Online travel companies ordered to pay hotel taxes to city of Atlanta

Companies ordered to pay hotel taxes to Atlanta

ATLANTA — A Fulton County judge has ordered that online travel companies that help people book hotel rooms in Atlanta must begin paying the city a bigger share of occupancy taxes.

The order signed Wednesday by Superior Court Judge Alford Dempsey could generate millions of dollars in additional revenue for the city from 17 Internet travel companies that include Expedia Inc. and Travelocity.com.

Andrew Weinstein of the Interactive Travel Services Association says that the companies are disappointed by parts of the ruling and will likely appeal the tax-related decision.

It comes after the Georgia Supreme Court issued a similar ruling against Expedia. It is one of a dozen or so complaints that say the travel companies are shortchanging cities because they are not paying cities enough occupancy taxes.