---
title: "Italy judge seizes 780 mln euros from Airbnb in tax probe"
description: "An Italian judge has ordered the seizure of 779.5 million euros ($836.40 million) from short-term rentals platform Airbnb's European headquarters in Ireland for alleged tax evasion, Milan prosecutors' office said on Monday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-07-italy-judge-seizes-780-mln-euros-from-airbnb-in-tax-probe/"
published: "2023-11-07T04:39:57"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 181
---

# Italy judge seizes 780 mln euros from Airbnb in tax probe

> An Italian judge has ordered the seizure of 779.5 million euros ($836.40 million) from short-term rentals platform Airbnb's European headquarters in Ireland for alleged tax evasion, Milan prosecutors' office said on Monday.

By Reuters · Published 7 November 2023, 06:39 SAST

## Key points
- Daily Maverick wittily reports: After a long legal battle, Italy's Prime Minister is cracking down on Airbnb for allegedly failing to withhold 21% of landlords' rental income and pay it to the Italian tax authorities.
- Airbnb Ireland is under investigation for alleged failure to withold 21% of landlords' rental income and pay it to Italian tax authorities.
- Three people who held managerial roles between 2017 and 2021 are targeted by the money seizure order.
- Airbnb has been in discussions with the Italian tax agency since June 2023 to resolve the matter.
- The Italian government is planning a crackdown on tax cheating on short-term rentals, raising taxes to 26%.

## Content

The probe concerns Airbnb's ABNB.O alleged failure to withold 21% of landlords' rental income and pay it to Italian tax authorities, as required by a 2017 law, prosecutors in the northern Italian city said in a statement.

Three people who held managerial roles between 2017 and 2021, the period covering the alleged violation, are under investigation and are jointly targeted by the money seizure order, the statement added.

"Airbnb Ireland has been in active discussions with the Italian tax agency since June 2023 to resolve this matter," a spokesperson for Airbnb told Reuters.

The company was "surprised and disappointed" by the decision and said it acted in full compliance with the law, the spokesperson added.

The company had unsuccessfully challenged the 2017 law cited by prosecutors in a legal battle that ended in December with the [EU Court of Justice ruling](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N33C0KN&linkedFromStory=true) in the Italian government's favour.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration is planning a [crackdown](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3C01IX&linkedFromStory=true) on tax cheating on short-term rentals, and wants to raise taxes to 26% from 21% for owners of multiple short-term rental properties.

($1 = 0.9320 euros)