TOT (tempory occupancy tax)

[Robyn219]

I live in Novato California and the AirBNB website clearly says they pull this and pay TOT in my town. But apparently not. We are having to deal with all sorts of paperwork with the city. I have been trying to talk to someone at AirBNB and have been reasured I will get a call back (a couple of times) but so far that has not happened.

Does anyone have feedback on this.

[Linda108]

@Robyn219   I live in a small town near Palm Springs, i.e., La Quinta, and for a brief period of time Air BNB collected the TOT.  The City decided to pull out of the agreement because Air BNB pays in a lump sum at the time of the booking and there is no individual host information shared with the City.  It was an auditor's nightmare.    Anyway, I do have some experience with this issue.  I looked at the Air BNB list of county/cities in CA where Air BNB collects and remits the TOT and did not find Novato listed.  I did see Marin County, but incorporated areas such as Novato are excluded.  

The Air BNB customer service is not prepared or trained to answer questions you have about tax collection.  I suggest you go back to the city of Novato for what you need.  BTW I did not find clear information about short term vacation rentals on their website, but you might have better luck.  Hope this helps a bit.

[Ron328]

what are the rules for hosting in Novato, Ca ?

[Avra8]

I am a host in Sonoma, CA. Based on the information Air B&B customer service sent me re TOT taxes it looked like they were collecting and remitting them for us.  I also had an Air B&B customer Service rep tell me this was the case. I panicked thinking I had been double paying (with VRBO you pay the city directly so I did that for Air B&B when I started using their interface). After multiple calls and three times requesting to elevate before anyone called me back, I finally heard from them that they are NOT collecting and remitting TOT for the City of Sonoma.  We use a form that the city provides and mail it in once per month.  Bottom line, make sure you get a manager at Air B&B to call you back and get a definitive answer. 

[Avra8]

Building on my last comment, for hosts living in an area where Air B&B is NOT collecting/remitting the TOT taxes, how are you collecting the taxes from your guests? I am thinking of just incorporating it into the per night cost and explaining this to guests in the listing? Anyone have an opinion on the best approach?

Thank you!

[Linda108]

@Avra8   I always go to the Help Center first to get information about Air BNB processes, then I go to the Air BNB reps if I cannot find a specific answer.  Here is a link to the article about Air BNB tax collection in CA.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2297/occupancy-tax-collection-and-remittance-by-airbnb-in-califo...

I include the taxes in my nightly rate. I realize that in my area, that adds 10% to my nightly rate, but I find guests really appreciate not having to pay separately.