HB518:

Sales and transient occupancy taxes; accommodations intermediaries.

Bill Summary:

Sales and transient occupancy taxes; accommodations intermediaries. Changes the process by which sales and transient occupancy taxes are collected from accommodations sales involving accommodations intermediaries. Under current law, accommodations intermediaries remit these taxes to the Department of Taxation or a locality, or a hotel, depending on the circumstances. The bill requires accommodations intermediaries to collect such taxes and remit them to the Department of Taxation or a locality, as applicable. The bill also provides that in a transaction involving multiple parties that may be considered accommodations intermediaries, such parties may agree that one party shall be responsible for collecting and remitting the taxes. In such event, the party agreeing to collect and remit such taxes shall be the sole party liable for the tax. Accommodations intermediaries shall submit to localities certain information on accommodations facilitated by the intermediary on a monthly basis. The bill also broadens the definition of accommodations intermediary.

The bill directs the Department of Taxation to publish guidelines on implementation of the bill by August 1, 2022, and to convene a work group to examine the processes used to collect local transient occupancy taxes and make recommendations for improvements. The substantive provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of October 1, 2022.