Chris

There are many places that have local, county, and hotel tax added to their bill

kd7eir Loc: Tucson, AZ

In most states they use those room/bed taxes as well as special taxes on rental cars to fund such important public services as building professional sports stadiums - in other words - they make the people that do not live there pay for them.

Dannj

You really need to check these extra charges. I’ve had hotel bills with charges for the health club, business center, etc. Seems like some places routinely use these “add on” because guests don’t check their bills, especially guests on expense accounts.

Hammer Loc: London UK

Hi Jerry ,

If you think the USA is bad you want to try the UK .

Say your employer has a spare £113.80 to give you . Well, they can't. because they have to pay an employment tax , called employers national insurance in the UK. Lets day you are in the start of the personal higher rate band , you will pay 42% to the Gov. 40% tax and 2% national insurance (more tax). You're now left with £58 . You decide to buy a light fitting for your home . That will include 20% VAT (sales tax ) . We pay £48 + tax , in round figures .

So you started of with £113.80, you ended up with £48 of light fitting and the Gov got £65.80 , 52% ( roughly ) .

If you spent your £58 on some spirits for a party , your taxes are 78% ! You you get £12 worth of hooch and the Gov get £101, 88% !!1

You decide that you will keep the lamp above and when you die you leave it to one of your children . No problem but you have to pay 40% inheritance tax on it . Than the £48 cost inclusive of tax !!

Another £19 . Spoke the Gov get about 75% of your income !.

There are tax exmpt allowances etc but the above is not an over simplification , its a statement of what happens at the margins . Add to this, that we have marginal rates of income tax that go over 60% and you will see what a joy our system is !!

When are you emigrating Jerry ?

RainierView Loc: Eatonville, WA

Now in Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo paying their $20.00 per night 'Resort Tax' on top of everything else. As if the city doesn't make enough from the casinos.

Beemer

We are not required to use hotels. The bed or occupancy taxes are used to have out of towers fund local projects. Usually, locals are exempted from this fee.

RSPB Loc: New York

I'm about 2 hours north of you - Adirondack foothills. The bed tax here is a county imposed tax on motel/hotel rooms to raise money for tourism efforts as our area relies heavily on tourism for revenue. It's a way to raise money for these efforts from the businesses that benefit from tourism.

sbohne

Sorry son, we are NOT the most taxed nation in the world. Quit listening to Rush and Alex Jones. This reminds me of the man who posted on another site that up until 1918 Americans kept every nickel of what they made, they were not taxed, and that we had the world's biggest military. That was ALSO false, just like your post. Up until 1918, the US military was very small, and that's why we were so unprepared for WWI. We operated on excise taxes, property taxes, tax stamps, customs fees and duties, tariffs, and fees from the use and sale of US properties. People paid taxes, just not INCOME taxes. And while that tax on the motel room and bed may not pay for freedom, the taxes paid to defend this country from Hitler and Communism certainly DID pay for freedom. Sleep much during Civics or history class?

napabob Loc: Napa CA

here in Napa CA we just voted to raise the TOT tax to help provide more affordable housing to those who work in the hospitality industry, we have restaurants closing from not being able to find enough employees do to the lack of housing, we want those who stay and enjoy our valley to help pay for those who find it difficult to survive here

Mark-VA

"Bed tax" is a common name for a tourism tax on lodging. Likely the two taxes are from different taxing authorities. Here in Virginia we have 2 taxes on prepared meals such has carry out food and restaurants. One is state and one is city/county.

RonKoris Loc: St. Helena Island, SC

When I had a business in Chesapeake, VA I had to pay a tax for rainwater and keeper waiting for the tax on sunshine.

RAR_man Loc: stow, MA

I just can't understand why Americans are so eager to pay MORE taxes. Our governments (local, state, fed) do a fair to lousy job with our money. Yet we are so happy to elect politicians that promise to raise taxes or propose new, expensive programs that will result in higher taxes. I certainly appreciate some of the things that our governments do for me/us, but get real. We all know that the money is rarely spent wisely and that if we were doing the job or having the work done, the bill would come in at a small fraction of what it costs our governments. $500 hammers come to mind?

Now with the new Congress coming in, many of the newbies ran on Progressive (higher taxes) platforms. Social compassion shouldn't necessarily mean more government spending...but it always does. Our welfare system is a mess. It incentivizes recipients to not seek mainstream work. If they work, they often work for under-the-table pay. Before any of you fly off the handle, when i refer to those on welfare, i'm not talking about folks that are TRULY disabled. Am referring to those that are able bodied...including those that falsely claim disability. Dont you love paying for them? How about the families that are now 3rd generation welfare recipients. How about families with relatives that don't help them out. Remember Aunt Zatoony (obummer's aunt) receiving welfare benefits and living a nice life in Boston.

Some years ago, a welfare recipient caused an accident that ran a Boston Globe delivery truck off a bridge. When the State Police officer looked at her wallet for ID, he found 3 or 4 EBT cards. When he questioned her about that, she clearly said that he was stupid for working for a living when the government is willing to support you and give you everything you need. Why are any welfare recipients allowed to have an automobile? I would think they would have sold it to keep solvent in the first place.

Some years ago, I heard a former social worker for the state of Massachusetts. She quit her job. When asked why, she stated that it made her sad to go into so many welfare apartments only to see that the welfare recipients seemed to have a better life than she did...nicer furniture. Nicer tech. The latest and greatest...all on the government. I know that isn't always the case, but certainly there is a lot of that.

Are you tax dollars being spent wisely? Are you happy to pay more taxes? If so, why don't you do that now voluntarily?

FrankR Loc: NYC

Doesn’t make difference which hotel you stay at, the taxes are the same in that location.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Dallas is a big convention city, so what better way to pay off the bill for the arena for the Dallas Mavericks than jack up the tax on those conventioneers when they stay in hotels, or anybody else who stays in a hotel or motel in Dallas? Like it or not, that's how we got our arena, at least partially.

At least conventioneers get to pass the cost back on to whoever sent them.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Is it even possible to rent a hotel room without a bed?