Brevard tourism tax collection moves to clerk; staff warns early months may undercount short‑term rentals

The Brevard County Tourism Development Council heard Sept. 24 that responsibility for collecting the county’s tourism development tax (TDT) is shifting from the tax collector to the county clerk, and staff warned the transition could leave some short‑term rentals temporarily uncollected.

Peter, a tourism staff member, told the council that July TDT receipts were up 1.9% year over year and that, based on STR reporting, August is tracking close to last year. He said the clerk's office has purchased collection software and plans to begin collections in October, but that the first months of collection “are gonna be a little shaky” as the clerk completes vendor contracts and establishes processes.

The council was shown recent Department of Revenue (DOR) data estimating the county’s…