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Italy investigates Booking.com over €150m of unpaid VAT

• chewz 7y ago
  > 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.