Booking.com has agreed to pay about 94 million euros to settle a tax dispute in Italy

  • The settlement relates to a probe into the way Booking.com handles taxation of properties rented out through its website.

  • Italian authorities alleged that Booking.com evaded 153 million euros of value-added tax (VAT) from 2013 to 2019.

  • The settlement includes Booking.com filing its VAT return in Italy for 2022 and acting as a tax substitute for transactions with private individuals not registered for VAT.

  • The investigation focused on VAT payments between private individuals for rental properties advertised on Booking.com.

  • Italian tax authorities believe Booking.com should have acted as a withholding agent, collecting tax from property owners.

  • The settlement follows similar high-profile tax deals between Italian authorities and other multinational companies.

  • An Italian judge recently seized 780 million euros from short-term rentals platform Airbnb in a similar tax collection case.