County collects $1 million from vacation rental website

Sarasota County received over $978,000 in tax revenue from the home sharing platform.

By Business Observer Staff
| 2:49 p.m. June 7, 2018
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Sarasota couple Valerie Wadsworth-DeLieto and Lee DeLieto Jr. host Airbnb properties such as the Sea Turtle Cottage.

Manatee-Sarasota

SARASOTA — Home sharing and vacation rental company Airbnb announced it delivered over $978,000 in tax revenue to Sarasota County in the first year of its tax agreement with the county.

The Sarasota County Tax Collector's Office and Airbnb entered into a tax agreement in April 2017 that went into effect May 1, 2017. The agreement allows Airbnb to collect the 5% Sarasota County bed tax and provide the revenue to the county, according to a press release.

A statement says Airbnb has partnered with over 370 local governments in the U.S. to collect and remit taxes. As of now, 40 counties in Florida have agreements with the company to collect bed taxes.

In 2017, over 67,000 guests stayed in Sarasota County through Airbnb, according to the company.

Airbnb was founded in 2008. It offers places to stay in more than 191 countries.