Section 3A: Local excise tax; information concerning amount collected available
[Text of section effective as provided by 2018, 337, Secs. 14 and 15A as added by 2019, 5, Sec. 37.]
Section 3A. A city or town that accepts this section may impose a local excise upon the transfer of occupancy of a room in a bed and breakfast establishment, hotel, lodging house, short-term rental or motel located within that city or town by an operator at a rate of not more than 6 per cent of the total amount of rent for each such occupancy; provided, however, that the city of Boston may impose such local excise upon the transfer of occupancy of a room in a bed and breakfast establishment, hotel, lodging house, short-term rental or motel located within the city by an operator at the rate of not more than 6.5 per cent of the total amount of rent of each such occupancy. No excise shall be imposed if the total amount of rent is less than $15 per day or its equivalent or if the accommodation is exempt under section 2. An operator shall pay the local excise imposed under this section to the commissioner at the same time and in the same manner as the excise due to the commonwealth. All sums received by the commissioner under this section as excise, penalties or forfeitures, interest, costs of suit and fines shall at least quarterly be distributed, credited and paid by the state treasurer upon certification of the commissioner to each city or town that has adopted this section in proportion to the amount of such sums received from the transfer of occupancy in each such city or town. Acceptance of this section shall be: (i) by a majority vote of the city council with the approval of the mayor in the case of a city with a mayor elected to serve as the chief executive officer of the city; (ii) by a majority vote of the city council in every other city; (iii) by a majority vote of the annual town meeting or a special meeting called for that purpose in the case of a municipality with a town meeting form of government; or (iv) by a majority vote of the town council in the case of a municipality with a town council form of government. This section shall take effect on the first day of the calendar quarter following 30 days after its acceptance or on the first day of a later calendar quarter as the city or town may designate. The city or town, in accepting this section, shall not revoke or otherwise amend the applicable local tax rate more often than once in a 12-month period.
The commissioner shall make available to a city or town requesting such information the total amount of room occupancy tax collected in the preceding fiscal year in the city or town requesting the information.