Jersey Shore rental owners fight against tax that targeted Airbnb

Shore owners of rental properties are trying to organize for repeal of a new 11.62 percent tax on their rental homes.

Denise Payne has helped to organize the NJ Shore Rental Coalition. Payne says independent vacation home owners got caught up in a law that was meant to go after AirBnb rentals.

She says as it stands, the tax is an added expense burden on vacationers, but shore businesses will feel it.

"If people have to spend more money on this tax, as they will, that is less money that they are going to spend on the local economy, restaurants, shops, amusements, that kind of thing," she said.

The coalition says identical bills have been introduced in the Assembly, (A4520) and state Senate (S3133), to exempt shore rentals from the tax.

New Jersey's shore tourism industry is a $6 billion annual endeavor.

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5