Transient room tax collections in Trigg County are up, so far this fiscal year, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the virtual Cadiz-Trigg County Tourist and Convention Commission meeting last week, chairman Deepak Patel says they have seen steady guests at hotels by the interstate in June and July.
Commission Director Bill Stevens adds tax collections from personal owned properties have increased this summer. Patel says that’s because of the pandemic.
Stevens adds even collections from Lake Barkley State Resort Park were up, even though they were closed for some time at the beginning of the pandemic.
Stevens says they have to come up with a way to be able to collect taxes from all of the private vacation rentals in the county because rental websites like VRBO are not.
The commission has been having issues trying to identify the properties that are required to pay the local transient room tax. Earlier this year, members had a discussion with Trigg County Judge-Executive Hollis Alexander and Trigg County Attorney Randy Braboy, but the commission has not been made aware of any action taken after that conversation.
Websites like Air BNB and VRBO charge for national and state taxes, but they are not set up to collect local taxes.
