Ciity Tax in Florence

Why not ask your question of the hotel?

There is evidently a new tax on tourists all over Italy, but the amount seems to vary by province and some other factors. It went into effect some time within the past several months, and 3 euros p/p is quite typical. We had it on all our lodging bills on a recent trip. However, we paid them all by cc. At the hotel where we stayed the night before departure, the manager asked at checkout if we could pay just that part of the bill in cash. He made no fuss when I said no. I don't know how it would work, but it seemed likely to me that this was another exercise of that highly developed Italian skill of tax evasion. The "scam" involved in your situation is not the notification about the tax (we received notification from every place where we had reservations), but the demand for it to be paid in cash. If I knew how to do it, I'd be very tempted to notify the authorities.

Dave, more and more cities are adding a "hotel tax". We have encountered the same thing in Venice and Rome over the past couple of years at hotels where we have stayed many times. The only difference is that we paid the tax at check out time. I may be wrong, but I really do not think it is a scam. TC

Nope, not a scam. Every hotel I've been to this year in Italy also needed it seperately. If that's what the authorities want, why cause trouble. The hotels didn't write the law. There are some parts of Germany and Switzerland now where the kurtax varies by time of year, size of establishment and age of guests. Just pay it.

As I said, I'm happy to pay the tax. I'm a public employee, after all! :) It was the "cash only, up front" part that seemed weird. Dave

It is legit, as you've discovered. They probably want cash because they have to pay that full amount to the province and don't want to have to subsidize it if you decide to charge your stay.

We were asked to pay the city tax, quoted separately and asked for in cash, in both Venice & Florence, but not Riomaggiore. These hotels had all asked to be paid in cash for the entire stay if possible -- and it makes sense when you realize the difference a 2% or 3% fee to the credit card company makes to a small business. I watched in both Venice & Florence as the owners filled in a separate receipt for the tax as I was paying (it wasn't for me). We also paid the city tax in Zurich & Lucerne (quoted separately), but not Lauterbrunnen. A couple of hotels in Switzerland happily threw the tax in with the total charge via credit card (the only two "chains" we stayed at) -- it really just seemed to vary with the city and the size of the place.