Sarasota County has signed a deal with the home and apartment rental service Airbnb to collect tourist development taxes on local overnight accommodations booked through the online service.
The “Voluntary Collection Agreement” passed Monday morning outlines how the company will, in essence, be treated as local hotels and motels. Airbnb must collect, record and pay the short-term rental tax on homes and rooms booked through the site in the county.
The Monday vote ends years of negotations between the two sides and adds Sarasota County to the list of more than two dozen counties that have agreements with both Airbnb and the state Department of Revenue.