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The deadline for hotels and businesses to remit any bed taxes collected in Lee County has been extended to Nov. 23.
Following Hurricane Ian, the Florida Department of Revenue declared an emergency order for the extension, according to a statement. Also known as the tourist development tax, the 5% bed tax applies to hotel stays and rentals of six months or less. The tax funds destination marketing, local sports facilities and 50 miles of beach and shoreline maintenance.
“This order gives a much-needed reprieve for businesses impacted by Hurricane Ian,” Kevin Karnes, Lee County clerk of the court and comptroller, says in the news release. “They now have extra time to send in any bed taxes they’ve collected from visitors, which is critical to funding our economy.”
The release states that tourism funds 20% of jobs in Lee County. Additionally, the county brought in nearly $65 million in bed taxes over the past year, which was a 26% increase from the previous year. However, that number is expected to drop after the damage left by Ian.
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