Airbnb to collect Vermont meals and rooms tax, October 2016
- Sep 19, 2016 | Gail Cole
Beginning October 1, 2016, Airbnb will collect meals and rooms tax for its Vermont hosts.
According to a press release issued by the Vermont Department of Taxes: “Since the launch of sites similar to Airbnb, we have been working to fit our existing rules and regulations onto new structures of business. It’s not always easy, especially when a host finds out through an audit years later that they were responsible for collecting and remitting the rooms tax.” The agreement with Airbnb will enable the state to “harness the economic impact of home sharing” while facilitating tax compliance for hosts.
Airbnb’s decision to collect taxes on behalf of its hosts is voluntary. State officials are reaching out to other short-term lodging platforms to see if they will voluntarily collect and remit taxes on behalf of their Vermont hosts. In the meantime, the state encourages hosts using other platforms to “step forward to voluntarily register with the department to collect and remit meals and rooms tax going forward.” Those who do so prior to November 1 won’t be held liable for any outstanding meals and rooms tax.
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photo credit: OuiShare Summit 2012 via photopin (license)