Airbnb’s refusal to provide the Treasury Department with information on property rental in Greece is subject to a tax on owners who use the short-term online leasing platform.
According to information, despite the Finance Ministry’s repeated efforts to contact the company’s representatives and consult with its executives the California-based company, as well as other businesses (Novasol et al.), have displayed unwillingness to comply with the Greek authorities’ request for them to register and the VAT on each property listing, thus blocking the government’s plans to implement the country’s standing tax laws. Legislation on medium-term leasings via digital platforms, such as Airbnb, had been passed last year by the Greek government and provided for a 12,000-euro cap on revenues accrued from such activities by private entities, as well as a time limit on the days properties could be rented out. The state was counting on receiving an estimated 48 million euros a year, but the money was put off for 2018.