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Garrett County bill would expand hotel-tax definition to cover short-term rentals
Summary
Senate Bill 7-63 would expand Garrett County’s hotel definition to include short‑term rental units and require online platforms to collect and remit county accommodation taxes, aligning short‑term rentals with hotels for taxation.
Senate Bill 7-63, presented to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, would expand Garrett County’s definition of "hotel" to include transient vacation rental units and require online rental platforms to perform specified collection and remittance duties for the county hotel rental tax.
"These changes enable Garrett County to collect an accommodation tax on the properties rented through online rental platforms such as Airbnb [and] VRBO," Senator Mike McKay, sponsor, told the committee. McKay said a similar bill had been introduced by the Comptroller and that Garrett County seeks a local approach if the committee prefers a geographically targeted solution.
Supporters said the proposal is intended to create a level playing field between traditional hotels and short-term rentals and to ensure that all accommodations contributing to the local tourism industry are taxed consistently. McKay said the county commissioners provided a letter of support that was included in the committee packet.
A senator from Charles County thanked the sponsor for local coordination; no formal committee action was recorded at the hearing and supporters asked for a favorable report.
