Airbnb will now collect taxes for short-term rentals in Buncombe County.

The statewide sales tax for North Carolina is 2.75 percent. Add that to Buncombe County’s 2.25 percent sales tax and its 4 percent occupancy tax to get the combined 11 percent tax collection.

The article in the local daily informs us that, unlike the 3-percent fee Airbnb collects for itself, the 11-cent tax goes back into the local economy. If this be a good thing, just imagine what would happen if all companies poured markups to cover labor, overhead, and profits into government.