Post reply

Local taxes on timeshare occupancy (by Lance C.):

joanjett wrote:

How does Hawaii get away charging timeshare owners additional occupancy taxes on top of the yearly property taxes we already pay. We are not renting a hotel room, we are occupying our own deeded property, not renting?

I understand your pain. If I recall correctly, but don't hold me to this, there were a couple of issues behind this.

First, from what I've read, there was a vote/referendum about raising taxes and how to do it. So the voters obviously went with the philosophy "Tax the visitor, not the voter". So rather than raise income tax hurting the voters, they decided to raise occupancy tax dinging the visitors.

The other issue is contending that "we [owners] are occupying our own deeded property, not renting" I agree with you but I guess the reasoning is that timeshares, like motels/hotels keep the furniture and dishes there each time a new owner moves in. Therefore, it's transitory occupancy as opposed to long-term occupancy.