Title
Ordinance No. 19-49 amending Section 1704 (Short Term Rental Units) of Part 17 (Short Term Rental Unit) of Article 5 (Administration and Procedures) of Chapter 7 (Planning, Development and Building) of City Code of the City of Colorado Springs 2001, as amended, pertaining to remittance of tax and short term rental unit permit review criteria.
(Legislative)
Presenter:
Morgan Hester, Principal Planner
Peter Wysocki, Director of Planning and Community Development
Body
Summary:
The proposed ordinance will amend City Code section 7.5.1704 to require the remittance of all sales and lodging taxes that are due to the City prior to the issuance of any Short Term Rental permit.
Previous Council Action:
N/A
Background:
Planning & Community Development staff presented a mid-year update on the short term rental unit program at the June 10, 2019 City Council work session. During the presentation, several Councilmembers expressed concern regarding the remittance of taxes owed to the City specific to those rental operators that have not yet come into compliance by acquiring permits and associated City sales tax licenses.
Anyone operating a short term rental unit (with a permit or not) likely owes sales and lodging taxes to the City under Chapter 2 of the City Code. The imposition of a permit requirement for short term rental units in 2018 did not change the requirement that taxes be remitted to the City for this activity. The requirement to pay taxes on this type of activity has been in place for many years under Chapter 2 of the City Code.
Upon receipt of an application for a new permit or renewal of an existing permit, the Planning Department will contact the Sales Tax Office within the Department of Finance ("Sales Tax Office") to verify the existence of a sales tax license. The proposed amendment to City Code section 7.5.1704 (C) will require any applicant to, in addition to obtaining a City sales tax license, affirm that they have remi...
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