Yesterday evening, the City of Kelowna defeated a motion to allow short-term rentals in secondary suites and carriage homes. This decision marks a final legislative step to license and regulate short-term accommodations like Airbnb in the city. Under the new rules, anyone operating a short-term rental must apply for and be issued a business licence by July 1, 2019. Short-term rentals are also limited to principal residences only for perio….
Read MoreToday, the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, announced the Creating Middle Class Jobs: A Federal Tourism Growth Strategy. This highly-anticipated strategy will grow tourism, enhance Canada’s competitiveness, and empower communities from coast to coast to coast. The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) applauds the Minister for the creation of this forward-l….
Read MoreAuditor General Report: Taxation of E-Commerce The Auditor General of Canada released the 2019 Spring Reports last week, including a report on Taxation of E-Commerce. According to the report, the Canadian sales tax system did not keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital marketplace, with estimated losses of $169 million in sales tax revenues on foreign digital products and services. HAC has known for a long time….
Read MoreThe Auditor General of Canada released the 2019 Spring Reports earlier this week, including a report on Taxation of E-Commerce. According to the report, the Canadian sales tax system did not keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital marketplace, with estimated losses of $169 million in sales tax revenues on foreign digital products and services. The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) has known for a long time that the system is broken and….
Read More(April 24th, 2019) Ottawa – As tax deadline day approaches, the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is renewing its call to the Federal Government to modernize Canada’s tax laws. While foreign-owned digital platforms like Airbnb continue to grow their presence in Canada and earn millions of dollars in revenue, the government has not taken the necessary steps to collect appropriate taxes from these companies.  .
Read MoreAirbnb: A Better Agreement is an Option Re Vancouver’s Weak Agreement With Airbnb Is The Best We Can Do (April 2), HAC prominently featured the hotel industry’s position regarding the need for strong enforcement and platform accountability when regulating short-term rentals in the Saturday edition of the Globe and Mail letters to the editor. While it is true that Vancouver’s information-sharing agreement with….
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