When football fans descend on Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft next month, among those scoring big will be the coffers of Allegheny County’s 7 percent Hotel Tax, which is applied on the gross receipts of all hotel stays in the county (including short-term rentals).

The Controller’s Office helps to ensure the benefits of this tax to the community through its audits of select businesses subject to the tax. From 2022 through 2025, the Controller’s Office identified over $650,000 due to the County in unpaid tax.

Over 200 businesses have remitted Hotel Tax payments annually in recent years. The tax generated over $46.5 million overall in 2025, up $1.5 million from the prior year.

“With hotels expected to be fully booked for the Draft at higher than normal room rates, and with many more short-term rentals than usual expected to come online, the Hotel Tax will generate welcome funds for the County in a challenging fiscal environment,” Acting County Controller Amy Weise Clements said. “While the uses of these funds are limited, they can pay dividends well into the future by generating additional visitors and events and supporting assets that serve residents and visitors alike.”

Revenue from the Hotel Tax is restricted by law to initiatives related to promoting tourism to Allegheny County. Significant portions are dedicated to the region’s Tourism Promotion Agency, VisitPittsburgh, and to debt service on construction of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Revenues may also be directed to other agencies and initiatives that serve to promote tourism. In recent years, these have included the Pittsburgh Film Office and the Allegheny County Parks.

The County’s General Fund also receives a collection fee on a portion of tax collected, which amounted to $1.7 million in 2025.

“The County should take care to target this expected increase in Hotel Tax revenue wisely to ensure the greatest long-term impact,” Weise Clements said. “As always, the Controller’s Office will be dedicated to monitoring these expenditures, and looks forward to fulfilling its role in ensuring funds owed to the County are remitted in full.”