After Governor Calls for Investigation, Vail Offers Tax-Free Passes to NH Skiers

The change follows the news that New Hampshire’s Office of the Governor was investigating Vail Resorts after the company announced plans to add a “blended” tax of about 3% to its multi-passes. 

In the past, according to a Vail Resorts investor presentation from March of this year, multi-resort pass buyers paid taxes as part of the base price rather than separately.

Next season, the presentation explained, skiers who buy a multi-mountain pass from Vail Resorts will pay a “blended” tax rate of about 3% on top of that pass if it includes access to any resorts in a taxable jurisdiction.

Like other mountain groups, Vail Resorts offers a suite of passes centered on the flagship Epic Pass, which covers a large number of resorts. Some of its options are regional with lesser access and lower prices, including the Northeast Value Pass. 

That pass grants access to resorts across the Northeast, including four in New Hampshire. It also includes ski resorts in other states that have sales taxes.

Under Vail Resorts’ new approach, which adds taxes at checkout for multi-resort passes that cross into a taxable jurisdiction, the pass costs $662, plus a separate tax charge of about $21.

The same is true of the $1,089 Epic Pass, which comes with about a $35 tax (the Epic Pass isn't included among the tax-free options for Granite Staters).

New Hampshire took issue with this plan.

“New Hampshire is proud to have no sales tax, and we’re not going to let an out-of-state company try to sneak one in,” said Governor Kelly Ayotte in a statement at the time. “The Attorney General will thoroughly investigate Vail Resorts’ attempt to charge a sales tax on Granite State skiers. We’ll continue to ensure New Hampshire is America’s best place to ski—sales tax-free.” 

Now, skiers can forego the taxes on some Epic options. Vail Resorts provided a form to avoid the tax in exchange for New Hampshire-only access, either for pass buyers or skiers who’ve already bought a pass.

The Vail Resorts spokesperson added in their statement that “even with access limited to our four New Hampshire resorts, the Northeast Value Pass at $662 provides incredible value and costs significantly less than other multi-resort season passes in New Hampshire. It also costs less than most single-resort season passes in the state.”