PHILIPSBURG--Government is taking a creative approach to cashing in on taxes from residents who offer apartments, rooms and houses for rent on popular vacation rental site Airbnb.
Finance Minister Mike Ferrier told Parliament Tuesday morning in the sitting on the 2018 draft budget he met with Airbnb in Washington D.C. last month to discuss cooperation on collecting room tax on government’s behalf.
“Those who rent rooms are not known to government,” said Ferrier. Without that knowledge, government misses out on the per night room tax paid by registered hotels and guesthouses.
Government intends to make an agreement with Airbnb to promote the destination as open for business and having available room inventory. This will be related to the share of information by the United States-based company.
The promotion will spell, according to Ferrier, additional income for government and for those who rent rooms, because more people will become aware of the destination, thus driving demand for it.
Airbnb has more than 300 listings for rentals on the Dutch side of the island ranging from a bedroom rental, studio, apartments, to villas.
