The New Hampshire Supreme Court has sided with online travel websites in a dispute over collection of the state's rooms and meals tax.
The state sued Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz and Travelocity in hopes of recovering hundreds of thousands of dollars it claims it is owed because it collects taxes only on the lower, wholesale rate the companies pay hotels instead of the higher, retail price they charge consumers.
The state argued that the travel websites amount to hotel operators, but a lower court rejected that argument. The state Supreme Court upheld that decision on Friday, finding that the companies do not manage or control hotels.
It also rejected the state's argument that the companies should be considered hotel operators because they provide services such as inspecting and rating properties.
Read the high court's opinion below:
