The Tourist Development Tax……..to pay or not to pay, that is NOT the question. Both Collier County and Lee County have a so-called tourist tax on accomodations and related services for rental agreements up to a six month lease. If you have ever stayed at a hotel in Naples, as an example, you have paid that tax and a state bed tax whether you were aware of it or not. If you own or plan to own a property that you will rent out on a short term or seasonal basis, then you are required to register that home or condo with the county as well as the state of Florida. There are guidelines for how and when to pay. This is not to be ignored as there are serious consequences if you fail to comply.
There is some GOOD NEWS! The good news is that you are collecting the money from someone else. That “someone else” is your tenant. As an owner of a seasonal rental property, it is your duty to make sure that the tourist tax is collected and then paid to the proper jurisdiction. However, it is not coming out of your pocket. Here is more GOOD NEWS – Ellie manages rental properties as part of her professional real estate services and will take care of this if you are her client. In addition to representing buyers and investors to make the initial purchase, listing and marketing homes for sale, she handles seasonal rentals. Consult Ellie at (239) 776-5077 or Ellie@StepsToTheBeach.com with your questions about the tourist tax and property management.
For more information about the 4% Collier County tax and contact information regarding the 6% Florida state tax, click on this link: http://www.colliertax.com/ttax.html
For more information about the 5% Lee County tax and contact information regarding the 6% Florida state tax, click on this link: http://leeflclerk.govoffice3.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={16CDB809-5A6C-4F4B-A0E6-BE67B729C009}
You’ll find a tab on the Lee County site for tourist tax FAQ’s, too.
If you are wondering just what all of that money is used for, the tax dollars are used for beach and shoreline improvements, to market for more tourism in the off season and to increase awareness of our area as a vacation destination.
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