Tourist Development Tax Seminars

**ShallowsNole** · 10-21-2008, 05:30 PM

Tourist Development Tax Seminars! (free!)
Sponsored by the Bay, Okaloosa and Walton County Tourist Development Tax departments, the Bay and Okaloosa County TDCs and the Florida Department of Revenue

Wednesday, November 5, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Panama City Beach Board Meeting Room, corner of Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Rd) & Hwy 79

or

Wednesday, November 12, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Emerald Coast Conference Center, Okaloosa Island

Great information if you are beginning a new rental company, or if you've been in the biz forever!
Geared toward property managers, but owners who manage their own properties welcome too!
Meet the folks on the other end of the telephone and ask those questions that have been nagging you...

For more information or to RSVP, please call (850) 267-2040 during the business day or e-mail sunjoyce@co.walton.fl.us

**ShallowsNole** · 11-05-2008, 03:44 PM

The PCB Seminar is over

, but we still have plenty of room for the one on November 12 on Okaloosa Island. Just be sure to RSVP so that we will know how many handouts and how much in refreshments we need to bring!

**SWGB** · 11-05-2008, 10:53 PM

Can curious onlookers attend as well?

**ShallowsNole** · 11-06-2008, 10:06 AM

Yes, if you RSVP!

**robertsondavies** · 05-17-2009, 03:04 PM

Is this seminar about making it easy to submit and remit the 10% (or however ridiculous) bed tax levied on even VRBO crowd? Or is it geared toward educating the taxed, what value they get in return for that? It seems like these owners are getting squeezed at every turn... rental management companies take a big slice, insurance companies want more, assessor wants more, utility companies want more, bed tax bureacracy wants a wee bit more, etc etc etc..

pretty soon, no owners.

Originally Posted by ShallowsNole

Tourist Development Tax Seminars! (free!)
Sponsored by the Bay, Okaloosa and Walton County Tourist Development Tax departments, the Bay and Okaloosa County TDCs and the Florida Department of Revenue

Wednesday, November 5, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Panama City Beach Board Meeting Room, corner of Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Rd) & Hwy 79

or

Wednesday, November 12, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Emerald Coast Conference Center, Okaloosa Island

Great information if you are beginning a new rental company, or if you've been in the biz forever!
Geared toward property managers, but owners who manage their own properties welcome too!
Meet the folks on the other end of the telephone and ask those questions that have been nagging you...

For more information or to RSVP, please call (850) 267-2040 during the business day or e-mail sunjoyce@co.walton.fl.us

**ShallowsNole** · 05-21-2009, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by robertsondavies

Is this seminar about making it easy to submit and remit the 10% (or however ridiculous) bed tax levied on even VRBO crowd? Or is it geared toward educating the taxed, what value they get in return for that? It seems like these owners are getting squeezed at every turn... rental management companies take a big slice, insurance companies want more, assessor wants more, utility companies want more, bed tax bureacracy wants a wee bit more, etc etc etc..

pretty soon, no owners.

While I am not sure what you are referring to by "even VRBO crowd," our seminars are to provide education about collecting the taxes for our bed tax collectors - and this includes individual homeowners as well as our property management companies and hoteliers. Typically, it is a joint effort between Walton, Bay and Okaloosa County and the Florida Department of Revenue. We also ask representatives of the TDC/CVB of whichever county we are in to come by and give a presentation, as often our audience is the accounting staff and worker bees of our companies, and not the ones who get to normally interact with the local TDCs.

We hope to be able to do this again either this fall (2009) or next spring (2010). If we do, you will be more than welcome to attend.

**robertsondavies** · 05-21-2009, 03:49 PM

I can understand why you hold these seminars, it sounds like its your job to encourage full and complete collection of these taxes. That's great, and probably a great job to have especially now. My question for you as a potential taxpayer, is do you give value in return for the burdensome 11% pound of flesh?

In thinking about buying a house down in beautiful SoWal, beyond the taxes and insurance being killer, it seems like everyone has their hand in the cookie jar, including of course as always, the tax man, and then in this case (TDC) the bonus tax man. It certainly makes the math tougher to want to buy a house. You're a smart savvy person. You know you work for taxpayers, who must at some point be shown value. Would you ever suggest shutting your own agency down, and with it this bonus tax, if you couldn't look taxpayers in the eye and say, "Oh yes, you're getting a good value in return for this investment". I think it was easier to say that when property "values" were going up, and is a more serious debate when they're not.

**ShallowsNole** · 05-22-2009, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by robertsondavies

I can understand why you hold these seminars, it sounds like its your job to encourage full and complete collection of these taxes. That's great, and probably a great job to have especially now. My question for you as a potential taxpayer, is do you give value in return for the burdensome 11% pound of flesh?

In thinking about buying a house down in beautiful SoWal, beyond the taxes and insurance being killer, it seems like everyone has their hand in the cookie jar, including of course as always, the tax man, and then in this case (TDC) the bonus tax man. It certainly makes the math tougher to want to buy a house. You're a smart savvy person. You know you work for taxpayers, who must at some point be shown value. Would you ever suggest shutting your own agency down, and with it this bonus tax, if you couldn't look taxpayers in the eye and say, "Oh yes, you're getting a good value in return for this investment". I think it was easier to say that when property "values" were going up, and is a more serious debate when they're not.

When speaking of "value," you must remember that the TDT is by Florida law supposed to benefit tourism by way of marketing and/or enhancing what we have to offer our visitors. That's it. It's not supposed to benefit us. Ours does benefit the local population due to the beach cleaning and the construction and upkeep of the beach accesses. We didn't always have boardwalks, steps to the beach, and bathrooms. In my youth we had to trudge up, down and over sand dunes and do our business in the Gulf.

Closing my agency? I don't have an agency. The agency I work for is established by the Florida constitution and the person in charge is up for election every four years. Remember, we are not an anomaly. Most counties in Florida do have a lodging tax on short-term rentals, and 4% to 5% is pretty much standard these days. Some counties have beaches, and others fund civic arenas and convention centers. All the same.

Lastly, the only time you are personally affected by the TDT is when you either rent an accommodation as a visitor, or you invest in a home and choose to rent it to others. While you will cough up the state and local sales tax every time you go to a store or restaurant, we won't shake the extra 4.5% out of you if you don't rent.

I am going into relaxation mode now. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

**robertsondavies** · 05-23-2009, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by ShallowsNole

When speaking of "value," you must remember that the TDT is by Florida law supposed to benefit tourism by way of marketing and/or enhancing what we have to offer our visitors. That's it. It's not supposed to benefit us. Ours does benefit the local population due to the beach cleaning and the construction and upkeep of the beach accesses. We didn't always have boardwalks, steps to the beach, and bathrooms. In my youth we had to trudge up, down and over sand dunes and do our business in the Gulf.

Closing my agency? I don't have an agency. The agency I work for is established by the Florida constitution and the person in charge is up for election every four years. Remember, we are not an anomaly. Most counties in Florida do have a lodging tax on short-term rentals, and 4% to 5% is pretty much standard these days. Some counties have beaches, and others fund civic arenas and convention centers. All the same.

Lastly, the only time you are personally affected by the TDT is when you either rent an accommodation as a visitor, or you invest in a home and choose to rent it to others. While you will cough up the state and local sales tax every time you go to a store or restaurant, we won't shake the extra 4.5% out of you if you don't rent.

I am going into relaxation mode now. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

THat's a good explanation, thanks for educating me on it all. I thought it was like 11%, and also forget all the things it really pays for as a use tax, such as beach cleaning etc. and walkovers - it sounds reasonable to me

You have yourself a great memorial day weekend too.

**Mermaid** · 07-03-2009, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by robertsondavies

THat's a good explanation, thanks for educating me on it all. I thought it was like 11%, and also forget all the things it really pays for as a use tax, such as beach cleaning etc. and walkovers - it sounds reasonable to me

You have yourself a great memorial day weekend too.

Effective October 1, 2009 the Tourist Development Tax is going to be 4 1/2%, up a half percent from what we currently pay.

**ShallowsNole** · 07-08-2009, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by Mermaid

Effective October 1, 2009 the Tourist Development Tax is going to be 4 1/2%, up a half percent from what we currently pay.

Making the total to collect 11.5%.

SoWal for Southwest Airlines.

Wanna get away??

**wrobert** · 07-08-2009, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by ShallowsNole

Making the total to collect 11.5%.

SoWal for Southwest Airlines.

Wanna get away??

There is another low cost start up I read about the other day offering 9 dollar tickets. I think you have to stand up and hold onto a strap the whole trip or something.

**SWGB** · 07-09-2009, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by wrobert

There is another low cost start up I read about the other day offering 9 dollar tickets. I think you have to stand up and hold onto a strap the whole trip or something.

8 bucks for a wing seat, but at least you can smoke.

If you can light it.

**wrobert** · 07-09-2009, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by SWGB

8 bucks for a wing seat, but at least you can smoke.

If you can light it.

Jet America Airlines To Fly For 9 Dollar Tickets

**SWGB** · 07-09-2009, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by wrobert

Jet America Airlines To Fly For 9 Dollar Tickets

Newark to Toledo, you'd have to pay me to take that flight. It's also only the first 9 seats. It's all marketing. Of course South West is doing some pretty good deals right now for post Labor Day travel. Some flights as low as $30.00. Get ready for another round of airline bankruptcies.

**hnooe** · 07-19-2009, 04:15 PM

I hate flying Deltwest Airlines--they are really weird now!

**Busta Hustle** · 12-20-2009, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by ShallowsNole

Making the total to collect 11.5%.

SoWal for Southwest Airlines.

Wanna get away??

Looks like Jan. through Sept. 2009 Walton county bed taxes collected dropped about 6.5% or $666,000 over the same time period 2008.

**ShallowsNole** · 12-23-2009, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by Busta Hustle

Looks like Jan. through Sept. 2009 Walton county bed taxes collected dropped about 6.5% or $666,000 over the same time period 2008.

Incorrect. It was actually down 7.02% for fiscal year 2009 from fiscal year 2008. Not too far off the mark when compared to FY 2007, though. And, it's far too early to tell, but things **may** be starting to look up.

**Busta Hustle** · 12-29-2009, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by ShallowsNole

Incorrect.

BH: (I think my numbers are correct for the time period I mention. I chose calendar months Jan.-Sept. because the tax hike started Oct 1.)

SN: It was actually down 7.02% for fiscal year 2009 from fiscal year 2008.

BH: (Ouch!) Is your fiscal year Oct to Oct? Sonny M. was quoted at 8% in the SUN.)

SN: Not too far off the mark when compared to FY 2007, though.

BH: (So we got that going for us.)

SN: And, it's far too early to tell, but things **may** be starting to look up.

BH: (I Know everyone hopes you are right on that.)