EASTON, Pa. — Lafayette College owes Northampton County more than $28,000 in overdue hotel taxes, a county audit found, after the college failed to pay any hotel taxes since buying the Lafayette Inn in 2023.
In Northampton County, hotel operators are required to collect a 4% tax on their rooms and pass the money along to county officials.
According to a Northampton County audit, after penalties, Lafayette College owes the county $28,175.Northampton County Controller Tara Zrinski
The county received no such payments from the Lafayette Inn since Lafayette College bought the property on Sept. 1, 2023, according to a report from county Controller Tara Zrinski and county auditor Florina Tang.
As a result, after penalties, the college owed $28,175 at the time of the audit, Zrinski told a Northampton County Council committee last week.
The county’s hotel tax audits rarely turn up such large underpayments.
“There's maybe one that high per year, so it's unusual,” Zrinski said. “It's usually because there's a switch in management or something; this was a switch in management.”
On Monday, Lafayette College Chief of Staff Scott Morse attributed the underpayment to "a procedural issue."
He said the college is now up to date on payments.
"For that entire time, the College had been ready and willing to make the tax payment to the County, and the College had been accruing the expense in its finances as well," he said in an email.
"As is standard business practice, the County asked the College to hold payment until the County completed the audit report. Once the County completed the audit, it issued a report to us.
"The College then made the aforementioned payment within a week in accordance with its understanding with the County. At this time, the College is up to date on all tax payments to the County."
