Hotel - Motel Tax

All lodging in Iowa is taxed by a five percent excise tax. Then each community with a lodging facility can add an additional tax., Okoboji, Spirit Lake and the unincorporated areas of Dickinson County charge an additional five percent for a total of ten percent lodging tax. Arnolds Park, Milford, Wahpeton, and West Okoboji charge seven percent additional.

The distribution of the lodging tax revenue in Arnolds Park and the unincorporated areas of Dickinson County is 50% to the Okoboji Tourism Committee and 50% to the government entity. The City of Okoboji keeps 50% of the revenue and provides the other 50% to the Okoboji Marketing Committee, a committee of the City of Okoboji - who determines how the funds should be distributed, and if any should be given to the Okoboji Tourism Committee.

Spirit Lake sends $35K to the Spirit Lake Chamber and $35K to Okoboji Tourism. Milford allocates $5K to Okoboji Tourism and keeps the balance. The FY-18 Arnolds Park $478K, Milford $80K, Okoboji $240K, Spirit Lake $93K, Wahpeton $25K, West Okoboji $3K, and Dickinson County $66K – totaling $984,000.