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Airbnb, Booking, VRBO Agree to Comply with Greek Tax Laws
Posted On 27 Apr 2021
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Tag: accommodation, Airbnb, Airbnb City Portal, Airbnb Greece, Airbnb hosts, Airbnb short-term rentals, Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), booking.com, collaborative economy, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Expedia group, George Pitsilis, Giacomo Trovato, Greece, Greece tourism, Greek news, Greek tourism, Security, sharing economy, short-term rental data, short-term rental platforms, Short-Term Rental Tourism, Short-Term Rentals, Taxation, Tourism, tourism and travel, tourism and travel Greece, tourist accommodation, travel, Vrbo
Greece’s national revenue body inked an agreement this week with short-term rental operators Airbnb, Booking.com and VRBO, Expedia Group’s vacation rental brand, for compliance to local tax laws.
The companies agreed to comply by Greek law and register properties up for rent on AADE’s (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) short-term rental registry.
The protocol of cooperation applies to all digital platforms involved in home-sharing services, sets out the terms and conditions for legal operation and establishes a clear, simple, transparent and effective compliance process.
AADE aims through the protocol to ensure fair play.
“This agreement is great news for Airbnb hosts and will make it easier for more people in Greece to share their homes. We are committed to working with governments and authorities on such partnerships that help families and support responsible tourism,” said Giacomo Trovato, country manager Italy and South-East Europe Airbnb.
Among others it foresees that online platforms display on their websites a distinct and clearly defined field where the property owner / administrator can register relevant information; clear information regarding mandatory declaration as well as risks for non-compliance.
The platforms have also agreed to remove all listings – when identified by AADE – that fail to provide a legitimate property registration number.
Procedures will be reviewed annually starting in June 2021.
“Despite the Covid-19 crisis we are experiencing, we believe that tourism and travel will recover. At the same time, we want to support our users so that they are prepared for the recovery of the tourism and travel industry, as well as to cooperate with the Greek state,” said Jean-Philippe Monod de Froideville, senior vice president of Global Governance & Corporate Affairs Expedia Group.
AADE President George Pitsilis described the deal as a “milestone” for best practices in Greece, “which allows us to monitor and further enhance taxpayer compliance while ensuring a level playing field for short-term leasing platforms”.
“The agreed on procedure is a pre-designed compliance process for anyone planning to enter the short-term lease business. We are very satisfied with the result of our dialogue and cooperation and with the innovative initiative which at the end of the day benefits all parties involved,” he said.
