A random sample of 24 of 277 New Orleans hotels subject to the city's hotel tax found a total of $145,000 in unpaid taxes, including penalties and interest, over a three-month period in 2010.
The report by inspector general Ed Quatrevaux said the total was higher than expected. Of the hotels surveyed, 15 did not remit the correct amount of tax and fees. Three hotels collected the tax but did not pay the city.
Quatrevaux said the high error rate of 62% indicates that up to 130 hotels may be under-reporting their tax liabilities.
New Orleans levies a 4% hotel tax. The city and the Orleans Parish School Board split 75% of the hotel tax revenues, with 25% dedicated to the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority.
