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This news should cause some concern, especially in the trendy districts of Berlin or Hamburg: Airbnb has to provide the data of the owners for tax control purposes. This was achieved through a special unit of the Hamburg tax investigation together with other federal and state authorities in a multi-year international legal process, the Hamburg tax authority announced on Wednesday. These would now be evaluated by the Hamburg tax investigators and transmitted to other federal states.
Although the authority does not officially name Airbnb, it does speak of a “global brokerage portal for booking and accommodation brokerage”, which is quite clear. This could threaten many homeowners with visits from tax investigators.
“This is a great success of the Hamburg tax investigation,” said Hamburg finance senator Andreas Dressel (SPD). At the national level, it is the first successful international group request in relation to the sale of rentals through Internet platforms. “This is an important advance in shedding light on this considerable dark field,” Dressel said. “The data will help track income that was previously hidden from tax authorities for taxation.”
Airbnb rental income is taxable if it exceeds € 520 per year and total income is above the basic tax allowance, which is currently € 9,408 for singles. Tax evasion can result in a fine or imprisonment of up to five years, so particularly serious cases can also be punished with up to ten years in prison. Regardless of the fine issued, the tax evaded from the last ten years must be refunded, including the six percent late payment interest.
