The Emergence of a Digital Economy
Online rental platforms operating in Canada, like Airbnb, do not currently collect or remit GST/HST, pay no corporate income tax to the Canadian government, and make it far too easy for those renting rooms on their platforms to do the same. This puts online rental platforms at an unfair advantage over other accommodation businesses, like hotels, who pay their taxes and play by the rules. And the real loss is felt by Canadians who end up paying more in taxes to cover the cost of our social programs.
What started as true home sharing has expanded into a growing trend: people using these platforms to become commercial operators. This means that multiple units or entire homes are being rented out on a consistent basis. Effectively, these operators are running illegal hotels within existing residential housing.
What this Means for Canadians
It’s Time For Tax Fairness
Progress
As a result of the industry’s strong national presence and united message, together with coalition partners, we are seeing wins across Canada.