Milwaukee imposes a 9% room tax on lodging stays under 30 days, layered with the 5.5% Wisconsin sales tax for an effective rate near 14.5%. Wis. Stat. §66.0615 caps and structures local room taxes.
Milwaukee charges a 9% city room tax on hotel, motel, bed-and-breakfast, and short-term rental stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days. Wis. Stat. §66.0615 authorizes municipal room taxes, requires that at least 70% of revenue go to tourism promotion through a tourism entity (VISIT Milwaukee), and caps the rate ceiling for non-grandfathered municipalities. State sales tax (Wis. Stat. Ch. 77) of 5% plus the 0.5% Milwaukee County sales tax stack on top, producing roughly 14.5% total. Hosting platforms such as Airbnb collect and remit on behalf of operators under voluntary collection agreements, but the operator remains legally responsible. Returns are typically filed monthly with the City Treasurer.
Failing to register, missing monthly remittance, under-reporting nights, or charging guests the tax without remitting it brings interest, penalties, audit assessments, and potential license suspension.
See how Milwaukee's transient occupancy tax rules stack up against other locations.
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