Airbnb has generated $23.1M in tax revenue in Arizona through October
Dec 16, 2019, 8:48 AM | Updated: 9:16 am
PHOENIX — Airbnb, an online home-sharing company, announced last week that $23.1 million in tax revenue in Arizona has been generated through October by its community.
The number with a few months left to count in 2019 represents more than a third of the $53.3 million in tax revenue generated in the state since Airbnb began collecting and remitting applicable taxes in 2017.
“The Airbnb community continues to make significant, positive economic contributions across Arizona, generating tax revenue and helping families earn meaningful extra money,” Laura Spanjian, public policy manager of the company’s southwest division, said in a news release. “We remain committed to working communities around the state to ensure short-term rentals continue providing sustainable tourism with long-term benefits to the community.”
Spokeswoman for Airbnb Laura Rillos told KTAR News 92.3 FM last week the company is not only beneficial to hosts, who earn can turn the expense of a house into a tool to help make extra money, but also local businesses through recommendations.
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“92% of Airbnb hosts in the United States, who are surveyed, said they recommend restaurants and cafe’s to guests,” Rillos said. “On average, Airbnb guests say 41% of their spending occurs in the neighborhoods where they stay.”
She added the company aids cities by providing extra lodging for annual Arizona events including spring training, bowl games, and trade shows like the Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson.
Arizona saw record numbers in tourism last year, generating more than $1 billion in state taxes for the first time, according to research released during the Governor’s Conference of Tourism in July 2019. It also found Arizona hosted 45.4 million overnight travelers last year, 1.5 million more than 2017.
Rillos said she didn’t want to compare tax revenue generated by the company’s community in Arizona to other states due to different structures.
According to the release, Airbnb offers over 7 million accommodations by local hosts worldwide.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Griselda Zetino contributed to this report.
