Booking, everything about the agreement with the Italian tax authorities
The agreement with the tax authorities and the payment of the sums found to have been evaded allowed Booking to avoid a preventive seizure being carried out in criminal proceedings
While the platforms that allow you to find accommodation for short periods are still battling with the State on the dry tax front, the Dutch Booking is reaching an agreement with the Italian tax authorities at least for what concerns the failure to apply VAT on its services between 2013 and 2022.
THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN BOOKING AND THE TAX
The tax dispute, according to the agreements, is destined to be closed with the payment to the treasury of 94 million euros. The payment of the sums found to have been evaded allowed Booking.com to avoid a preventive seizure being carried out in criminal proceedings.
THE FACTS
This was announced by the Genoa Prosecutor's Office. Precisely in Liguria, precisely in Chiavari, the Chiavari Financial Police had ascertained that "Booking.com invoiced the online intermediation services provided to all 'advertiser' hoteliers/room owners without collecting the relevant VAT and applying for all customers Italians, without distinction, the so-called reverse-charge mechanism, by virtue of which the VAT on each service is due not by the supplier but by the client (i.e., in this case by the hotelier or 'room-landlord') but only if he is the owner of the relevant lot ”.
With respect to the large number of hoteliers or 'room owners' without a VAT number, Booking failed to issue invoices with Italian value added tax and to present the annual declaration for VAT purposes for the years from 2013 to 2021. The investigation by the Genoa Prosecutor's Office also developed thanks to the documentation provided by the Dutch judicial authority.
WHAT THEY SAY FROM THE DUTCH PLATFORM
“At Booking.com – the company commented in a note – we are committed to ensuring that we operate in compliance with the laws in all the countries in which we are present. This includes our diligence in paying all taxes levied on our activities.”
“Today as in the past – we read again in the Booking note -, we believe we are in compliance with the current Italian laws on VAT and we can confirm that we have signed up to a mutual satisfaction agreement with the Revenue Agency for the period 2013 -2021. We are therefore pleased to have reached this resolution and to be able to continue to focus all our efforts and attention on offering the highest quality services to our customers and partners in Italy."
BOOKING MAKES PEACE WITH TAXES
Following the dispute, Booking.com has implemented the indications of the Revenue Agency, and a specific request from the Genoa Prosecutor's Office, for the year 2022 by submitting the declaration for VAT purposes in Italy for a tax equal to over 19 million EUR.
The Dutch platform has also adopted an organizational model compliant with the legislation of our country according to which if the hotel client does not provide a VAT number, or if he provides the Company with a VAT number that is not valid for the EU, Booking will apply VAT at 22% on the invoice and will complete the VAT return and pay the related tax in Italy on all transactions with private individuals who do not have a VAT number.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/economia/booking-ecco-laccordino-con-il-fisco-italiano/ on Mon, 13 Nov 2023 08:45:57 +0000.