NASHUA, NH – Nashua veteran Roland Peterson went before the Board of Assessor’s Thursday morning to request a refund after finding out his veteran’s tax exemption had not been applied in 2023 or 2024.
Peterson says he was approved many years ago and had received the credit every year since.
“I didn’t realize that I had lost credit for the prior year until my July bill this year,” he said. “When I noticed it was not there, I came into the assessor’s office and they pointed out that I didn’t receive it for the prior year either.”
Peterson says he asked other veterans if they experienced a similar situation, to which they said no.
The Board of Assessors approved multiple veterans’ credits for 2024, including Peterson’s, earlier in the meeting. Peterson asked the board to issue a refund for the tax exemption he didn’t receive in 2023.
He recognized that legally, assessing officials may periodically require confirmation of his status.
Assessor II, Jessica Marchant, said that the requalification process is usually done once every five years, but the office can make a determination how often it is done as long as it is not done more than once a year.
She said she believes a letter was attached to his file showing that a letter to requalify was sent to Peterson and that a notification was sent to notify him that the credit was removed following 2022.
Peterson said he doesn’t recall ever being asked to provide such confirmation, nor does he recall receiving a notice that the credit was lost.
In his request for a refund, Peterson cited part of RSA 72:33 VI that says, “Failure to file such periodic statements may, at the discretion of the assessing officials, result in a loss of the exemption or tax credit for that year.”
“I’m asking this board [to] exercise their discretion and not punish me for denying the credit for which I am entitled because of my many years of service as a veteran of the U.S. military,” Peterson said.
Board member Robert Earley said he doesn’t believe they can grant credits retroactively, but that they will look into the matter and get back to Peterson within 30 days.