Booking com may face big problems in Italy. The platform is reportedly accused of tax evasion. Between 2013 and 2019, the company is accused of non-payment of over 150 million VAT (value added tax).
This became clear during an investigation by local authorities in the Liguria region. According to the investigation, Booking.com’s earnings amounted to about 700 million euros from 2013 to 2019, having carried out more than 800 thousand transactions.
The investigation began in 2018 with a series of tax charges, in particular in the East Ligurian region. A study of the fiscal documents revealed that the Dutch company had previously issued invoices without VAT, using the so-called “reverse charge” mechanism. As a result, the tax was not declared unpaid in Italy.
Between 2013 and 2019, the company’s turnover was about 700 million euros, and for this amount Booking com had to file an annual VAT return and pay more than 153 million euros to the tax authorities.
Moreover, the investigation also showed that the company did not appoint its own tax representative, was not registered as a subject of taxation in Italy and therefore did not submit the relevant tax return.
Thus, Booking com received the status of “complete tax evasion”, since VAT was not paid either in Italy or in the Netherlands.