By Tom Flanigan
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-987502.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – A St. Petersburg lawmaker says on-line travel companies are committing tax fraud and state officials are letting them get away with it. Tom Flanigan reports it's the latest skirmish in a long-running battle between travel firms and tax collectors.
Millions of people save money by booking hotel rooms through so-called "O-T-Cs" online travel companies like Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotels.com. But Democratic State Representative Rick Kriseman says those firms keep collecting Florida hotel occupancy taxes at the top room rate and remit taxes at the lower discounted rate in clear violation of state law.
"I've been laser-focused on making sure that our state is doing all we can to collect the back taxes owed and the correct taxes going forward."
The big problem, Kriseman says, is that Florida Department of Revenue Chief Lisa Vickers and Attorney General Pam Bondi haven't been doing the same.
"It is your time to do your job and collect the money owed to Floridians from the OTCs and unfortunately our attorney general hasn't been any better than the Department of Revenue."
Florida's local tourist development councils say the tax dodge has cost them half-a-billion dollars in tax money over the past ten years.