Placer County going after unpaid TOT

Placer County is getting aggressive with hotel tax collections.

Supervisors this month approved a $175, 000 contract with MuniServices of Fresno to assist with conducting more frequent inspections of records, and ensuring lodging operators are complying with the requirement. There are nearly 4,000 lodging operators in Placer County registered to collect transient occupancy tax. TOT must be collected by traditional lodging providers like hotels, but also by those who provide lodging through Internet-based services like Airbnb, Homeaway and Vacation Rentals By Owner.

In fiscal year 2015, the county collected nearly $14 million in TOT.

The county says it does not have the staff to do the job in house.

TOT helps fund public infrastructure projects, tourism marketing and promotion, public safety, transportation, libraries, parks, and historical and environmental preservation projects.