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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2010

Contact: Chad McLeod
(727) 464-3206 (office)
(727) 215-3673 (cell)

The Pinellas County Tax Collector’s Office today announced its participation with the Florida Department of Revenue to offer an amnesty program for delinquent tourist development taxes, a 5 percent tax commonly known as the "bed tax" required by Florida law on rooms rented for less than six months.

"The amnesty program is a way to encourage those in the business of short-term rentals to pay their required tourist development taxes," said Tax Collector Diane Nelson. "The tourist development tax is vital to Pinellas County, as it produces close to $25 million each year and is used mainly for local tourism promotion and beach renourishment."

From July 1 through Sept. 30, businesses and individuals, such as hotels and property owners, who have not paid tourist development taxes on rental activity occurring before July 1, 2010 are eligible for a tax amnesty, an agreement that releases delinquent taxpayers of standard liabilities and penalties if they pay all past-due tourist taxes plus 50 percent of interest charges.

To participate, taxpayers with tourist development accounts must provide the Pinellas County Tax Collector’s Office with an amnesty agreement to pay past-due taxes, along with a declaration of their monthly rental income. Anyone with short-term taxable rentals who has not registered should contact the Pinellas County Tax Collector’s Office to complete a tourist development tax application, an amnesty agreement, and a rental income declaration.

Failure to pay tourist development taxes violates Florida law and is punishable by statutory remedies, including penalties on the total tax due, daily interest, and a warrant filed in the Pinellas County Official Records, which creates a lien on the taxpayer’s property in Pinellas County.

For more information on the tourist development amnesty program or other Pinellas County Tax Collector services, visit www.taxcollect.com or call (727) 464-5007 to speak to a tax specialist.