Airbnb paid nearly €1.2 million ($1.3 million) to the city of Paris in the last quarter of 2015, after it began charging a tourist tax last year. As the AFP news agency reports, the €1.17 million that the online home rental service paid corresponds to "1.4 million overnight stays" from October to the end of the year, according to the city municipality.

Airbnb introduced the tourist tax in August of last year, charging users at a rate of €0.83 per person per night. The French capital is Airbnb's most popular destination, and its rapid expansion has raised concerns among the city's hotel owners, who have said the site enjoys an unfair competitive advantage. Home owners were previously responsible for collecting the tourist tax, but under Airbnb's new policy, it's automatically included in fees.

Airbnb has introduced similar tax-collecting systems in Amsterdam, Chicago, and Washington, DC, though it has continued to face criticism for contributing to rising housing prices in San Francisco and New York.