Australian gov't forces AirBnB hosts to pay taxes

[joe]

In the ongoing efforts to level the playing field in the accommodation industry, the Australian gov't is enacting regulation that will enforce a compulsory reporting system to ensure the 11 million Australians signed up with sharing-economy platforms have no choice but to pay their taxes.
Accommodation prices are forecast to increase significantly. Similar measures are also being taken against other "sharing economy" platforms, such as Uber.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01...ns-hiding-income-via-uber-and-airbnb/10742528

Would be interesting to hear what AirBnB owners will have to say about this - to what extent they feel that they will have to raise their prices, will they continue to use the platform, etc.

 

[Tina]

I am an Airbnb owner in Italy. We have an apartment on Lake Iseo which we use ourselves for weekends in the winter and rent in the summer and I also move out of one floor of the house I live in high up in the Alps and make that available for guests in the summer. It's useful extra income for me since I haven't got a permanent job. I have official permission for renting and declare the income I receive through Airbnb on my end of year tax forms. I think it is unfair to imply that all Airbnb hosts are on the make and not paying their taxes! Many will already be declaring their income and so this law will make no difference to them!

 

[joe]

I think it is unfair to imply that all Airbnb hosts are on the make and not paying their taxes!

Hello Tina -
I don't think that the article is implying this (and I for sure am not). The article talks about "potential under-reporting of income" (in Australia). The gov't there is saying that "nobody has any idea about the current level of tax compliance by users".
FWIW my personal experience with AirBnB has been great, and it's the only site I use when researching for an accommodation in a city. I have no idea if my hosts pay or evade taxes, and I am actually happy to see home owners managing to generate some income for themselves through accommodations. Personally, I prefer meeting an owner of an apt. than a clerk at a hotel.

I posted this item because the AirBnB phenomena has many aspects, positive and negative, and has been the subject of discussion in previous threads here.