Taxes›Texas›Bell County

Bell County
short-term rental taxes.

Tax and permit requirements for Bell County. Use your full address to find its governing authorities.

Outside city limits: what you need to do in unincorporated Bell County

From the linked source

To confirm
Check that short-term rentals are allowed at your address
The record has no finding on whether Bell County allows short-term rentals. Ask the planning or zoning office before you list.
To confirm
Check whether you need a license or permit
The record does not say whether Bell County requires a short-term rental license. Ask the county licensing office.
To do
Collect and remit the 2% Bell County occupancy tax yourself
The record says booking platforms do not collect it, so you add it to every booking, platform and direct, and pay it to the authority.
To confirm
Find out how often you file and when returns are due
The record gives no filing schedule, though a note says returns are due by the 31st day. Confirm the schedule with the tax office.
Filing portal

Verify each step with the authority before you file or apply. Source

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Before you use these figures

Rental eligibility

Whether short-term rentals are allowed in unincorporated Bell County is not established in our record. Check zoning and permit rules with the county before listing.

Check the recorded local source

What to know.

The record for Bell County lists a 2% occupancy tax. City and district taxes are shown separately, on top of the 6% Texas state hotel occupancy tax. Browse the local guides below and check your address. Local hotel occupancy taxes may apply in addition to the state rate.

At a glance.

County tax: 2%
State tax: 6%
Highest recorded city rate: 7%
Cities tracked: 11

The highest recorded city rate describes the available dataset. It is not a legal maximum or the full tax due for an address.

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Tax details

Exemptions, penalties, filing information, and effective dates from the linked sources.

Bell: Recorded exemptions

Permanent residences longer than 30 days excluded (Bell County HOT page). No county HOT on permanent residents (30+ consecutive days, Tax Code §352.002(c)/§156.101); US governmental entities (§156.103(a)) and persons described in §156.103(d) are exempt; state governmental entities pay but are entitled to a refund (§352.007).

Bell: Recorded penalties and interest

5% penalty if the report or tax payment is late; an additional 5% if not filed/paid before the 31st day after the due date; 10% per year interest beginning 60 days after the due date (TX Tax Code §352.004).

Bell: Recorded effective date

2015-10-01

Bell: Recorded filing portal

Open the filing portal (portal.deckard.com: tx bell str portal)

Bell: Recorded remittance instructions

self-administered; remit to Bell County (commissioners court HOT page)

Source for these notes: bellcountytx.com: hotel occupancy tax

How county vs. city works here

The recorded county rate is 2%
The occupancy-tax rate for Bell County is 2%. Use your address to find the applicable jurisdiction. You collect and remit this tax.
Check the rules for your local area
Open a city guide below for city and special district requirements.
Outside city limits, the county rules apply
The list under "Outside city limits" above is what Bell County requires there. Special district rules may also apply.

Sources & confidence

How we collect and check this information · Report a problem with this page

FigureValueSourceStatus

Bell County occupancy tax2%

Source

Source linked

Texas state hotel occupancy tax6%

Source

Source linked

Sources for the county taxes and local requirements shown above.

Cities in Bell County

Browse local tax and permit requirements or look up your full address.

Outside city limits (unincorporated Bell County)? See what the county requires or Look up your exact address

Communities outside city limits

Unincorporated communities in Bell County include Fort Hood and Pendleton. An address in one of them is outside city limits, so Bell County rules apply. These are Census-designated places, not separate tax authorities.