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Airbnb starts collecting tourist tax in Paris, its most popular destination

Airbnb starts collecting tourist tax in Paris, its most popular destination

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Airbnb has announced that it will begin collecting tourist tax in Paris on behalf of its hosts. The tax will appear on customers' bills as a €0.83 ($0.96) charge per person per night under the category "meublés touristiques non classés." It's previously been the responsibility of individuals renting their property to collect and process this fee, but earlier this month, the French government passed a decree allowing online platforms to shoulder the administrative burden. The result, says Airbnb, should be an easier hosting process in Paris — the service's number one destination, with more than 50,000 listings — as well as more money for the city.

"We are grateful for our strong relationship with the French Authorities and are proud to launch this simplified tax process in our number one city," Nicolas Ferrary, Airbnb's director in France, said in a press statement. "More people share their homes in Paris than anywhere else in the world and this new process will ensure Paris receives more revenue from our community."

Airbnb has struck similar deals in Amsterdam and cities around the US

AIrbnb has previously taken similar steps to manage tourist tax in Amsterdam, collecting the small fee directly and then remitting it to the city. It's also struck similar deals in cities across the US, including Portland, Chicago, and San Francisco. The company's capacity to work with lawmakers in this way is often seen in contrast with firms such as Uber, which has been far more combative in its work of supplanting an established industry. However, the process doesn't always go smoothly for Airbnb either, with the company notably running into trouble with regulators in New York City earlier this year.