Cases & Deals

Expedia, Hotels.com and Hotwire defeat Ohio municipalities' hotel occupancy tax claims

Client(s) Expedia, Inc.

Jones Day recently secured a significant victory in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of our clients, Expedia, Hotels.com and Hotwire, in an action brought by several Ohio municipalities, including the cities of Columbus, Dayton and Findlay, against the entire online travel industry for allegedly unpaid hotel occupancy taxes. The Sixth Circuit affirmed the Northern District of Ohio's decision to grant our clients summary judgment, concluding that the online travel companies have no obligation to collect and remit occupancy taxes under the municipalities' ordinances and that there was no evidence that the companies actually collected occupancy tax that they failed to remit to the cities.

City of Columbus, et al. v. Hotels.com, L.P., et al., Case No. 10-4531/4545 (6th Cir.)