New Rental Taxes Proposed at St. Mary’s County of Maryland
A county commissioner is proposing two new laws that would increase a hotel tax to 7.5 percent and would introduce a rental car tax.
In an attempt to balance the county’s ledger, St. Mary County Commissioner Todd Morgan (R) is proposing that a rental car tax be introduced and the hotel accommodations tax be raised from 5 percent to 7.5 percent, according to the board of county commissioners meeting minutes from Oct. 25.
There is no exact proposal on the auto rental tax rate for the county, especially since the state of Maryland already has an 11.5 percent tax on short-term passenger car and recreational vehicle rentals, according to the state’s comptroller website.
The county is frequented by contractors to the military industry, Morgan said in an article from Southern Maryland News Online, adding that the taxes are an attempt to take the burden off locals. However, the executive director of St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce said that for rental cars, most users are locals because anyone coming into the county already picked a rental car up at the airport.
There will be a public forum Dec. 6 to discuss these two tax proposals.
More Rental Operations
Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap
A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.
Read More →
U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana
The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.
Read More →
When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?
As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)
Read More →
European Booked Car Rental Rates Fell 5%, Results Varied by Country
Ireland, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom saw steep declines, while booked rates rose in Poland and Hungary.
Read More →
Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.
Read More →
Who Owns the Rate? AI Is Creating a New Distribution Problem for Car Rental
Generative Engine Optimization asks whether AI can find a rental company, but operators also need to know whether the agent inspected enough of the market, compared equivalent offers, and presented a rate the traveler can actually book. (Part 1 of 2)
Read More →
U.S. Business Travel Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise Up to 2%
Improved fleet supply should limit pricing gains in 2026-27, while insurance, repair costs, and softer residual values continue to pressure rental operations, according to Amex GBT.
Read More →
Sixt Revenue Tops $2.4 Billion in First Half of 2026
Sixt’s first-half revenue surpassed $2.4 billion for the first time as demand outpaced fleet growth, lifting utilization and earnings despite weaker consumer sentiment in North America.
Read More →
In Memoriam: Bobby Klyce, Avis Licensee Legend
The longtime Birmingham Avis operator and 2018 Auto Rental News Impact Award recipient was remembered as an advocate for independent licensees and the broader car rental industry.
Read More →
How to Build Custom Fleet Tools With AI and Vibe Coding [Webinar]
A new Automotive Fleet webinar explores how fleet managers are using AI and vibe coding to automate routine work and create simple operational tools without traditional programming skills.
Read More →