the purposes of this section, a broadcast station shall not be considered a broadcast media business if such broadcast station is: 

 (a) Broadcast primarily for advertising or entertainment purposes; or

 (b) Majority owned by, or derives at least 50 percent of its revenue from, excluded organizations.

 III. "Certificate of tax credit" means the document issued to an eligible business by the department after the department has verified that such eligible business has met all applicable eligibility criteria under this chapter. The certificate shall specify the exact amount of tax credit under this chapter that an eligible business may claim. 

 IV. "Department" means the department of revenue administration.

 V. "Eligible business" means a small business as defined under this section.

 VI. "Excluded organization" means:

 (a) An organization described in subsections 4, 5, or 6