Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
1. What are my responsibilities as a Lodging Provider in Plumas County?
a. Obtain a TOT certificate from the County Tax Collector.
- Plumas County Ordinance, Sec. 3-4.06. - Registration of operators. Within ten (10) days after commencing business, each operator of a lodging, located within the unincorporated areas of the County, who rents occupancies to transients, shall register the lodging with the Tax Administrator. The Tax Administrator shall provide the operator with a "Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate" which shall be posted at all times in a conspicuous place at the lodging.
b. Timely reporting and payments
- Plumas County Ordinance. Sec. 3-4.07. - Taxes to be held in trust: Reporting and remitting. The report and full payment shall be made on or before the last day of the month following the close of each calendar quarter or at the close of any shorter reporting period established by the Tax Administrator. The Tax Administrator may establish shorter reporting periods for any certificate holder, and may require additional information in the report, in order to ensure the timely and full payment of the taxes.
c. Collection and payment of FRTMD 2% assessment. If your lodging property is within the boundaries of the FRTMD you are also required to collect and pay this assessment when remitting the TOT return, Special note to Airbnb providers: If you have elected to have Airbnb collect and pay your TOT you are still responsible for collecting the 2% assessment and remitting quarterly returns to the county.
2. What is the basis for the Feather River Tourism Marketing District (FRTMD) assessment?
a. The FRTMD assessment is authorized by the California Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994 (Streets and Highway Code §36600 et. seq.)
b. This law allows for the creation of a benefit assessment district to raise funds within a specific geographic area that provide a stable, long-term source of funding for tourism promotion. In addition:
- Funds must be spent on services and improvements that provide a specific benefit only to those who pay
- Funds cannot be diverted to general government programs
- Funds are governed by those who pay the assessment
c. The specific assessment plan for FRTMD was petitioned for by over 64% of the area lodging providers and was subsequently approved October 13, 2020 by the Plumas County Board of Supervisors.
3. What is the Feather River Tourism Association (FRTA)? And what is its relationship to FRTMD?
a. FRTA serves as the owner’s association of the FRTMD. FRTA board of directors is comprised of a majority of representatives of assessed lodging businesses within FRTMD.
b. The management plan of the FRTMD and the by-laws of FRTA can be found at www.featherrivertourism.com/resources.
4. What areas of Plumas County are within the boundary of the Feather River Tourism Marketing District and subject to the assessment?
a. Lake Almanor/Chester, Indian Valley, Feather River Canyon, Quincy, Bucks Lake
4. What type of lodging businesses are included in the FRTMD assessment?
a. The term “lodging provider” includes hotels, motels, vacation rentals, RV parks and private campgrounds.
b. Any business that is now subject to TOT is subject to the assessment, with the same compliance requirement.
The 2% Assessment Fee
1. What is the effective date of the assessment?
2. Can we pass the 2% assessment fee to our guests?
3. How should items that are exempt from the local transient occupancy tax (TOT) be treated in terms of application of the 2% FRTMD assessment?
4. How should lodging providers within the Feather River Tourism Management District handle binding group room night contracts that had been executed prior to the January 1, 2021 commencement of the District? Specifically, does the 2% Tourism District Assessment apply to these previously executed group contracts? Additionally, does the 2% Tourism District Assessment apply to guaranteed or prepaid transient room reservations that were made prior to January 2021?
5. How is the FRTMD assessment calculated?
6. Is the guest responsible to pay the 2% FRTMD assessment fee?
7. What happens if the hotel guest refuses to pay the 2% fee?
8. Is there any difference in the handling of these matters if the room is booked through a travel broker (e.g., VRBO)?
a. The assessment is effective for lodging nights sold beginning on January 1, 2021 and continuing through December 31, 2025.
2. Can we pass the 2% assessment fee to our guests?
a. Yes. That is in fact what most lodging providers do.
b. The lodging provider is required to list it as a separate line item in a lodging quote or invoice with an appropriate title, such as “FRTMD Assessment”.
a. Items that are not subject to the local TOT are also not subject to the 2% FRTMD assessment.
b. In other words, the same exemptions that are allowed when calculating the 9% TOT are allowed in considering the 2% FRTMD assessment.
c. Accordingly, the monthly report form utilizes the same calculation for the net room revenues/receipts, which is net of the exemptions allowed County of Plumas.
4. How should lodging providers within the Feather River Tourism Management District handle binding group room night contracts that had been executed prior to the January 1, 2021 commencement of the District? Specifically, does the 2% Tourism District Assessment apply to these previously executed group contracts? Additionally, does the 2% Tourism District Assessment apply to guaranteed or prepaid transient room reservations that were made prior to January 2021?
a. Lodging providers that have binding group room night contracts that were executed prior to January 2021 do not need to apply the 2% tourism FRTMD assessment to the room nights under these contracts, unless the contract allows it.
b. Likewise, lodging providers that have guaranteed and/or prepaid transient room reservations that were made prior to January 2021 do not have to apply the 2% assessment to the room nights under these reservations.
c. A special box for exclusions has been added to the quarterly report form to record these amounts.
5. How is the FRTMD assessment calculated?
a. The assessment is applied at 2% of the value of the lodging nights sold, on lodging stays of 30 days or under.
6. Is the guest responsible to pay the 2% FRTMD assessment fee?
c. Yes, if it is included in the charges noted in the bill for the room night or included within the quoted room night rate.
7. What happens if the hotel guest refuses to pay the 2% fee?
a. The guest can be pursued for this charge in the same way as any other legal lodging charge.
b. The 2% FRTMD assessment is owed by the Lodging Provider even if the provider fails to collect directly from the guest.
c. The lodging provider may alternatively choose to itself cover the cost of the assessment and not charge the guest.
8. Is there any difference in the handling of these matters if the room is booked through a travel broker (e.g., VRBO)?
a. No, the fees are part of the charges that the provider should indicate are to be included in any booked stay.
b. It is the provider’s responsibility to notify any entities that handle reservations to include this assessment unless the provider does not plan to pass on the cost to the guests.
How Funds Will Be Managed
1. Who gets the money raised by the assessment?
3. Why isn’t Eastern Plumas County included in the FRTMD?
4. What is the involvement of the County of Plumas?
5. Is the Tourism District permanent?
6. How can I get involved with or stay abreast of what FRTA and FRTMD are doing, and, or voice ideas or concerns?
a. The funds are collected by the County of Plumas and are transferred, at the end of the quarterly reporting period, to the Feather River Tourism Association, the non-profit designated to manage the funds.
2. How will the funds that are generated by the 2% Tourism assessment be spent?
a. Funds will be used to market the Feather River region by engaging in public relations, advertising, website operations, social media and other significant marketing programs. The purpose of these activities is to bring targeted visitors into the Feather River tourism region increasing occupancy and visitation beyond the summer season.
3. Why isn’t Eastern Plumas County included in the FRTMD?
a. The lodging providers of Eastern Plumas County declined to take part in forming the district.
b. The district was formed without their participation; however, individual lodging providers of Eastern Plumas County may apply to be involved via an individual contract with FRTMD,
c. At the 5-year renewal mark, Eastern Plumas County lodging providers will have the option of being included.
4. What is the involvement of the County of Plumas?
a. Plumas County performs the administrative duties to collect and transfer the FRTMD funds as required by the district management agreement.
b. FRTA will also present an annual report of FRTMD operations to the Plumas County Board of Supervisors at the end of each fiscal year.
5. Is the Tourism District permanent?
a. The FRTMD has been approved for an initial five-year period.
b. After the five-year period, the Feather River Tourism Marketing District can be reconsidered by petition of the lodging providers to the Plumas County Board of Supervisors.
6. How can I get involved with or stay abreast of what FRTA and FRTMD are doing, and, or voice ideas or concerns?
a. FRTA website, featherrivertourism.com, has resources for providers and information on upcoming meetings and minutes (all are welcome to attend). In addition, a quarterly newsletter will be sent with updates on marketing activities and opportunities.
b. For legal or regulatory questions about FRTMD or implementation of the charges:
- Plumas County Tax Collector, Julie White, (530) 283-6260
c. For question directly to FRTMD and/or FRTA:
- Executive Director Shannon Greer at (530) 280-7187 or shannon.greer@plumascounty.org