(Afro) — Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced today that the District is filing a lawsuit against leading online travel companies to recover tens of millions of dollars in unpaid taxes. The Complaint, to be filed in D.C. Superior Court today by Acting Attorney General Irvin Nathan, charges that Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline.com, and Travelocity have been selling hotel rooms in D.C. at retail prices, but paying taxes to the District only on the hotel rooms’ discounted wholesale prices, thereby depriving the District government of millions of dollars of tax revenue each year. ”As part of the government-wide response to the fiscal challenges we face, one of the top priorities of the Office of the Attorney General is to pursue affirmative litigation to recoup funds owed to the District by corporations and wealthy parties who have refused to pay the District what they owe,” said Mayor Gray in a statement.
