Guests being taxed on my cleaning fee is wrong!

[Sue174]

I just got an email confirming a new guest booking. This email now spells out exactly how much tax will be remitted to the State of Florida on my behalf. I did the math. The guest is being charged tax on my cleaning fee. This is wrong! My cleaning fee isn't taxable because my cleaning company backs the taxes THEY pay out of their service. I called Air right away. They said too bad. I told them that HomeAway allows me to SPECIFY if my cleaning fee is taxable. They said too bad.

So now what? I can't offer the guest a refund because this money isn't coming to me! This seems grossly unfair to the traveler. Is there a way to work around this? I don't live anywhere near my rental and I am not going to ask a guest to pay me separately for cleaning or leave it when they depart.

ideas? I'm so disappointed in Air.

[Kelly149]

@Sue174 our state considers everything that goes along with the rental of the space to be taxable. Hotel tax is computed completely differently than regular sales or service tax. Even if this isn't right for FL, I wouldn't imagine you'd have much success getting abb to do anything different than what they've decided to do

[Sue174]

@Kelly149, you are right. They aren't about to change how they tax the guest. I guess I was just venting because this isn't fair. Since I already pay tax on the cleaning, I don't feel my guest should have to. @Fred13, the guest didn't mention it. I noticed the tax being remitted, did the math and figured it out. I've been renting for a year and had no idea!

[Fred13]

Thanks for bringing it up, I never noticed it. Here in Belize, they go one 'better', if there are two taxes, say occupancy and income tax, the latter taxes on the absolute amount (including the 1st tax), a 'tax upon tax situation'. Slick.

[Sue174]

@Fred13, Wow, that sounds criminal to me. I'm surprised no one (guests) have challenged that yet!

[Fred13]

Crazy, I took it up with the 'collector' and he said most won't catch it. Really.

[Fred13]

Question: was it the guest that brought being taxed on the cleaning fee? Just curious. 

[Coco-Shawn0]

I'm  facing this same issue in Newfoundland. Airbnb strated collecting 15% tax on the TOTAL cost, including the hefty cleaning fee for our 3-bedroom house, and our cleaner is charging another 15% on her end... for the same fee!

Airbnb is not showing any understanding or intelligence in the matter - just telling me, that's it!

So wrong.