Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Taxation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council flags limits to state data on transient room taxes, considers subpoena route
Summary
Council members heard staff say the state does not provide address-level TRT receipts and discussed subpoenaing platforms (Airbnb/Vrbo) or requiring registration to improve auditing and enforcement.
Councilors expressed concern that the state provides only aggregate transient-room-tax (TRT) totals by ZIP code, which makes local auditing difficult. Staff described how some coastal cities collect TRT locally and can demand more granular data, but that when the state collects and remits the tax it may not provide address-level breakdowns to municipalities.
Staff said obtaining an address-by-address breakdown from the Department of Revenue will require a public-record request: "I have to submit a public record request," the Staff member said when asked how to get the data. Councilors discussed whether to pursue subpoena authority to compel platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo to hand over listings and occupancy details, or to require registration that would create local records without depending on state data.
