County tourist taxes sent in error to Hillsborough, officials say
By Times Staff Writer
Published December 17, 2003
CLEARWATER - For five years, an out-of-state rental management company collected tourist taxes on its condo rentals in Pinellas County but sent the money to Hillsborough instead, county officials say. So far, nearly $250,000 has been returned to Pinellas, and that may be just the start. The Tax Collector's Office discovered the discrepancy during a routine audit. The county's 4 percent tax on room rentals brought in $16.5-million last year from more than 2,000 businesses.
Officials said the identity of the company involved was exempt from disclosure under the state's public record law, but Tax Collector Diane Nelson planned to waive any penalties because the errant payments were an innocent mistake. The state Department of Revenue now is trying to figure out whether Pinellas should receive sales tax revenue sent to Hillsborough by mistake. Officials also are studying whether the county lost Penny for Pinellas revenues. Nelson plans to put software in place early next year to track trends in tourist tax collections and help catch such mistakes.
