Temporary occupancy taxes are levied on establishments that offer accommodation to guests. The obvious model is a hotel or motel. But that may be the only obvious thing about these taxes. Like sales taxes, temporary occupancy taxes — sometimes referred to as hotel or accommodation taxes — can be applied in complicated ways by state and local governments. The method of payment of the employee of a released organization does not affect the exemption. However, non-employees of an exempt organization must pay for the hotel with the organization`s means (organization check, credit card, or direct billing). Hotels, bed and breakfasts and holiday accommodation should continue to pay the local occupancy tax to the local government concerned. In addition to hotels and motels, occupancy taxes are levied on tourist camps, tourist farms, apartment buildings, accommodations, inns, bed and breakfasts, hunting camps, campsites, RV parks, holiday apartments; even dude ranches are on Montana`s list. Taxes are also not limited to overnight accommodation. Meeting rooms, conference rooms, banquet halls, rooftop gardens, wedding chapels – even a berth on a ship – may be subject to occupancy tax. An accommodation tax rate can vary from city to city and even from neighborhood to neighborhood.

Knowing this information can be very convenient for travelers who want to save a few dollars. For example, all hotels in Manhattan typically have an occupancy tax rate of 14.75%. However, you may find that prices vary in Los Angeles. For example, tax rates in Hollywood are 15.5%, while occupancy tax in Santa Monica is 14.0%. The occupancy tax rate for state hotels is 6% (0.06) of the cost of a room. For detailed and historical information on hotel sales, use and occupancy tax, please refer to the Tax Compendium. Markets for short-term rental housing that have contracts with local governments for the payment of occupancy tax should continue to pay the tax in accordance with these agreements. Cities and certain special purpose counties and districts have the right to levy an additional local hotel tax levied by the local tax authority. States and locations differ in the way they structure occupancy taxes.

For example, states with robust vacation industries or multiple attractions may have multiple layers of occupancy taxes for a single transaction. For example, a single occupancy transaction may be subject to sales tax, local tourist district taxes, state occupancy taxes, or a combination of many types of taxes. A hotel is taxable if a guest does not stay for 30 consecutive days. In this case, a hotel may prefer to levy taxes and later give the guest a refund or credit. The hotel`s tourist tax, levied at the same rate as VAT, applies to room rental fees for periods of less than 30 days by the same person. In addition to hotels, the tax applies to the rental of rooms, apartments and houses negotiated through online or third-party providers. As of January 1, 2021, marketplaces for short-term rental housing that offer residential apartments for rent for less than 30 uninterrupted days will have to pay the tourist tax to the ministry. These include websites and platforms that facilitate the rental of housing units, including apartments, condominiums and houses, owned by third parties. There are no national or local hotel taxes on meeting and banquet facilities in a building where sleeping facilities are not available. Owners and operators should contact the county and city where their hotel is located for more information on how to collect and report local hotel taxes. No, county and city authorities and their employees must pay national and local hotel taxes and cannot claim a refund of taxes paid.

An exempt organization or its employee must provide the hotel with a completed form 12-302, Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate (PDF), and proof that the organization received a hotel tax exemption letter from the auditor`s office at the time of registration. Organizations that have benefited from a hotel tax exemption can be found using the controller`s search for tax-exempt entities. Travelers can decide which city to visit based on hotel taxes, but the table below provides useful information. The table is a brief summary of the 2015 ranking of hotel occupancy rates for the top 150 cities in the United States provided by HVS. Occupancy taxes also do not stop at the expense of simple accommodation. There are national and local occupancy tax rules for a la carte movies, meeting rooms, rental beds, safe rentals, late check-out fees, early check-in fees, cleaning fees, damage fees, golf course fees, laundry, valets, porters, minibar fees and even something called „peace of mind insurance.“ Although the auditor`s office does not issue printed hotel tax approvals, you can get hotel occupancy forms here. comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/hotel/forms/ tourist taxes, which are added to the hotel bill at the time of departure, can be an unexpected surprise at the end of a stay. Understanding how these taxes work can help you better plan your vacation finances. To meet expectations, we`ve created this quick guide to understand what exactly the hotel occupancy tax means. Cities and some special purpose counties and districts may each levy local hotel taxes, usually at rates of up to 7 per cent; Sports and community event projects can levy hotel taxes at rates of up to 2%, with the exception of Dallas County, which can charge hotel fees of up to 3%. The collection of an occupancy tax does not depend on whether or not a jurisdiction has a sales tax. .