New tax could leave people spending more for Jersey Shore vacation

<p>A new tax set to go into effect Monday could leave people paying hundreds of dollars more for a week at the Jersey Shore.</p>

News 12 Staff

Sep 25, 2018, 11:48 AM

Updated 2,271 days ago

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A new tax set to go into effect Monday could leave people paying hundreds of dollars more for a week at the Jersey Shore.
The new tax could add 12 to 14-percent on the cost of a week at the beach if you rent a home using services such as online websites and Airbnb.
If you typically find a shore rental through a realtor, you would be exempt from the tax. 
Lawmakers up and down the Jersey Shore right now are extremely opposed to the bill known as 1753, which imposes a state sales and use tax and hotel and motel occupancy fee for accommodations such as Airbnb. 
The problem is private short term home rentals would also fall under the umbrella of the bill.
Some homeowners say the extra tax could chase would-be vacationers right out of the state to neighboring beaches in Delaware and Maryland.
“It's hurting the owner's, the homeowners who rent as well as all the tourists that will come to the Jersey Shore,” says Duane Watlington, a private for-rent-by-owner homeowner. “If they're going to oppose it almost 12-percent tax and more if you factor in the local sales taxes to this, it cuts out of significant amount of vacationers’ budget that they can spent in our local businesses down the shore.”
Lawmakers are extremely against the tax, which they say is just going to hurt tourism.
State Sen. Robert Singer says, “This is another way to hurt tourism in New Jersey. This was not a good shore year, it was a tough season because of weather. This is what happens when you look to tax only part of an issue. They should never have taxed anything. "
Sen. Singer also says the bill is still under discussion in Trenton.
The bill might not go into enforcement Oct. 1 because of the amount of backlash and the amount of vagueness written into it.