Vail Resorts has responded to one of the many legal attacks lobbed at it in recent months. In response to an investigation launched by the state of New Hampshire over allegations it had added an unlawful sales tax, the resort company has changed the pricing options on its passes.
“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 New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte in an April 27 press release. “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.”
Just five days later, the corporation scrambled to acquiesce to the governor’s demands. As New Hampshire Public Radio reports, Vail Resorts responded by offering pass holders the option to limit their access to its New Hampshire resorts and thus not be charged a tax.
“We understand the concerns raised by Governor Ayotte and appreciate the feedback from the New Hampshire community,” said Vail Resorts in a statement. “While we provide lift tickets without taxes for our resorts in New Hampshire, we understand that some guests plan to use our multi-resort pass products to only access our four New Hampshire resorts (Attitash Mountain, Wildcat, Mount Sunapee and Crotched).”
However, though she was pleased with the outcome, Ayotte said that this is still not the end of her crusade against the resort company. “The state will continue its investigation and also ensure any Granite Staters charged a sales tax can be refunded, and that Vail’s tax-free passes are easily accessible,” she added.
Of course, while this may quiet the storm in New Hampshire, the development does not spell the end of Vail Resort’s legal troubles. The company is still the target of multiple class-action lawsuits, one of which alleges violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and another accuses them of artificially inflating the cost of ski passes.
