Hotel tax collection - Wrong county (agency/location)

[Dick-and-Ulli0]

AirBnB started collecting Hotel tax for our neighboring County, Eldorado Co California, our listing is in Placer County.   Unfortunately AirBnB has taged our listing as if it's in Eldorado, not Placer.   They've collected and paid taxes on our behalf to the wrong county.    We've been trying to get them to change it for almost 7 months now and requested reimbursement of taxes that we paid to the correct county.   We've sent in tons of documentation, rental certificates, assessors maps, property tax statements.   Is this  a mellenial thing that they can't read a map?    They've suggested that I have to go try to get the money back from the wrong county?   And that we need to talk to  tax professional?  When I told them we don' have a tax problem, we've paid the correct agency, they seemed perplexed.   I guess AirBnB is too big to be wrong.  

So far AirBnB is right there with the DMV for customer service on this one.  And considering I'm the host and they make money from my listings makes this even more maddening.   I've called or emailed every couple of weeks.  For some reason the department that handles this does not accept calls.  Maybe they don't have a phone?  I'm not buying that excuse.   I'll get one email, that the situation has been escalated, then crickets....  

I've spoken to the Revenue services folks at Placer County and they say I'm not the only ones with this issue.   

You would think AirBnB would care about hosts?   Seems not.

This is supposed to be the hospitality business and this level of customer service is unacceptable. 

D. White

Tahoma Meadows

Innkeeper/Owner

[Judith177]

I'm having this same issue in Ontario, Canada. I am in a rural area, in Oro-Mendonte Township, but my mailing address is a "rural route" originating in the nearby city of Barrie. Barrie just brought in a 4% occupancy tax that Airbnb will supposedly collect from guests and submit on the hosts behalf. Airbnb intends to collect this tax from my guests and submit it to the City of Barrie. I have had emailed conversations so far with two Airbnb representatives, telling them I do NOT live in that city and that it is illegal for Airbnb to collect taxes from a host in one municipality to pay to another municipality. I have a hard enough time as it is getting guests to stay here over the lure of a city,  so I can only charge much less most city listings yet I offer so much more, and had hoped that if my guests didn't have to pay an occupancy tax, it might up the attractiveness of my listing a bit -- but the real issue is that Airbnb has no legal right to collect a tax that MY local government didn't impose and pay it to another which did!  My township is currently discussing a flat licencing fee for Airbnbs, a fee which, as proposed, is more than I have made from hosting in each of the past two years. This is because there are some non-resident hosts renting out full lakefront cottages, with rowdy party guests disturbing neighbours. We rent one room, and only when we are here. So we may get hit twice here: once to pay an illegal tax to the nearby City, and once to pay a licencing fee to our township. If this happens, I definitely won't be hosting anymore. Airbnb does not support its hosts.

[Dick-and-Ulli0]

Have you had any response from AirBnB regarding the error in location?    I have not.   They insist that they have expert cartographers and know better.     I think it's a millennial thing, their tech can't be wrong and they don't know how to look at a proper map.    I guess I've been paying property taxes to the wrong county for all these years?   I'll have ask for a refund.  I'll just tell them that AirBnB says so.    Also my kids must be going to the wrong school district as well.    This has been going on for almost 10 months.    I'm about to pull the plug on AirBnB.  I get more bookings from Expedia and Bookings.com any way with so much less hassle.   AirBnB seems to bend over backwards for travelers, but doesn't give  a rip about hosts. 

**bleep** White

Innkeeper/Owner Tahoma Meadows Cottages.