Following intense public backlash and a formal inquiry from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office, Vail Resorts has shifted its policy regarding the controversial 3.2% 'blended' tax applied to its 2026–27 season Epic Pass products. According to reports from SnowBrains, the company will now allow Granite State skiers to avoid the surcharge by opting for a New Hampshire-only access pass.
The controversy emerged when local skiers noticed an unexpected line item during checkout. Because New Hampshire does not impose a state sales tax, many residents viewed the addition of a 'blended' tax—calculated based on the average tax rates of all states where Vail operates—as an overreach. The company initially defended the charge as a necessary compliance measure to handle the complexity of selling a single product across multiple tax jurisdictions.
This financial friction was exacerbated by a concurrent 3.6% increase in the base price of the Epic Pass, leading some customers to face a total price hike of nearly 7%. The situation caught the attention of Governor Kelly Ayotte, who initiated an investigation into whether an out-of-state corporation could legally levy a tax on transactions in a state that explicitly prohibits such charges.
In a formal statement released on May 1, Vail Resorts acknowledged the concerns raised by state officials and the local community. The company confirmed that pass holders for the Northeast Value, Northeast Midweek, Epic Military, and Epic Day passes can now restrict their access to the four New Hampshire properties—Attitash, Wildcat, Mount Sunapee, and Crotched Mountain—to remain exempt from the blended tax.
For existing customers who have already paid the tax, the company has provided a path for remediation. Affected pass holders are encouraged to use a specific form provided by the resort operator to request a refund of the tax and officially adjust their pass access to the New Hampshire-only tier. While this move settles the immediate dispute for local skiers, it does not remove the tax for those who retain access to the full national Epic Pass network.
