Brief-term landlords may not give you the chance to sh-sh-shake it off in terms of the extra taxes they might be responsible for. This follows the introduction of Rhode Island’s “Taylor Swift tax,” the nickname given to part-time residents who personal trip leases.

With different states following swimsuit, tensions are escalating between native municipalities, brokers, brokers, and the rich property house owners they symbolize.

What’s the Taylor Swift Tax?

The so-called Taylor Swift tax—formally often known as the Non-Proprietor-Occupied Property Tax Act—will take impact on July 1, 2026. It imposes an annual surcharge on non-primary residences (i.e., houses not occupied by their house owners or tenants for at the least 183 days a 12 months) that are valued at greater than $1 million.

The surcharge is about at $2.50 for each $500 of assessed worth above that threshold. Utilizing these metrics, Kiplinger calculated {that a} $3 million property would face a surcharge of roughly $10,000 yearly, along with common property taxes.

The tax was named after the pop famous person as a result of Swift bought a mansion within the upscale Watch Hill part of Rhode Island in 2013, the place she is a part-time resident. It’s estimated that she shall be liable for an additional $136,000 yearly when the brand new tax takes impact.

Proponents and Opponents

The objective of the extra levy, in keeping with the state, is to increase income that helps housing initiatives whereas lowering the variety of residences that stay vacant for a lot of the 12 months. Within the case of short-term landlords, this may very well be devastating to their backside line, as they’d not solely be taxed on the income they make as a landlord, but in addition from the Taylor Swift tax too, in the event that they lease the house for greater than 183 days a 12 months however not as a long-term rental.

The brand new tax has not been effectively obtained by many inside the actual property trade. “These are individuals who simply come right here for the summer season, spend their cash, and pay their justifiable share of taxes,” Donna Krueger-Simmons, gross sales agent with Mott & Chace Sotheby’s Worldwide in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, advised CNBC. “They’re getting penalized simply because in addition they stay someplace else.”

“You’re simply hurting the individuals who assist small enterprise,” Lori Joyal of the Lila Delman Compass workplace in Watch Hill, advised CNBC. “You’re chasing away the individuals who spend many of the cash in these cities.”

Brokers concern that the tax may backfire on trip householders, who may select to spend their cash on close by trip cities with much less stringent tax legal guidelines.

Different States Are Implementing Comparable Taxes

Montana

Montana just lately handed reforms set to take impact in 2026, which equally distinguish between major residences and long-term leases versus secondary/trip houses and short-term leases. The state skilled an inflow of latest residents from New York and different main cities in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Montana’s new system would require non-primary residents and short-term rental house owners to pay a flat charge of 1.90% starting in 2026, whatever the property worth. Nevertheless, houses used as major residences or for long-term leases can qualify for decrease, tiered charges, relying on market values, in keeping with the Montana Division of Income.

There are caveats to Montana’s program. Householders who stay of their residences for at the least seven months of the 12 months, or have long-term leases, could qualify for diminished charges and a one-time rebate for 2025, in keeping with tax compliance web site Avalara. The location additionally estimates that second houses and higher-value properties will bear a better proportion of the tax burden as a result of their greater tax charges.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Cape Cod is contemplating becoming a member of close by Rhode Island in taxing prosperous part-time residents. Nevertheless, reasonably than an annual tax, Cape Cod will apply a “mansion tax” within the type of a 2% actual property switch tax on gross sales of over $2 million. Proponents argue that it may generate round $56 million yearly for reasonably priced and year-round housing.

Rob Brennan, chief authorized officer on the nonprofit group Housing Help, advised Cape Cod’s native authorities web site:

“This is not a cyclical scarcity—it’s an existential disaster. With no everlasting, predictable supply of funding, we can not assist housing that working Cape Codders can really afford. There’s no method out of this disaster with out daring, systemic options. The $2,000,000 house changing into $2,040,000 doesn’t cease second-home consumers.”

Conversely, full-time residents in Chatham, Cape Cod, will obtain a 35% property tax exemption as of July 1, 2026.

“The huge quantity of wealth on this city in residential property is held by a disproportionate quantity of people that aren’t residents of this city,” Chatham group board member Seth Taylor advised the Cape Cod Chronicle. “I don’t assume it’s an excessive amount of to ask to take a look at this as a practical method to assist the middle-income people that we are saying we need to have in our group.”

Chatham and 10 different communities on the Cape and islands, in addition to six different cities and cities throughout the state, together with Boston, have adopted a residential tax exemption.

California

Los Angeles’ “mansion tax,” often known as Measure ULA, imposes a 4% switch tax on property gross sales between $5 million and $10 million, and a 5.5% tax on gross sales above $10 million to assist reasonably priced housing and homeless prevention packages. Nevertheless, the tax has just lately been beneath scrutiny and will be eradicated to encourage growth.

“It was bought as a mansion tax, which suggests large homes for wealthy folks, but it surely really had a chilling impact on housing building, significantly residences,” former Meeting Speaker Bob Hertzberg, who was tapped by Mayor Karen Bass to work out the small print of the legislative proposal, advised the Los Angeles Instances.

Issues Brief-Time period Rental House owners Ought to Hold In Thoughts

In case you personal a short-term rental in states like Rhode Island or Montana, you will have to pay specific consideration to:

The variety of days you reside within the property personally as a major residence versus the times you lease it.
Hold data of residency use dates versus short-term and mid-term rental occupancy.
Weigh the earnings generated from the rental versus the tax payable by not occupying it to qualify for residency restrictions to calculate the perfect use of your property.

Ultimate Ideas: Grey Areas

I might by no means advocate discovering methods to avoid the brand new guidelines, however there are some grey areas that astute buyers may make the most of.

In case you stay in a piece of your house whereas additionally utilizing it as a short-term rental, your tax legal responsibility shall be decided based mostly on the share of the home you occupy. In actuality, it’s unlikely that an IRS consultant will go to to confirm the apportioned use of your rental.

If sure areas, such because the kitchen and TV areas, are collectively used, their delineation turns into much more opaque. Throw ADUs, completed basements, and attics into the combo, and who lives in what elements of the property presents an attention-grabbing proposition for an accountant who is aware of how far to bend the principles.

Conversely, and fewer seemingly to attract consideration, is to merely ramp up your short-term earnings as a lot as potential whereas benefiting from renovation and depreciation tax deductions. Pay the brand new taxes as required, and luxuriate in night time’s sleep.