Handyman Business Permit Requirements in Manchester, NH

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. New Hampshire — No Sales Tax

   New Hampshire has no state sales tax and no local sales taxes, so businesses need no sales tax permit or resale registration for sales tax purposes. Businesses may instead owe the Business Enterprise Tax and the Business Profits Tax, both administered by the NH Department of Revenue Administration; BET paid can be credited against BPT. Restaurants, caterers and lodging operators separately collect the Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax and must hold a DRA license for it. Filing and payment are handled through DRA's Granite Tax Connect portal.

   Official government source

   No fee to register for business taxes with DRA. For taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, a BET return is due from any enterprise with more than $298,000 in gross receipts or an enterprise value tax base above $298,000; the BET rate is 0.55%·Immediate — registration and filing are done online through Granite Tax Connect

   No fee to register for business taxes with DRA. For taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, a BET return is due from any enterprise with more than $298,000 in gross receipts or an enterprise value tax base above $298,000; the BET rate is 0.55%

   Immediate — registration and filing are done online through Granite Tax Connect

2. New Hampshire — No Home Improvement Contractor Registration

   New Hampshire has no statewide home improvement contractor or handyman registration. The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Bureau enforces the Consumer Protection Act (RSA 358-A) and handles complaints, but it does not register or pre-license contractors, and RSA 358-A contains no contractor provisions. Trade-specific state licenses still apply to electrical, plumbing and gas fitting work, and local building permits are required for regulated work. Ordinary business registration with the Secretary of State and general liability insurance remain advisable.

   Official government source

   No fee — there is no registration to file·Not applicable — there is no registration to apply for

   No fee — there is no registration to file

   Not applicable — there is no registration to apply for

1. Manchester City Clerk — Business License (activity-specific, not general)

   Manchester does NOT require a general business license for all businesses. The City Clerk's Business Licensing and Enforcement Division licenses only specific activities: food-service establishments, high-impact retail selling tobacco/vape/lottery products, peddlers, hawkers, dealers of junk/secondhand goods, pawnbrokers, hotels/motels/B&Bs, tattoo and body-piercing establishments, farmers markets, taxicab companies/drivers, non-consensual towing companies, employment offices, and circuses/carnivals/fairs/festivals/entertainment venues. Businesses outside these categories are not required to hold this license; call (603) 624-6348 to confirm applicability to your specific business.

   Official government source

   Varies by license type; call (603) 624-6348·1-3 weeks (if applicable)

   Varies by license type; call (603) 624-6348

   1-3 weeks (if applicable)

2. City of Manchester Building Permit (for regulated work)

   Handyman tasks that involve electrical, plumbing, HVAC or structural work require permits from the City of Manchester Planning and Community Development Department's Building Division — Hillsborough County issues no building permits. Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit applications exist alongside the building permit, and licensed-trade work must be performed by the appropriately licensed contractor.

   Official government source

   Building permits carry a $25 application fee plus 0.6% of the estimated cost of work for 1- and 2-family dwellings or 1% for all other new construction, additions, alterations, renovations and repairs; commercial and multi-family applications add a plan review fee of $0.02 per square foot·Not published; permits are issued after Building Division review and payment of the calculated fee

   Building permits carry a $25 application fee plus 0.6% of the estimated cost of work for 1- and 2-family dwellings or 1% for all other new construction, additions, alterations, renovations and repairs; commercial and multi-family applications add a plan review fee of $0.02 per square foot

   Not published; permits are issued after Building Division review and payment of the calculated fee

Official Sources

• City of Manchester City Clerk
• New Hampshire Contractor Registration — Home Improvement Contractor

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