If you're staying in an Ohio hotel, the amount of tax you must pay each night for your lodgings depends on your exact location. The tax you pay could differ significantly in one county over another, even if it's the same hotel chain. As of 2014, expect to pay at least a 7.5 percent Ohio state sales tax on any hotel room. Certain guests are exempt from the tax.
Ohio's counties and municipalities can charge occupancy taxes for each night you stay in a hotel room. For example, in you're staying in Columbus, in Franklin County, expect to pay a 10 percent nightly occupancy tax. Coupled with the state tax, that's 17.50 percent. In Hamilton County, where Cincinnati is located, you'll pay a 6.5 percent occupancy tax, for a total of 14 percent in state and local taxes.
If you work for the federal government and are traveling on official business, you might be exempt from the county lodging tax. The same holds true for state and local public employees traveling on official business, including school teachers from outside of Ohio. If you occupy a hotel room for more than 30 consecutive days, you might not have to pay the lodging tax. Hotel management can supply you with exemption regulations for that particular county or municipality.
