How are Canadian hosts collecting GST?

[Lisa623]

Hi there Canucks!  We have to register for GST now as our revenues are over the threshold.  Airbnb cannot seem to answer the questions bout how to charge it?  How are you all handling the collection of this tax?  There MUST be an option for Canadians to somehow charge and collect....we can't be expected to charge outside of the app for this tax.

Also, raising our prices to off-set the tax isn't the same thing at all.

Who has experience with this?

Thanks SO much!
Lisa G

[Pamela901]

Hi Lisa. Did you ever get any answers? i am also in Vernon and have the same questions!

[Alexandra316]

@Pamela901 There's no way to easily do it through the Airbnb platform. The easiest thing to do is build it into your pricing. Otherwise, you have to send a special offer each time, which is messy and is going to make guests angry (my sister did it that way and hooo boy.... she had some grumpy guests).

[Pamela901]

Thanks for your response!!  Appreciated it. 

[Karen3115]

new host here and just went through the unbelievably painful trial of trying to get assistance from Airbnb support. I've resorted to adding a 5% 'Management Fee' and adding an explanation that it's actually GST with our tax #

[Doug-and-Bev0]

Wow! so great to hear that I am not the only one that has been pulling my hair out for 2 months conversing with Airbnb trying to get them to help me add this to my listings.  Can't believe they will not admit they don't have the tools on their platform for us Canadians to add this to our listings.  Very poor customer service.  

Also, does any one else find their sight very difficult to navigate?  Seems it just gets more challenging.

[Colleen253]

@Doug-and-Bev0 Through your desktop listing editor (not the app, which is very limiting) you can select tax options by going to ‘Pricing/availability’ scrolling down and selecting ‘Taxes’.

[Doug-and-Bev0]

Thanks for your response.  I have tried this but am unable to get to the point of adding the GST.  Our place is in BC and I have noticed that the other BC hosts have had the same problem.  It has been so frustrating!  Thanks again.

[Genti0]

Hello everyone, 

I host in Quebec and I have the same issue. Is it better to charge it in the nightly price? I am very confused and don't know how to do it.

there is no other option as I see. Am I right?

although that would mean increasing the nightly price by at least 14.975%

[Glenda142]

If you don’t make $30 g a yr you don’t charge GST. How can an American company dictate this to us.

I don’t have a tax number. Who is applying for a tax number? 

[Dave264]

this GST thing is most fascinating! I have asked around several times how people over 30k seem to collect it, but almost all of the answers imply 'add it into your pricing'! Uh, you can't as I see it, if audited, CRA will take your reported income from airbnb and then expect gst reported over that. I don't see them accepting a 'note in your listing' that 5% is included, but maybe I'm wrong. The way I look at it and my accountant agreed, what separates someone reporting $25000 with no GST, from someone reporting $35000 but they fudged the GST into that number?  Essentially the one reporting $35000 would be getting taxed on $1666 less income than they should be ($33333x0.05=35000). While the guy with 25000 is taxed the whole amount?

It's a small amount essentially, unless you run multiple properties in which case its a pretty big number. My accountants says it should be on top, but I'd love a 2nd opinion to understand.

[Dave264]

Ok, to answer own question, remembering I had asked my old accountant and he retired, I asked my new guy and he says you can do it both ways, but if you 'include it', you will need to mention in your listing that GST is included in the price and supply your GST # in the listing as well. Don't think I've ever seen a listing with that info, but beats me!

[Jon-And-Sue0]

I phoned the Govt GST office and was told that whether or not I remit GST, and even if AirBnB is remitting for us, I still need to have a GST number and submit a 0 remittance.  Maybe this is why AirBnB has been asking for GST numbers.  I was also wondering about the 30,000 threshold and why we would need to have a GST # if we are under that.  It IS quite muddy. 

[Lesley107]

I have found this process very difficult and Airbnb  send lots of information, but they do not have info which is pertinent to just Canada, and they will not speak to me in person about it. Rev Can will require written statements re HST paid and guests need to know exactly what they are paying. Does anyone have an accountant who is knowledgeable about this. I have GST/HST # and have provided it to Airbnb, but see no sign of it on their payouts. I am going round in circles.

[Glenda142]

Did you find out any further info?