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THE REVENUE COMMISSIONERS’ decision this week to clarify Ireland’s ‘Rent-a-Room’ tax relief has meant that hosts on rental sites like Airbnb are now officially liable for tax on that income.
Home-rental sites like Airbnb have become increasingly popular in recent years, with the added character and experience (not to mention low expense) of a home stay ticking a lot of boxes for foreign tourists.
TheJournal.ie spoke to several Dublin Airbnb hosts to gauge their take on Revenue’s decision and what impact it will have on their business. All names have been changed.
Noel, a very recent member, rents a four-bed apartment in Dublin 4. He’s in the hospitality business full-time so in the short time he’s been on airbnb he has declared all earnings.
“I agree with the decision completely,” he says.
It’s only right as hosts on the site are taking business from legitimate enterprises who have to pay rates, staff, VAT etc.
You have to ask, do these people have insurance, like public liability? What happens if someone gets hurt? It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Sandra has likewise only been hosting for a short period of time. She rents the ground floor of her townhouse, close to the city centre.
“I had told my friends: ‘lads, this is easy money’,” she says.
I had set myself a figure of 10 grand for the year as the tax ceiling hadn’t been clear previously.
I can absolutely see where Revenue are coming from, we’re taking business away from hotels that are paying rates. It was such a good situation I had told myself it was really too good to be true.
At the same time Sandra has a few quibbles with the decision.
Well there’s sundry expenses for the hosts as well. We have to pay for cleaning, laundering, furniture, I mean there are standards that have to be met.
Revenue’s decision doesn’t make it clear how those kind of things can be claimed back.
Martin, host of a family accommodation in Christchurch was the most critical of Revenue’s decision of all our interviewees.
“I’m a full-time landlord so it won’t change anything for me – nevertheless it is pretty sharp considering the work and effort involved,” he explained.
I think it’s very shortsighted to be honest. It will make Airbnb not worth doing for the non-professional, taking away the hosts our tourism needs most.
They should be encouraging it not clamping down – Airbnb and its kind are the future for the industry.
Linda is one of the more experienced hosts we spoke to. She’s been renting her double-room on the northside of the city for three years. “I can see arguments for both sides,” she told TheJournal.ie
I mean there’s the housing crisis and Airbnb has to be making it worse. It’s hurting the student market because they can’t find anywhere, and I’ve had some really desperate people in touch with me and that’s upsetting.
But the financial implications aren’t really clear, it’s very complex. The decision will free up some accommodation but maybe shut down others. Likewise with Airbnb, maybe it had become too big a beast, this might make it better but it could destroy it either.
Which is a pity because it’s a fantastic resource for a tourist country.
Daniel has been hosting his Temple Bar apartment for two years. He has few issues with the announcement, seeing it as ‘always the way they were going to treat Airbnb once they got on top of it’.
Even with that declaration it’s still an amazing way to supplement income and to meet people from all over the world.
You may wonder, if so many hosts can see why Revenue have made their clarification how they are able in good conscience to affect the accommodation bubble by renting via Airbnb, and Daniel’s point seems to be the kicker.
“It’s just a lovely way to rent,” says Sandra.
Renting long-term you could struggle to be rid of the person if they were unpleasant, and you had to live with their moods.
Airbnb customers come with no baggage. They’re on holiday so they’re always in good form, and they’re so interesting. The positive energy you get from it is really special.
“The social aspect is what makes it,” agrees Linda.
Meeting someone knew every week and having full control over the room at the same time – it’s a brilliant resource and perfect for the kind of tourism the Irish like to promote.
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This guy still has a gun , I’m sure he is allowed under the 2nd amendment but don’t you think he would of got rid of it after the trouble it caused the first time around FFS ..
The NRA raised money online to buy him a new gun because he didn’t get his old one back after the trial. Keeping America safe.:-P
And this is the country that is leading the rest of the world around by the nose…..what does that say a out us??????
“There may have been some pushing and touching” but it’s ok because a it’s a divorce case?
No it’s not. If either party laid a hand on the other, that’s assault. I wasn’t there but somehow with all his priors I would lay money George was to blame. He really needs to be taken out of society, the guys a nutter
If either party laid a hand on the other…..what’s the other thing the yanks say???? Oh aye ” your I fading my personal space”…..the whole place is full of ejits……the American experiment has failed…..all great empires fall from within……the rest of the world are watching as the place implodes…..
He smashed an iPad for gods sake the mans a nutta
If that ipad was white he’d be in jail by now.
Its hard to believe who is right or wrong when a marraige breaks down. Both sides are known to exaggerate the truth.
America is great if you are non-black. You can shoot dead a black teenager after being told by the police to stay away & walk free. Then you can assult your wife’s father and still the cops do nothing.
But dare a black person drive at 31 in a 30 zone & they call out the SWAT team.
It doesn’t sound like the father-in-law pressed any charges against Zimmerman either. Given that both of the alleged injured parties in this incident have declined to make formal complaints, what do you want the police to arrest Zimmerman for?
Carcu. The Police did not tell him “to walk away and not follow”. What the dispatcher said (who is not a Police Officer but a civilian operator) was “that it was not necessary to follow”. Bit of a difference.
As most conservatives, few liberals, and no low information voters know, Florida’s stand-your-ground laws has disproportionately benefitted blacks. The fury being pushed by the Democrat-media complex is pure sham, intended to distract from the embarrassment caused by the pursuit of George Zimmerman when there was no case.
Okay all if I pushed you in the nose what would that be? Common assault, regardless if you press charges or not, it was still an assault.
Now how come nobody made a comment about my “31 in a 30 zone”, statement? Would that be because it’s true?
Whether you press charges or not is entirely relevant, since without a complaint from an injured party the police can’t prosecute in a case like this. Perhaps no one’s commented on the rest of your post because none of us are black Americans.
So Sandbag “You’ll know not what you say”.
I was a first hand witness of the “31 in the 30 zone”, when getting a lift home from a co-worker who was black and I can tell you it was scary. Never happened to me while I was driving alone I can tell you.
What do you want me to say? I’ve never experienced or witnessed it so anything I’ve got to say on the matter is of little relevence.
I hope the security footage shows him waving a gun around so he can be put behind bars with or without his ex’s testimony. This guy is a loose cannon.
Annette. What did the Police say? “We found No firearm nor did he have any indication of carrying one”. Then the wife dropped all charges and changed her story.
I think I’d have changed my story too… He murdered one man and got away with it and still has a gun?? Btw it is very easy to hide a gun and a LOT of abused/scared spouses decline to press charges or change their stories. Wait and see what the footage shows.
Again Annette there were no injuries visible to either the paramedics or the police nor was there any Firearm found nor any indication of him carrying one. The only evidence of any dispute was a broken I.Pad and no evidence as to who broke it. And as for your accusation of Murder. You will find he was cleared of All charges by a Jury of his peers. Why? Because the State Prosecutor persued the case for political reasons after the local Police and Prosecutor refused to indict because of lack of evidence against Zimmerman.
Why would you change your story if it would have gotten him arrested? If either his wife or his father-in-law had made a complaint, Zimmerman would have been taken away & they could have looked for a restraining order against him in the event he got bail. And as easy as you seem to think it is to hide a firearm in a car, the police in the US are as experienced in searching for them so I’d believe them when they say there wasn’t one present.
Seriously who gives a toss. American news reporting is dreadful I bet they added spin to make this look worse than it is.
All media adds spin and uses certain phrases and buzz words to keep the listener interested rte is no different.
A ‘domestic incident’ and there are at least seven cop cars at the scene? You’d be lucky to get one Garda on a bicycle here.
“Not pressing charges” isn’t even a real legal term. Either a victim can cooperate with a police investigation or not. It may be harder to prove a crime and move forward with a case without victim cooperation but it doesn’t prevent it. Whenever I see that term I translate it to: police don’t care enough/are too lazy to investigate further.
Tell us how Florida law will allow the authorities to prosecute Zimmerman in the absence of a formal complaint from either his wife or his father-in-law.
Damn right michelle I bet there’s semen somewhere on the crime scene that they could get tested
Rian why would there be semen? She did not claim he raped her or made any sexual advance to her.
@Michael Jordan, you need to watch CSI more often,there is always semen at a crime scene :-)
Not a fan if Superbad so
Happy to, Sandbag. The crime would have technically been committed against the State of Florida. The state passes laws that people abide by or break. Evidence of a crime is collected by the police. Evidence can be physical evidence, pictures/video, statements from the police officers who responded to the scene, statements from witnesses, statements from the victim, recordings of the 911 call, etc. All of this evidence can then be forwarded to the prosecutor to decide whether or not they can prove a crime has been committed. If the victim refuses to make a statement to the police it can make it difficult to prove a crime has been committed, but not impossible. In this particular case, the 911 call and any statements made by the victim to police who responded to the scene would be solid evidence to prove a crime has been committed.
Yet Michele in this case. There were no visible injuries on any of the parties involved there was also no gun found or even any evidence that he has a gun on his person. Both complainants changed their stories and withdrew the complaint. Could it be that the original complaint was false and under advisement withdrew the complaint to avoid themselves being charged with wasting police time.
The crime was not committed against the State of Florida; it may have been committed against two people on private property. If the two people in question don’t give statements, don’t give consent for access to medical records and don’t co-operate then all you’ve got is the 911 call, and good luck getting a charge past the grand jury with that. It is nearly impossible to get a conviction against someone where the injured party is the principal witness and they decide not to co-operate.
Not true. In domestic violence related cases about half of cases handled by prosecutors have “hostile” (uncooperative) victims. Many prosecutors feel it is in the interest of public safety to pursue these cases so while they do take into consideration the wishes of the victim, it isn’t the deciding factor. I know this from years of work in the American justice system–specifically assisting victims (both willing and unwilling). I have mixed feelings about how well this serves the best interests of victims so I’m not one to argue for or against it, but it is how the system works.
Believe it or not, George, isn’t at home, please leave a mes-saaage at the beep. I must be out or I’d pick up the pho-one. Where could I be? Believe it or not, I’m not hooome
If I could, I’d like this comment one hundred times :-)
They sound as bad as each other.
Although State Senator Barack Obama could boast of few legislative accomplishments, one thing he did do was co-sponsor a bill strengthening the Illionois stand-your-ground law. Hypocrite
Do we still think he’s innocent? Or should we ignore it because she’s s woman, that seems to be what happened with Trayvon because he was black, this man should be in prison for a long time.
Daddy what evidence was there to say he is guilty of what she claimed? No Gun. No injuries. She came back to the house with her Father knowing he was inside. Its as if she went expecting or wanting to cause an argument. They are going through divorce proceedings this could (and I am making a presumption here) part of a ploy by her to say that “on this date I had to call the Police”.
Imagine having the contract to make all the badges that our American chums like to wear on their uniforms.
Think she needs to press for gym membership
26 years old!!! Jezzz she looks like in her late 30′s….
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