New Hampshire has no income tax, but it has one of the highest property taxes in the nation.

New Hampshire’s zero income tax and high property tax combined are equivalent to Maine’s property tax and income tax combined. So it’s a wash for employed folks.

When one retires, however, a whole new ball game develops. When people retire and are on a fixed income, they pay little or no income tax, but they still have to pay the very high property tax in New Hampshire. Not so in Maine.

So, when New Hampshire residents retire, their taxes stay high. Currently, when Maine residents retire their income tax goes down or away completely and property tax stays the same. Advantage: Maine.

What does no income tax do for any state? It attracts young people who benefit from not paying income tax; it makes old people poor. It definitely reduces their quality of life and may make them unable to keep their homes.

Maybe the real goal of getting rid of Maine’s income tax is to get old people to move out of the state and stop using services they have invested in all their lives. How we take care of our elderly reflects the state of our society.

Mike Parent, Manchester


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