Airbnb to make host income tax simple in Spain

Airbnb is making host income tax simple in Spain and helping hosts to pay their fair share, following changes to the law that require platforms to share host booking details for tax purposes from 1 January 2019. Airbnb will start reporting from January to the Spanish Tax Agency the information available from home hosts transactions since 2018.

Today we are also announcing to all hosts in Spain that we have put out a tool to make it easier for home hosts to provide the information that tax authorities require from platforms. Some of the information that Airbnb will be sharing with authorities includes: host earnings and listing details, such as the address.

Airbnb and the Association of Tax Advisors (AEDAF) have partnered to help responsible hosts with their tax obligations. To further assist hosts, Airbnb has also partnered with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to provide hosts with a tax guide, as well as a free hotline to get additional tax information.

“The law in Spain is changing and we want to work with hosts to help them pay their fair share and make host income tax simple for everyone”

Patrick Robinson, Director of Public Policy at Airbnb.

The news comes after Airbnb reached a collaboration agreement in Estonia last week that allows hosts to automatically report their earnings to tax authorities at the click of a button. Earlier last month, Airbnb also backed proposals in Denmark for new rules to combine clear home sharing rules and innovative income tax measures. Since 2016, Airbnb has reported in Ireland on tax revenue generated by hosts for tax purposes.

“Airbnb is driving an economic revolution that is generating new revenues for people, communities and governments. As we continue to grow, we want to be good partners to communities and keep working together with tax authorities in the region. Also, hosts want to pay their fair share of tax and we want to help them and governments to make income tax simple for everyone”

Patrick Robinson, Director of Public Policy at Airbnb.

Home hosts keep up to 97 cents of every euro they charge to rent their space. Airbnb has always reminded hosts to check and follow local tax rules through regular email reminders and on responsible hosting pages, and transaction histories can also be easily downloaded for tax purposes. Airbnb has also started work with independent organisations that can support hosts and help them understand their tax obligations.

Airbnb has already worked with more than 500 governments around the world to help hosts share their homes, follow the rules and pay their fair share of tax, and has automated the collection of tourist taxes in 23,000 cities in France earlier this year.