What is the Wisconsin state lodging tax rate?

5% statewide. Wisconsin applies 5% state sales tax to lodging plus a 0.5% county sales tax in 68 of 72 counties, plus a city or village room tax of up to 8%. Milwaukee is at 9% city room tax + Milwaukee County 0.5%, Madison at 9% city room tax. The 2017 marketplace facilitator law brought Airbnb and Vrbo into mandatory state and county sales tax collection; municipal room tax collection by platforms is widespread in Milwaukee, Madison, Wisconsin Dells, and Door County, less so in smaller jurisdictions. Wisconsin Statute 66.0615 governs municipal room tax.

Do Airbnb and Vrbo collect Wisconsin lodging tax for me?

Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit lodging tax in most cases. Local taxes may still be your responsibility — verify with the state DOR.

What's the local add-on range in Wisconsin?

Cities and counties may add 0% to 8% on top of the state rate.

Where can I see the official source?

The authoritative source is the Wisconsin Department of Revenue at https://www.revenue.wi.gov/. Always verify before filing.

When was this last verified?

Last verified 2026-05-05. Lodging-tax rates are reviewed annually; entries older than 12 months are flagged for re-verification.

Wisconsin Lodging Tax Calculator

How Wisconsin lodging tax works

Wisconsin stacks a 5% state sales tax on top of county sales tax (0.5% in most counties) and a municipal room tax of up to 8% added by cities and tourism zones. Combined effective rates land between 5.5% and 13.5%. Top STR markets:

Door County (Sister Bay, Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Ephraim, Baileys Harbor) — 5% state + 0.5% county + 5.5% room tax = ~11% effective. The state’s premier vacation-rental market; intensely seasonal (Memorial Day through October).
Wisconsin Dells (Sauk + Columbia Counties) — 5% state + 0.5% county + 8% room tax + 1.25% Premier Resort Area Tax (PRAT) = ~14.75%. Highest STR tax rate in Wisconsin.
Madison (Dane County) — 5% state + 0.5% county + 9% room tax = ~14.5%. University and capitol traffic; Badger football weekends.
Milwaukee — 5% state + 0.5% county + 9% room tax = ~14.5%.
Lake Geneva (Walworth County) — 5% state + 0.5% county + 5–6% room tax = ~11%. Chicago-overflow weekend market.

Stays of 30 consecutive nights or longer are exempt from state sales tax and from municipal room tax.

Platform collection

Airbnb and Vrbo both collect and remit the 5% state sales tax and county sales tax in Wisconsin under marketplace facilitator rules. Municipal room tax collection varies widely — Madison, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin Dells are typically covered by Airbnb; Door County coverage is partial; many smaller tourism zones still require host self-filing.

This is the biggest compliance trap in Wisconsin: hosts assume the room tax is covered when it isn’t.

What this means in practice

State and county sales tax — handled by both platforms.
Municipal room tax — check your listing’s tax disclosure carefully. If your tourism zone or city isn’t on the platform’s collection list, register with your municipality and file monthly. Door County hosts especially: verify your specific town (Sister Bay vs Egg Harbor vs Fish Creek) — they handle room tax independently.
30+ night stays — exempt from sales tax and room tax.
Door County seasonal closure — if you only operate Memorial Day to October, your room-tax permit stays active unless you formally close it for the season.

How to use the calculator above

Enter your booking subtotal (nightly × nights + cleaning fee, before tax).
Enter the local add-on rate. Door County towns: ~6%. Wisconsin Dells: ~9.25%. Madison and Milwaukee: 9%. Lake Geneva: 5–6%.
The result shows the effective rate, total tax, and the guest line item.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Verified 2026-05-11. Not tax advice — confirm with a CPA or your municipality before filing.