Bartlett denies considering Airbnb tax
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has denied that his ministry is involved in discussions on taxing local Airbnb providers.
Bartlett reiterated that there are no discussions about taxing local Airbnb providers, which he described as an online marketplace “which lets people rent out their properties or spare rooms to guests”.
The minister issued the statement in response to recent reports that the Government is gearing up to tax this group of small-scale Jamaican property owners and/or operators.
Bartlett has, however, indicated that there have been discussions about an “administrative charge” applied to Airbnb, which they will pay over to the Government.
“This will have no impact on the bottom line of local operators. Additionally, this charge will go towards helping these small players by effectively marketing their properties and enhance destination assurance across the board,” the minister said.
He noted that in December 2016, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and Airbnb to establish a framework for cooperation to further boost and diversify Jamaica’s tourism product.