Treasurer’s records show at least $96,000 in tax exemptions issued since 2016.
BEAVER — The county’s tourism director wants to roll the dice to see if more than a dozen hotels doled out tax exemptions properly the past three years.
Tim Ishman, director of tourism and recreation for Beaver County, said he wants to hire an outside auditor to review the hotel tax records for 2016, 2017 and 2018.
“It’s a gamble, it’s unknown what we’ll find,” Ishman said. “While the audit would look at what needs to be turned in, it’s also about educating. The side effect could be funds.”
State law allows an audit of the hotel tax to reach back three years. According to records provided by the county treasurer’s office, there were tax exemptions issued on $2.2 million in hotel room receipts between January 2016 and June 2018.
That resulted in at least $96,000 in tax exemptions during that time.
A Times review of information provided by the county treasurer’s office, which collects and records the tax and its exemptions, shows that six hotels did not provide any information to the county about who was not paying the hotel tax and why. Officials for an additional eight properties filed only part of the…
