A lot of vacationers hit the hay in Manatee County in 2020-21, generating $23 million in bed tax revenues.
The county tax collector’s office reported Nov. 1 the collection of the tourist development tax was $23,065,224 in fiscal 2020-21 compared with 2019-20’s $15,087,122.
The dollars come from the 5% tax collected on rentals of six months or less.
The county’s fiscal year runs Oct. 1-Sept. 30.
Two months in 2021 showed percentage increases in the triple digits from the same months in 2020.
In April 2020, the first full month the United States felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, collections were $449,904. A year later, in April 2021, they spiked 438% to $2,423,607.
In May 2020, with short-term vacation
rentals prohibited to curb the spread of the virus, the tax generated $558,013 compared with $1,981,648 in May 2021.
Only one month in 2021 showed fewer tax dollars generated than in 2020. February 2021 generated $1,928,628 in tax dollars compared with $2,114,161 in 2020.
September tourist tax beats 2020
Tourist tax collections for September also trounced the same month’s revenue in 2020.
Tourist tax revenue for September — collected by the government in October and reported Nov. 1 — totaled $1,400,017, up 25.38% from September 2020.
About 24.65% of the September tax collected, $345,198, was generated in Holmes Beach.
The tax collected from Anna Maria was $177,571, about 12.68% of the total.
Bradenton Beach produced about 7.64% of the tax collected — $106,971.
Some more numbers for September:
- Unincorporated Manatee County, $520,772, 37.19%;
- Bradenton, $139,798, 9.98%;
- Longboat Key, $103,254, 7.37%;
- Palmetto, $6,590, 0.47%.
The collection fee or commission on the tax is 3%, leaving a net collection for the Manatee County Tourist Development Council in September of $1,358,016.
The tax revenues must be used to boost and develop tourism, including funding for entities such as the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and projects, such as island beach renourishment and construction of the new Anna Maria City Pier.
The October numbers, the first of fiscal year 2021-22, will be released in early December.
September tourist tax collections
September 2017: $761,231
September 2018: $622,088
September 2019: $746,285
September 2020: $1,116,591
September 2021: $1,400,017
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector
