What is the hotel tax rate in Raleigh?

Raleigh hotel stays are taxed at roughly 13% total. This combines North Carolina's 4.75% state sales tax, Wake County's 2.5% local sales tax, and Wake County's 6% room occupancy (lodging) tax.

What does the occupancy tax fund?

Wake County's 6% room occupancy tax funds tourism, convention, and visitor promotion programs, including the convention center and sports authority. It applies on top of regular sales tax on the room.

Does the tax apply to resort or cleaning fees?

Mandatory accommodation charges are generally taxable, but optional incidentals like parking or dining may be taxed differently. This tool taxes only the room charge you enter, so add fees separately if needed.

Are there flat per-night fees too?

Raleigh does not add a separate flat city lodging fee on every stay, but individual hotels may charge their own resort or facility fees. Those are property-specific and not part of the 13% tax.

Is this an exact figure?

It is a close estimate. Combined rates can shift if state or county rates change, and some districts differ slightly. Check your folio for the exact line items.

Raleigh Hotel & Occupancy Tax Calculator

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This calculator shows what a Raleigh hotel room really costs after taxes. North Carolina layers state and county sales tax on lodging, then Wake County adds a 6% room occupancy tax, for a combined rate of about 13%.

How it works

The combined rate is applied to the room charge per night, then multiplied by the number of nights:

tax_per_night = nightly_rate * 0.13
total_tax     = tax_per_night * nights
room_total    = nightly_rate * nights
grand_total   = room_total + total_tax

The 13% breaks down as 4.75% NC state sales tax + 2.5% Wake County local sales tax + 6% Wake County room occupancy tax.

Example

A $140 room for 3 nights: the room subtotal is $420, tax per night is about $18.20, total tax is about $54.60, and the grand total is about $474.60.

Notes

This is an estimate. The 13% blends state sales tax, county sales tax, and the county occupancy tax. Individual hotels may add their own resort or facility fees, which are not part of the tax. Check your folio for exact line items.