Lodging taxes sit outside the CONUS room ceiling

GSA’s CONUS lodging figures exclude lodging taxes. When comparing a hotel quote with the directory, separate the base eligible lodging cost from the applicable taxes. A total bill that exceeds the room ceiling solely because it includes tax is not the same situation as an excessive base room rate.

This site’s calculator deliberately excludes lodging taxes. Local tax rules, tax exemptions and the traveler’s payment method can affect the final claim. The displayed total is therefore not the complete cost of the hotel stay.

Suppose a hypothetical destination has a $150 lodging ceiling and the eligible room costs $145 before tax. The room component is $145. A separately stated $17 tax cannot be treated as unused lodging allowance, nor should it be compared with the $5 difference between the room price and ceiling.

Under the federal rule, eligible CONUS lodging tax is a separate miscellaneous expense, limited to the tax on reimbursable lodging costs. Authorization and exemption rules still need checking.

M&IE already includes meal taxes and tips. Do not add a second meal-tax estimate to the published meal allowance. The incidental allowance is also not a separate hotel-tax allowance.

Retain the itemized hotel bill so the actual room charge, taxes and any other fees can be identified. This reference does not decide whether a particular fee is reimbursable.