HOUSE BILL No. 6315

 

July 23, 2008, Introduced by Rep. Condino and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 1974 PA 263, entitled

 

"An act to permit counties to impose and collect an excise tax on

persons engaged in the business of providing rooms for dwelling,

lodging, or sleeping purposes to transient guests; to provide for

the disposition of the revenues thereof; and to prescribe

penalties,"

 

by amending the title and sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 (MCL 141.861,

 

141.862, 141.863, 141.864, and 141.867), section 2 as amended by

 

2004 PA 118 and section 7 as amended by 1989 PA 13.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

TITLE

 

     An act to permit counties certain local units of government to

 

impose and collect an excise tax on persons engaged in the business

 

of providing rooms for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes to

 

transient guests; to provide for the disposition of the revenues;

 


thereof; and to prescribe penalties.

 

     Sec. 1. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Accommodations" means the room or other space provided

 

for sleeping, including furnishings and other accessories therein.

 

Accommodations do not include food and beverages.

 

     (b) "Administrator" means the official designated by the

 

county qualified local governmental unit to collect the tax and to

 

administer and enforce the ordinance.

 

     (c) "Convention and entertainment facilities" means all or any

 

part, or any combination of convention halls, auditoriums,

 

stadiums, music halls, arenas, meeting rooms, exhibit areas, and

 

related public areas.

 

     (d) "Person" means a natural person, partnership, fiduciary,

 

association, corporation, or other entity.

 

     (e) "Qualified local governmental unit" means 1 of the

 

following:

 

     (i) A county with a population of less than 600,000 that

 

contains a city with a population of 40,000 or more.

 

     (ii) A city with a population of more than 50,000 and less than

 

100,000 that contains 2,500 or more hotel rooms.

 

     (f) (e) "Revenues" means the income derived from the tax, plus

 

interest and penalties imposed by this act, levied and assessed

 

under an ordinance adopted pursuant to this act.

 

     (g) (f) "Transient guest" means a natural person staying less

 

than 30 consecutive days.

 

     Sec. 2. (1) The county board of commissioners of a county

 

having a population of less than 600,000 persons, and having a city

 


of at least 40,000 population A qualified local governmental unit

 

may enact an ordinance to levy, assess, and collect an excise tax

 

from all persons engaged in the business of providing rooms for

 

dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes, except in hospitals or

 

nursing homes, to transient guests, whether or not membership is

 

required for the use of the accommodations.

 

     (2) If a qualified local governmental unit that is a county

 

meets the requirements of subsection (1) on the date it enacts an

 

ordinance under this act and, after the 1990 decennial census, the

 

county has a population of less than 120,000 persons and has a city

 

with a population of 35,000 or more persons, that county qualified

 

local governmental unit may continue to levy, assess, and collect

 

the excise tax under this act until October 1, 1991.

 

     (3) If a county qualified local governmental unit described in

 

subsection (2) has any accommodations located within the a county

 

that are also located within the boundaries of a city in which the

 

majority of the population of that city reside in an adjoining

 

county, then the accommodation is exempt from the tax under this

 

act.

 

     (4) If a county qualified local governmental unit described in

 

subsection (2) has any accommodations located within the a county

 

that are also located within the boundaries of a city with a

 

population of less than 5,000 persons, then the accommodation is

 

exempt from tax under this act.

 

     (5) The ordinance provided by this act may be amended or

 

repealed in the same manner as it was adopted.

 

     (6) The tax imposed pursuant to this act shall be at a rate of

 


not more than 5% of the total charge for accommodations subject to

 

this act.

 

     (7) If a county qualified local governmental unit meets the

 

requirements of subsection (1) on the date it enacts an ordinance

 

under this act, the county qualified local governmental unit may

 

continue to levy, assess, and collect the excise tax under this

 

act.

 

     Sec. 3. A county qualified local governmental unit levying a

 

tax pursuant to an ordinance adopted under this act shall provide

 

in the ordinance for:

 

     (a) The effective date of the ordinance which shall be in

 

accordance with section 5.

 

     (b) The rate of the tax to be imposed.

 

     (c) The rate and manner of the imposition of interest and

 

penalties for delinquency in payment of taxes or other violations

 

of the ordinance. The interest imposed on delinquency in payment of

 

the tax shall not be more than 1% per month or fraction thereof of

 

a month of the unpaid tax after the due date thereof until paid.

 

The penalty for delinquency in payment of the tax when due or other

 

violations of the ordinance may be in addition to the interest but

 

shall not be more than 5% of the amount of the unpaid tax per month

 

or fraction thereof of a month after the due date thereof until

 

paid. However, the penalty shall not exceed 25% of the unpaid tax.

 

     (d) The determination and allowance of abatements and refunds.

 

     (e) The designation of the administrator of the tax and

 

methods of collection.

 

     Sec. 4. A county qualified local governmental unit levying a

 


tax under this act may provide in the ordinance for:

 

     (a) The adoption and enforcement of rules to apply, interpret,

 

effectuate, and administer the ordinance and the purposes of the

 

tax.

 

     (b) The prescribing and furnishing to taxpayers of forms,

 

instructions, manuals, and other materials necessary for

 

indorsement of the tax and the auditing of tax returns.

 

     (c) The examination by the administrator or his or her agent

 

of the books and records of a taxpayer for purposes of determining

 

the correctness of a tax return or information filed, or the

 

determination of any tax liability thereunder under this act.

 

     (d) The imposition of a fine of not more than $500.00, or

 

imprisonment of not more than 90 days, or both for violation of the

 

ordinance.

 

     Sec. 7. The revenues derived from the taxes imposed pursuant

 

to this act shall be deposited in a special fund to be used by the

 

county qualified local governmental unit or by an authority that is

 

organized pursuant to state law, together with other available

 

funds only to pay:

 

     (a) The cost of administration and enforcement of the

 

ordinance.

 

     (b) The financing of the acquisition, construction,

 

improvement, enlargement, repair, or maintenance of convention and

 

entertainment facilities, including, except as provided in

 

subdivision (e), the payment of principal and interest, when due,

 

on bonds or other evidence of indebtedness issued by the county

 

qualified local governmental unit for convention and entertainment

 


facilities.

 

     (c) Except as provided in subdivision (e), current or future

 

annual rental payable by the county qualified local governmental

 

unit to an authority organized pursuant to state law for the

 

purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, enlarging,

 

repairing, or maintaining the convention and entertainment

 

facilities and leasing them to the county a qualified local

 

governmental unit.

 

     (d) The promotion and encouragement of tourist and convention

 

business in the county qualified local governmental unit.

 

     (e) The principal and interest, when due, on bonds or other

 

evidence of indebtedness issued by or on behalf of the county

 

qualified local governmental unit for the purpose of financing the

 

construction of a museum, or the current or future rental payable

 

by the county qualified local governmental unit to an authority

 

organized pursuant to state law for the purpose of constructing a

 

museum and leasing it to the county qualified local governmental

 

unit, only if the museum is located in a city with a population of

 

180,000 or more.