
Italy investigates Booking.com over €150m of unpaid VAT - chewz
https://www.ft.com/content/ac68b41a-a491-11e9-974c-ad1c6ab5efd1
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chewz
> Italian authorities are investigating whether Booking.com is liable for at
> least €150m in unpaid VAT on holiday rentals made through its platforms,
> according to two people familiar with the matter.

> Booking.com considers itself an intermediary between property owners and
> guests and treats reservations as direct transactions between the two.

> But according to those close to the investigation, the lack of an automatic
> system for VAT payment means that the tax often goes unpaid, resulting in a
> significant shortfall over time.

> Italian prosecutors are investigating whether Booking.com should be liable
> for paying the VAT owed on payments made between 2013 and 2018. They
> consider the €150m figure a “conservative estimate”, the people added, based
> on an analysis of the company’s revenues in Italy and police interviews with
> individuals using its platform.

