Global preferences (language, currency) occasionally change without knowing why!

[Angelika91]

Can someone help me? AirBnB support cannot.
I have a ticket open since more than 5 weeks and absolutely no answer and no reaction.

On the first glance this seems to be a minor problem, but it is not (see below)!

From my understanding (I have experiences with programming professional) global preferences (account => global preferences) should ONLY change,
if I change them exactly there. Global preferences must not change when I log in to AirBnB
or when I change session parameters (by scrolling down) to another language and / or currency.
Or if whatever happens (another browser, VPN connected to another country, auto log in due to password browser settings ...)

Up to now I do not know what action triggers the AirBnB database to change my global preferences.

Why this is NOT a minor problem - at least when you have property in Mexico:
As far as I figured out, global preferences (language and / or currency) influence where and the amount of VAT has
to be paid (e.g. VAT for the 3% AirBnB services).

If language=espaniol (Mexico) and currency=mexican peso, you have to pay 16%
If language=german (Germany) and currency=EUR, you have to pay 19% VAT on AirBnB service.

Example: If the rental income is 1000 USD, you pay 3% (=30 USD) + VAT on the Air service fee.
In the above example 34.80 or 35.70 USD.
This does not make a big difference, ok.

But: Meanwhile in Mexico AirBnB collects the VAT (16%) for the total rental price from the guests and transfers
8% or 16% - depending on your personal tax status - to the tax authority.
(I dont know if there are other contries where AirBnB collects the VAT from the guests, at least not in Germany).

This means that in Mexico guests have to pay 16% additionally on the total rental price.
In my case: If global preferences is set to Mexico (language and currency) AirBnB collects the VAT from the guests.
If global preferences is set (e.g) to Germany, AirBnB does not collect VAT for the total rental income from the guests and by mex. tax law I have to pay that.

So, in first case I have to enter nightly price without VAT in my calender (lets say 100 USD),

in the other case I have to enter nightly price including VAT (116 USD) ... makes a big difference! (besides the fact that in the second case I have
to do a lot of paperwork with my tax consultant and go to the bank to pay my tax ...).

My current workaround is that I check nearly every day with a test reservation / inquiry on my property if or if not the 16% VAT would be collected by ArBnB
(price breakdown) and change global preferences if not.

Any idea?

I am also happy to hear if someone else has problems like this.

Many thanks for taking your time to read the whole complicated story ...

[Colleen253]

“Can someone help me? AirBnB support cannot.
I have a ticket open since more than 5 weeks and absolutely no answer and no reaction”.

Unacceptable. @Nick @Stephanie can you help nudge this along?

[Nick]

Hi @Angelika91 could you please let me know if this is happening on the website or the app? If it is on the app could you tell me the version number, which operating system you are using, it's version number which device? I need this information to be able to ask the team.

Thank you.

[Angelika91]

Hi Nick,

many thanks !

it is happening when using the website. I did not realize this up to now when using the app.

Meanwhile I do following to minimize the risk:

1) Cleaning the browser(s) from all cookies

2) Starting VPN (Cyberghost v.8) using a server in Mexico city

3) starting the web browser again (Microsoft Edge Version 92.0.902.67 (Offizielles Build) (64-Bit)) or Firefox 91.0 (64 bit)

4) using website airbnb.mx

5) if necessary changing the session (scolling down) to language=Espaniol (Mexico), currency=MXN

6) log in with my user / pw

This seems to minimize the risk of unwanted changes in global preferences.

(I would like to use the german site airbnb.de or at least english language ...)

And I saw I might not be the only one having this problem.

There is another post (17-Feb 2021) from Beth239 and Mark3188 with title ## 16% occupancy tax in Mexico no longer being charged to guest automatically ## who may have the same problem ...

Thank you for your help!

[Nick]

I'm wondering if the VPN plays any role in this, but the team will have a better understanding. I will let you know as soon as I have more information on this.

Thanks again @Angelika91 

[Emiel1]

@Angelika91 

In most other countries VAT is only charged to the guests if the host is obliged to do so (because of having a business account). So then VAT percentage is added to the tax section of the listing and allways charged to every guest. But it is not remitted by Airbnb to a tax office, but paid to the host (althoughin a separate payout) and the host is responsible for VAT administration and dealing with Tax office.

[Angelika91]

@Emiel1,

You are right. But in Mexico this is a little bit different. You must pay VAT and income tax (ISR) when renting via internet platform.

You  register with all you information including your tax id (RFC)  in Mexican Tax Administration Service (SAT).

This RFC you enter in your AirBnB account. And have an additional facturify account ( airbnb.facturify.com , which is something like an interface (as far as I understand) between AirBnB and SAT). You get a monthly report from facturify where you can see your income and what taxes (income and VAT) was transferred to SAT. So this works wonderful, and I dont need to pay my taxes manually, if everything is ok with the account. I only send the report to my tax consultant, who reports my income and my paid taxes in SAT. Thats all.

[Emiel1]

@Angelika91 

Thank you for explaining, it is indeed a total different system.

So the point here is:

The global preferences in your account are changed without you actually doing it manually ?

But what about this test:  you are simulating a booking to check if the VAT is charged. But you do this from the same account ? Maybe try if using a different account ( ask a local friend etc.) is producing same result. Or if not logged in at Airbnb produces same result.

kind regards,

Emiel

[Angelika91]

@Emiel1 @Nick 

Yes, this is exactly what I do:

With Firefox as owner, with another browser without logging in or log in with another account, and check the breakdown of the price (16% VAT included or not)

I made some more tests, and one thing that I can reproduce 100% how it happens is following (maybe you can check it with your account ...)

1) Log in to airbnb (currently only used with airbnb.mx) as owner with laptop,  check global preferences => everything fine (language = Espaniol (Mexico), curreny = Peso mexicano

2) log in with my smartphone(!) (old Apple, iOS 12.5.4, newest airbnb version for this iOS version, smartphone settings set to German / Germany)

3) refresh the website from laptop => settings changed to language=german!

If I use my other smartphone (android with settings to English), then the refresh on the website (laptop) is changed to language=English!

So the problem is at least the app.

Thanks!