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Dare County and the towns within are figuring out the process to refund a portion of occupancy tax received.

The Dare County tax office found an error recently in the payments from campgrounds. While RV and cabin dwellers do pay occupancy tax, tent campers do not. It has been determined that for the last several years, campgrounds have been mistakenly charging tent campers the occupancy fee.

The total is “significant” according to Dare County manager Bobby Outten, upwards of several hundred thousand dollars.

The towns of Southern Shores, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head and Manteo, as well as the county, are in the process of approving repayment among their respective boards. Once the total amount is determined, the towns will most likely issue the funds, which will be collected and redistributed to the individuals who paid it.

Outten said there is a fair amount of paperwork involved, as taxes are received in lump sums from the campgrounds. The county must sort through campground records to issue returns.

“It’s a lot of work on our end, but it’s the right thing to do,” he said in a phone interview September 19.

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