VAT, GST, and tax documentation for hosts

VAT and GST (and equivalent local taxes) on coliving rent depend on where your property is, your hosting type, and whether you're VAT-registered. This article covers what Coliving does on your behalf, what's left for you, and what documentation we issue.

This is informational, not legal advice. Local tax rules vary widely and change. Work with a local accountant for compliance specifics.

What Coliving handles

For most markets, we calculate and add VAT/GST automatically to the resident's checkout where local law requires. The tax is collected from the resident and either:

Remitted by Coliving to the local tax authority on your behalf (in markets with marketplace tax rules).
Passed through to you to remit yourself (in markets where you're the responsible party).

Which model applies in your market is shown in your tax settings.

What you handle

Declaring your hosting income in your country's tax return.
Registering for VAT/GST if your turnover crosses the threshold.
Remitting VAT/GST in markets where it's passed through to you.
Keeping records for the period your local law requires (often 6–10 years).
Income tax on profits — VAT is separate from income tax.

Documentation we issue

To the resident

A booking invoice at the time of booking, showing:

Rent breakdown.
Coliving service fee (with applicable VAT).
Deposit amount.
Total paid.
Tax breakdown by component.

If the resident needs a different format for their employer's expense system, they can request adjustments in their account.

To you

A monthly invoice from Coliving showing:

Total bookings processed.
Host fees deducted.
VAT on host fees (where applicable).
Net payouts.

Plus, for each booking:

Gross rent received from resident.
VAT charged to resident (if applicable in your market).
Your share of the rent net of fees.

All downloadable as PDF.

Common situations

I'm a small host, below the VAT threshold

You don't need to register for VAT. Coliving still adds VAT on its own service fee to you (where applicable in your jurisdiction). You receive payouts gross of any rent-side VAT, depending on your market.

I'm above the VAT threshold

Issues invoices that include your VAT number.
Calculates VAT on the rent (where applicable) for resident payment.
Provides records you need to file your VAT returns.

You're responsible for filing the returns and remitting tax.

I host in a different country than my company is registered

You may have VAT obligations in both countries. Talk to an accountant familiar with cross-border rental.

A resident wants a VAT-compliant invoice for their employer

The booking invoice we issue is VAT-compliant for most jurisdictions. If a resident needs different formatting (e.g. their company name on the invoice instead of theirs), they can request it through the booking page → Request invoice update.

How to read your tax line on a payout

Example payout breakdown:

Gross rent paid by resident:     €1,000.00
VAT on rent (21%):              −€173.55
Subtotal (net of VAT):           €826.45
Coliving host fee (8%):          −€66.12
VAT on host fee (21%):           −€13.89
Net payout:                      €746.44

The VAT lines tell your accountant exactly what was charged where.

What we don't issue

Tax filings. We provide the records; you (or your accountant) file.
Local non-VAT taxes — tourist taxes, occupancy taxes, etc. may apply locally and be either added to bookings (where automatable) or your responsibility.
Personal tax certificates — we issue platform-level records, not personal tax certificates for your country's authority.

Frequently asked questions

Q: I just added my VAT number. Do past invoices get updated? A: For going-forward bookings only. Past invoices remain as issued.

Q: My VAT number is invalid. What happens? A: We validate it against the official database. If invalid, the account treats you as non-VAT-registered until you provide a valid one.

Q: Where do tourist taxes show up? A: In markets where we collect them automatically, they appear as a separate line on the resident invoice. In other markets, you collect them directly.

Q: My accountant needs a year-end VAT report. How do I get it? A: Wallet → Reports → Annual summary includes VAT totals.