Car-Sharing Platforms in Peak Demand Become Newest Tax Target

Having figured out how to regulate and tax gig-economy players such as Airbnb Inc., Uber Technologies Inc. and DoorDash Inc., the states are turning to car-sharing services just as a post-pandemic travel surge causes shortages of traditional rental vehicles.

In just the last two months policymakers in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, and Oklahoma have passed legislation or issued regulations addressing the tax, insurance and public safety duties of companies such as Turo Inc., Getaround Inc. and Avis Budget Group Inc.‘s Zipcar.

The legislative push responds in part to complaints from rental giants Avis, Enterprise and Hertz that ...