PROVIDENCE – Collection of the 1 percent hotel tax in August in Rhode Island totaled $723,186, a 6 percent decline year over year from $769,360, according to the R.I. Department of Revenue Thursday.
Of the August collections, $631,048 was from hotels, a 1.6 percent increase from $620,904 the year prior. Room resellers and hosting platforms accounted for $10,500 in collections, following a $14,187 collection in August 2017, and $81,638 was collected from realtors and homeowners, a 39.2 percent decline from the year prior.
The largest collection of the 1 percent hotel tax for the month was in Newport at $196,129, an increase from $194,756 one year prior.
The largest nominal increase took place in Pawtucket, rising $3,302 year over year to $6,969. The largest nominal decline in August collections occurred in New Shoreham, where collection declined $43,883 year over year to $52,785. The decrease was due to a $43,635 year-over-year decline in collections from realtors and homeowners – a major element of the overall state collection decline.
Through the first two months of fiscal 2019 the 1 percent hotel tax in Rhode Island generated $1.5 million in revenue for the state, a 3.3 percent year-over-year decline from July and August of fiscal 2018.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. Email him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.