Business
Tourist development tax
The monthly tax on motel rooms and short-term rentals, which funds the beach clean-up and the reopening of the waterfront.
01About this service
About this service
The tourist development tax is a monthly tax on motel rooms and short-term rentals in Kelly County, paid by guests and collected by the owner on each stay of six months or less.
Every dollar goes to the beach clean-up and to the reopening of the Port Gellhorn waterfront, one block at a time. Register your rental online or at the office; returns are filed by mail or in person. This page explains the steps.
Who it’s for
- Motel, hotel and campground owners
- Owners renting a room, a house or a boat to stay on for six months or less
- Property managers who collect rent for an owner
02How it works
4 steps, start to finish.
Step 1: Register your rental
Register each property before your first guest, online or at the Tourist Tax Office. The tax collector checks it and issues a registration certificate, valid one year.
Step 2: Collect the tax on each stay
Add the tax to the room rate on every bill, including cleaning and resort fees. Show it as a separate line.
Step 3: File every month
File the monthly return by mail or at the office by the 20th, even for a month with no guests. Late returns pay a 10% penalty.
Step 4: Keep records three years
Keep guest registers, bills and returns for three years. The county may ask for them in an audit.
03What to prepare
Have these ready.
- The address of each property you rent
- Your State business registration number
- A register of each stay: dates, rate and tax collected
Ways to do it
- Online
Register a rental online and follow the review in My Leonida.
- In person
The Tourist Tax Office on Wharf Row, Tuesday to Friday, for registration, returns and payments.
- By mail
Monthly returns and checks by mail to the Tourist Tax Office.
- By phone
The office answers questions about rates, exemptions and late returns.
Your request goes straight to the team in charge. Keep your reference number: it is your proof of filing.
04Questions
Frequently asked questions
05Run by
Who runs this service
Questions about your case? Kelly County can help.
County offices open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the Tourist Tax Office, Tuesday to Friday.
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