Rep. Gurtler and Others Introduce Legislation to Repeal $5 Hotel/Motel Tax

ATLANTA – State Representative Matt Gurtler (R-Tiger) recently introduced House Bill 364, legislation that would repeal the $5 per night hotel/motel tax which was established by HB 170 and passed during the 2015 legislative session.

“Georgia is the only state in the Union that imposes a statewide tax of this kind,” said Rep. Gurtler. “As a limited government conservative, I want taxes to be as low and as fair as possible. The $5 hotel/motel tax fails on both fronts. Not only was it part of the largest tax increase in Georgia history, but it’s also inherently unfair and disproportionality affects smaller hotels and motels in border counties that have to compete with cheaper alternatives in neighboring states. Georgia’s hotels and motels are some of the most heavily taxed in the nation with the top four cites nationally for total tax on hotels and motels located in Georgia: Columbus with 22.9 percent, Macon with 22.7 percent, Augusta with 20.27 percent and Atlanta with 19.9 percent. For those reasons and in an effort to safeguard the free-market, I hope we can eliminate this unfair tax on prosperity.”