CBS preparing to tax Airbnb operators

By Craig Westcott \ April 28, 2023

CBS councillor-at-large Joshua Barrett is advising his colleagues to get ready to start taxing airbnb’s next year.

Barrett said changes are coming as a result of the Tourism Accommodations Act, which the provincial government has been working on for some time and has now proclaimed.

“The Province recently announced regulations that are in effect,” he added. “So, this means all short term rental accommodations operators must register with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation by March 31, 2024.”

‘Short term rentals,’ he explained, refers to accommodations rented out for 30 days or less. 

“Something I will say for us as a council is that for us that will mean come budget time council will need to determine a new class in which we can appropriately tax accommodations on airbnb and VRBO, and so we are continuing to work with the Province to ensure that by the time March 31, 2023 comes around we are in a position where we understand where those properties are at and we can tax them accordingly.”