What is the Washington DC hotel tax rate?

Washington DC imposes a 14.95% transient lodging sales tax on hotel and short-term rental room charges. This is one of the highest lodging tax rates among major US cities and applies to the room rate, not to resort or parking fees.

Where does the DC hotel tax money go?

The 14.95% rate combines the general transient lodging sales tax with dedicated portions for the Washington Convention and Sports Authority and the city's destination marketing fund, supporting tourism infrastructure.

Does the tax apply to resort or cleaning fees?

Generally the 14.95% applies to the taxable room charge. Mandatory resort or service fees may or may not be taxed depending on how the property structures them; check your folio for the exact base used.

Are short-term rentals taxed the same way?

Yes. Licensed short-term rentals in DC are subject to the same transient lodging sales tax, usually collected and remitted by the booking platform on the host's behalf.

Is this an exact bill?

It is a close estimate. The headline 14.95% rate is fixed, but properties may add separate fees that are taxed differently. Confirm against your final folio for the precise total.

Washington DC Hotel & Occupancy Tax Calculator

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Washington DC charges a transient lodging sales tax of 14.95% on hotel and short-term rental room charges — among the steepest lodging taxes in the United States. The rate bundles the general lodging tax with dedicated funding for the Washington Convention and Sports Authority and destination marketing. This free calculator applies the 14.95% rate to your room charge so you can see your true total bill before you book.

How it works

The tax applies to the taxable room charge per night:

Tax per night = nightly_rate * 0.1495.
Total tax = tax_per_night * nights.
Room subtotal = nightly_rate * nights.
Grand total = room_subtotal + total_tax.

The 14.95% rate is fixed for taxable room charges; resort and service fees may be taxed separately depending on the property.

Example

A $200 room for 3 nights: tax per night is 200 * 0.1495 = $29.90, total tax is $89.70, the room subtotal is $600, and the grand total is $689.70.

Notes

This estimate covers the headline 14.95% lodging tax on the room rate. Some hotels add mandatory resort, parking, or service fees that are taxed on a different base, so your final folio may differ slightly. Short-term rentals carry the same tax, usually collected by the platform. All math runs locally in your browser.