Providence, R.I. -- The Rhode Island Department of Revenue today released its FY 2018 Local 1.0 Percent Hotel Tax Collections Report for September 2017. 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.
Expansion of the Local 1.0 Percent Hotel Tax Base The September 2017 report includes the local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections generated by the rental of lodging via hosting platforms and by on-line travel companies (room resellers) and vacation home rentals by homeowners and realtors for all municipalities other than the City of Newport. For the City of Newport, local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections from these rentals covers only July through September 2017 and not July through September 2016.
Highlights from the report as noted by Director of Revenue Mark A. Furcolo were • Local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections were down sharply between September and August 2017, declining at a rate of 24.8 percent, consistent with the end of the summer season in Rhode Island but greater than the 7.9 percent drop between September and August 2016; o September 2017 cash collections include $88,985 in receipts attributable to the local 1.0 percent hotel tax base expansion vs. $148,456 accounted for in August 2017; • Year-over-year local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections rose for September 2017, growing at a 4.7 percent rate and significantly below the 28.5 percent rate recorded in September 2016. o Year-over-year FY 2018 local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections include $88,985 of receipts generated from the local 1.0 percent hotel tax base expansion vs. $98,540 recorded in September 2016 • Fiscal year-to-date over fiscal year-to-date increase in local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections for September 2017 remained robust at 14.3 percent but fell below the 17.9 percent fiscal year-to-date-over-fiscal year-to-date increase posted in September 2016; o Year-to-date FY 2018 local 1.0 percent hotel tax collections through September incorporate $400,691 of receipts generated from the local 1.0 percent hotel tax base expansion vs. $225,955 recorded in FY 2017 through September.
The entire report can be found on the Department of Revenue's web site at http://www.dor.ri.gov/revenue-analysis/2018.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.