NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) - Newport says it wants more tax data from short-term rental programs like Airbnb and HomeAway, saying the companies aren’t detailing which properties are paying taxes.
The Newport Daily News reports Airbnb and other companies have cited client privacy in refusing to give the city documentation on who is paying what. The Newport City Council said Wednesday that the government has “improperly ceded tax authority to these hosting platforms.”
The council unanimously passed a resolution asking the state General Assembly to pass legislation requiring short-term rental programs to file tax returns based on real data.
Rental taxes are a major revenue source for Newport. On any given day, there are about 1,400 listings on Airbnb for daily, weekend or weekly rentals.
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