Who earns more from Airbnb? The Portuguese surpass the Italian and Spanish
A study from IMF, presented by the former Portuguese minister, Vítor Gaspar, points to possible ways for States to maximize tax revenue from these new digital businesses.
In Portugal, the average gross annual revenue per host in the short renting platform Airbnb is larger than in Italy or Spain. According to a study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), only Japan surpasses the Portuguese average, states the Portuguese newspaper Dinheiro Vivo, this Friday.
IMF sees a margin for increasing taxation in this type of business, to improve what he calls the “digital government”. He also points to possible ways for States to maximize their tax income from new network digital businesses such as the short renting platform Airbnb. The analytical chapter of the Fiscal Monitor was presented this Thursday by the head of Public Finance Department of IMF Vítor Gaspar, who is also a former Portuguese Finance Minister.
When presenting the study called “Digital Government”, Vítor Gaspar and assistant Geneviève Verdier conclude that “people are replacing taxis for Uber, hotels for Airbnb, and cash for PayPal”. “Can Governments sit aside from this transformation? Probably not”, the study adds.
Particularly concerning Airbnb, there is a margin for the State to do better, although IMF believes the average income per host is still low.
