Airbnb’s tax collection and remittance in Kentucky
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Airbnb collected $13.7 million in state and local tourism taxes, a $7.6 million increase from pre-pandemic travel in 2019.
- Since 2017, Airbnb has collected and remitted over $37.8 million in state and local tourism taxes.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Airbnb collected $13.7 million in state and local tourism taxes, a $7.6 million increase from pre-pandemic travel in 2019.
- Since 2017, Airbnb has collected and remitted over $37.8 million in state and local tourism taxes.
Airbnb has released data on its collection and remittance of sales and local occupancy taxes in the state of Kentucky. In 2017, Airbnb began collecting local occupancy taxes on behalf of Hosts in jurisdictions across the Commonwealth, and in 2022, Airbnb collected $13.7 million in state and local tourism taxes, a $7.6 million increase from pre-pandemic travel in 2019. This has resulted in over $37.8 million in taxes in the Commonwealth being collected and remitted on behalf of Hosts since 2017.1
Today, taxes collected and remitted by Airbnb are important sources of recurring revenue for communities across Kentucky. We collect and remit state sales tax and state transient room tax and also have legacy voluntary tax collection agreements. Below is a breakdown of the approximate tax collection figures by jurisdiction:2
| County | Tax Revenue from Airbnb |
| Commonwealth of Kentucky (sales and state-administered tourism taxes) | $24.4 million |
| Lexington-Fayette County | $3.7 million |
| Louisville-Jefferson County | $8.4 million |
| Boone County | $148,000 |
| Campbell County | $200,000 |
| Kenton County | $677,000 |
| Oldham County | $87,000 |
| Woodford County | $82,000 |
| City of Bowling Green | $133,000 |
In the US, Airbnb collected and remitted more than $1.5 billion in tourism taxes in 2021 in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico – approximately an 87 percent increase over 2019. Prior to 2014, jurisdictions did not have an efficient way to receive these funds from travel booked on short-term rental platforms. Airbnb changed that by forming tax collection agreements with San Francisco, California and Portland, Oregon that year and signaling to the world that the company wanted to collect and remit tourism taxes and work with local governments. Since then, we have worked with jurisdictions like Louisville and Lexington to collect and remit the local occupancy tax on behalf of our Hosts.
Airbnb wants to continue to pay its fair share of taxes and remains committed to working with state lawmakers to authorize a centralized tax remittance system that would streamline the process for both platforms and local jurisdictions alike.
Read more about: Taxes