New Hampshire penny rounding law
No rounding law or guidance found. No general sales tax; the 8.5% meals and rentals tax is figured before any cash rounding.
Short answer. We found no New Hampshire cash rounding law or official guidance. With no general sales tax, rounding in New Hampshire mostly affects the cash total only, and stores set their own policy.
New Hampshire cash rounding calculator
Enter a cash total, or item prices plus your sales tax rate. The result updates as you type.
New Hampshire law and bills
We found no New Hampshire rounding bill in the 2026 session, which ended in June 2026, and no guidance from the Department of Revenue Administration or the Department of Justice. We could not fully search the General Court’s bill database, so check it for any later filing. A new Legislature is elected in November 2026 and files bills for the 2027 session.
Can a New Hampshire store round cash totals?
As store policy, yes. New Hampshire’s Consumer Protection Act (RSA 358-A) bars unfair and deceptive practices, so a store that rounds should round both ways and post a sign. Shoppers who cross into Vermont will find a different rule: Vermont stores that round must post the State’s model notice.
Federal law
There is no federal rounding rule in force either. The Common Cents Act (H.R. 10167) passed Congress on September 28, 2026, but as of October 31, 2026 we found no record of it being signed. If enacted, it would let sellers in New Hampshire round cash totals symmetrically to the nearest 5¢ without requiring anyone to round, keep pennies legal tender, and protect sellers that follow its method from conflicting state or local rules. Federal status of the penny.
Your options as a customer
- Pay by card, debit, EBT or app. Those payments are charged the exact amount; rounding only ever touches cash.
- Pay with exact change. Pennies are still legal tender (31 U.S.C. § 5103). The Federal Reserve notes, though, that no federal law makes a private business accept cash or coins. We found no New Hampshire law that changes that, so a store sets its own payment policy. Federal Reserve FAQ.
- Check the receipt. It should show the exact total and a separate rounding line, so you can see which way it went.
- Report a problem. If a store rounds every cash total up without telling customers, contact the New Hampshire Department of Justice, Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau. See also is it legal for a store to round up?
Sales tax
New Hampshire has no general sales tax. Restaurant meals, rooms and car rentals are subject to the 8.5% meals and rentals tax; compute that tax on the actual price before rounding a cash payment. More on sales tax and cash rounding.
SNAP, EBT and card payments
SNAP and WIC benefits are paid electronically, so the EBT part of any purchase in New Hampshire is always charged to the exact cent. Federal rules require stores to treat SNAP shoppers the same as other customers, so a store that rounds the cash part of a split payment should use the same rule for everyone. SNAP/EBT, cards and refunds.
Rules in neighboring states
Shopping across the line? Rounding rules change at the border.
| State | Status | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | No law found | No rounding law or guidance found. Some Irving and Rusty Lantern stores in Maine round cash totals to the nearest nickel with posted signs. |
| Vermont | Law in effect | Optional symmetric rounding of the final cash total. Businesses that round must post the state’s model notice. Cash refunds must be exact. |
| Massachusetts | Agency guidance only | No statute. DOR Directive 26-1: nickel rounding either way does not change sales tax. Standards: round the total, not item prices, and disclose. H.5450 pending. |