Providence, R.I. -- The Rhode Island Department of Revenue today released its FY 2015 Local 1.0 Percent Hotel Tax Collections Report for November 2015. The Local 1.0 Percent Hotel Tax Collections Report, which is issued on a monthly basis, compares the collections from the state's local 1.0 percent hotel tax on a month-to-month, year-over-year, and fiscal year-to-date over fiscal year-to-date basis. The local 1.0 percent hotel tax is collected on the rental of rooms in the state and remitted, in full, to the municipality in which the room rental was located.
The November 2015 report may include FY 2016 local 1.0 percent hotel tax receipts generated from the expansion of the local hotel tax base to include the reselling of lodging by online travel companies, the unlicensed rental of accommodations via internet platforms and other media, and vacation home rentals. At this time, the Office of Revenue Analysis is unable to determine the amount collected from each of these local 1.0 percent hotel tax base expansions and thus an unknown amount of receipts from these expansions may be included in this report.
Acting Director of Revenue Marilyn S. McConaghy, Esq. noted that "even though FY 2016 local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections declined by 31.6 percent between October and November, year-over-year growth in November 2015 was robust at 13.8 percent which increased fiscal year-to-date over fiscal year-to-date growth to 12.9 percent. The comparable figures for last year at this time were 10.9 percent and 8.1 percent respectively, so for the November report, FY 2016 shows improved performance in local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections."
The entire report can be found on the Department of Revenue's web site at: http://www.dor.ri.gov/revenue-analysis/2016.php under the Local Reports tab. The full report includes the break down by municipality of local hotel tax collections on a month-to-month, year-over-year, and fiscal year-to-date over fiscal year-to-date basis.
Questions or comments on the report should be directed to Paul Grimaldi, Chief of Information and Public Relations by e-mail at paul.grimaldi@revenue.ri.gov or by phone at (401) 574-8766.