Letter to the Editor: NJ ADDS ANOTHER TAX !
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
New Jersey recently adopted a bill that imposes the same lodging taxes on short-term rentals that hotels and motels pay. The change means that, starting Oct 1, operators of short-term rentals that are booked through companies such as Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, or others are now required to add these taxes to guests’ bills and remit them to the state.
Additionally, many municipalities in New Jersey also levy their own municipal occupancy taxes on hotels. The new law allows municipalities the option to impose new taxes and fees on short-term rentals, including: hotel occupancy fee, Atlantic City luxury tax, Atlantic City promotion fee, Cape May County tourism sales tax, Cape May County tourism assessment, sports and entertainment facility tax, and Meadowlands regional hotel use assessment.
Needless to say, this can be a thorny issue for NJ vacation rental homeowners and property managers, entrepreneurs, the local travel industry, and more.
Rob Stephens,
Co-Founder and General Manager of Avalara MyLodgeTax