GST in Canada

Gramme-Wing-Yan0
Level 1
Calgary, Canada

GST in Canada

Hi there,

 

I'm wondering if we can add the 5% GST (For Alberta, Canada) on top of our total? We need to remit 5% to CRA.

 

Thank you!

39 Replies 39
Cynthia-and-Chris1
Level 10
Vancouver, WA

@Gramme-Wing-Yan0  Unfortuantely there is not a way to add an automatic line item for tax.  Read more here about how to collect local taxes:  https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/481/how-do-taxes-work-for-hosts

Airbnb needs to add this service! Any hosts making more than $30,000/ year need to collect GST and its unreasonable to expect guests to just leave the GST amount on the counter when they check out! I wonder if you have figured out how to respove this issue?

 

I fully agree. This is a fairly straight forward application change. Add a section for tax. Let the owner choose the rate or better yet have a drop down box for the jurisdiction. Then add logic to total everything and as a final awesome owner friendly item, create an easy to run report to show GST collected to make CRA happy. AirBnB...add this to your feautres list, put it into your Appdev funnel and get it into the next code update!

Letting the owner choose the rate can be dangerous.

Anyone with a brain or basic understanding of search engines can easily figure out if an owner would be charging more than the actual tax. And why would they anyway? It would make more them expensive than the other rentals in their area. Duh.

Lorelei1
Level 2
Valemount, Canada

We definately need this feature! Having to send a separate request for tax doesn't make sense. As a guest, I would like to see the total cost at time of booking, it's like another hidden cost. As a host, I would like to simplify booking for my guests and be upfront with costs. We are required to remit GST, so why not make it a feature, seems simple to me.

 

Agreed!

Daniel1992
Level 10
Downingtown, PA

Put something along these lines in your listing:

"Alberta requires a GST tax of 5% to the CRA.  This is required to be paid by the guest at any accomodation within the province.  We will request these funds from you the week prior to your arrival.  If you fail to remit these funds, we will be forced to cancel your reservation."

 

When you send the request, make sure you mention that it's the GST tax as well as a breakdown as to how you got to that figure.

Alison109
Level 2
British Columbia, Canada

Just got called by CRA this week requesting GST on my booking - and I've been going through the airbnb site (and talking to help) but can't seem to find an easy way to make this happen. Best ideas?

 

Denise466
Level 2
Comeauville, Canada

This is a problem for me as well. In Nova-Scotia GST is at 15%. Seems to me a section (drop down box) could be added explaining what it is for. Would make it a lot easier for everyone.

Alison109
Level 2
British Columbia, Canada

Not having the GST option targets hosts that rent their places a lot (and well) Superhosts are getting a rough deal here.

I am in Annapolis royal and also looking for information about this. Wondering how you are handling this? Would love to hear from you.

This has been so frustrating. Airbnb isn't ready for this. They have no answer to these questions and they're asking me to check with my accountant. 

 

Would anyone know about the small supplier exemption? Is it not applicable for airbnb? Because I don't make that much so why should I make my guests pay more when it isn't required 

That is what I have been thinking too. In Alberta Canada , one has to have a specific GST account in order to charge GST to someone else ( a client) but that account is required only when you reach a $30.000 income, or revenue,  which is not my case, at all. And now Airbnb is deducting already from my listing reservation , the 3%, out of the total  paid by the guest.  As the GST  does not appear  as an item or ctegory paid while booking, they are n ot being charged for GST, I am paying GST from evey reservation. I am calling them tomorrow and will be figuring this out. It is wrong the way they are doing it in my case,