Our focus is to ensure that people renting a room, their home while they’re away or an investment property through web or app-based platforms in the sharing economy understand their obligations,– Australian Taxation Office
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has flagged a crackdown on Airbnb hosts in Australia who don’t declare their income from home rentals.
The home sharing platform has emailed some 200,000 Australian Airbnb hosts to warn them their details would be shared with the ATO as part of the tax office’s blitz on the sharing economy, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The email said, “from time-to-time we may be legally required to share certain information with governmental authorities”.
The move is backed by Tourism Accommodation Australia, which shared the news on Twitter, adding it came after months of campaigning by the body.
Tourism Accommodation Australia represents 3, 4 and 5-star hotels, motels and serviced apartments in metropolitan and regional Australia.
The ATO believes many sharing economy workers are not declaring that portion of their income, which many consider to be a hobby.
“Our focus is to ensure that people renting a room, their home while they’re away or an investment property through web or app-based platforms in the sharing economy understand their obligations,” the ATO said.