Money & Taxes · Hudson Valley
Ulster STR Hosts Still Have a Quarterly Return
Ulster County short-term-rental operators should keep the certificate, records, and quarterly return on the calendar even when a platform collects the tax.
Published July 6, 2026 · Last verified July 6, 2026
A Catskills weekend house can have the tax collected by a booking platform and still leave the owner with local paperwork. Ulster’s short-term-rental route starts with a Certificate of Authority. Once it arrives, the certificate belongs where guests can see it.
The tax is 4 percent and is separate from nightly rent when the operator collects it directly. Airbnb and VRBO can collect and remit the county tax for platform stays, but private bookings still need the operator’s attention.
The quarterly return is the calendar item to keep. Registered operators file for every quarter, including a quarter where a platform collected the tax or no tax is due. The rental periods run December through February, March through May, June through August, and September through November, with returns due March 20, June 20, September 20, and December 20.
Keep the certificate, platform reports, private booking records, rent totals, tax collected, and return date in one folder. The folder turns a messy winter or summer rental season into a short review instead of a rebuild from screenshots.