July 2023
Disclaimer. This page is intended solely to assist you in understanding the regulations you may need to comply with. The information provided here is not exhaustive and may not reflect the most current legal standards. It is your responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws. For further guidance, please contact your local tax authorities or consult with a qualified legal or tax professional.
This is a presentation of the main aspects and consequences of the Sharing Economy Reporting Regime (also denominated “SEER”). In accordance with the SEER, misterb&b must collect and share, to the Australian Tax Office (ATO), taxpayer information on hosts who earn income through its platform.
Annual transactions reporting
Reporting requirements for digital platforms
The Sharing Economy Reporting Regime (SERR) is a third-party reporting regime that requires operators of electronic distribution platforms (EDP) to report on supplies made through their platform to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
misterb&b is an online platform intermediating lodging rentals between Hosts and Guests, and as such, qualifies as an “operator of electronic distribution platform” as defined by SEER. It means that misterb&b is required to share some information on some of its users to the Australian Taxation Office.
Am I subject to SEER reporting by misterb&b?
Intermediaries must share specific information about the rental of any accommodations, no matter the type of lodging or whether you are present (room rental) or absent (full property rental) on-site during your Guest’s stay.
I am not an Australian national/resident, will my information be reported by misterb&b?
Your information will be reported if the accommodation you listed is located in Australia, regardless of your nationality or residence.
I am not the property owner of the listing. Is this applicable to me?
If you have received rental income on a property/properties located in Australia, if you are or are not the owner, your earnings will be reported.
When will misterb&b report the required information to the Australian tax administration?
The information will be reported every 6 months. Each January and July, misterb&b will report the information of the preceding six calendar months. The first reporting will occur in January 2024 - to cover the income earned by the relevant users during the period of July 2023 - December 2023.
What if I refuse to provide misterb&b with the required information?
If you do not provide misterb&b with the correct information (either missing or inaccurate), our company will transmit the information as it is. It may result in the misrepresentation of your actual situation to the Australian Taxation Office, with all the possible subsequent consequences that may arise from it.
Furthermore, in the event you do provide incomplete or incorrect information, misterb&b reserves the right to withhold payouts until resolution and/or suspend your misterb&b account (in accordance with our Terms and Conditions).
Information shared by misterb&b
What information will misterb&b share with the Australian Taxation Office?
To comply with the SEER, misterb&b will transmit to the Australian Taxation Office, for each short-term rental accommodation transaction, the following information:
- General information about Hosts: misterb&b user ID, phone number and email address, Australian reference number (ARN) or alternatively a foreign tax identification number (TIN);
- Additional identification information about individuals: first and family names, date of birth, residency address;
- Additional identification information about businesses: business name, trading name, business address;
- Listing and rental information: misterb&b property ID, type of accommodation listed, period for which the listing was publicly available on the misterb&b’s platform, complete property’s address, number of Guest’s stays per quarter, number of nights booked per quarter
- Payment information: amount of income earn through misterb&b, amount of GST applicable on rent withheld by misterb&b, service fees and applicable GST paid by the Host,, financial account reference (e.g. the bank account number, the international account identifier, or any online account identifier )
As a Host, how can I provide misterb&b with the required information?
Some information we obtain directly from third party verification or payment processors that misterb&b use to provide its services (for instance, Stripe may share your ID-verified name and date of birth).
Where we need you to (i) provide us with missing information, or (ii) confirm information we obtain from other sources, we kindly invite you to check the “International Tax Information” page in “My Account” from your misterb&b account.
Can I correct my information if I realize I provided incorrect one?
You are more than welcome! You may return to the “International Tax Information” page in “My account” to modify the information you provided us. Please note information extracted by us during the ID verification process is not editable - if necessary, please contact our Customer Support.
What is the Tax Identification Number in Australia and where can I obtain this information?
A tax identification number is a unique set of numbers that is used by the tax administration to identify individuals and businesses. In Australia, it corresponds to the Australian Reference Number (ARN), or Australian Business Number (ABN) when you are a professional.
misterb&b’s system will only accept TINs in the format based on OECD and EU guidelines. You may check this FAQ about TINs for formats and example documents where you can find it.
What if I do not have an Australian business number (ABN) or Australian reference number (ARN)?
Generally, receiving rental income from properties located in Australia means you have a legal obligation to register with the local authorities. This is particularly true if you act as a business. However, if you are a foreigner and you are not obliged to obtain an ABN/ARN, you may provide us with an alternative foreign TIN.
Income taxation
Since misterb&b will transmit taxpayer information to tax authorities, do I still need to report my misterb&b revenues to the tax administration?
Yes! Tax data sharing by misterb&b is for informational purposes only. It does not extinguish any of your tax obligations, including your duty to report income earned through the misterb&b platform.
Will the taxation of my rental income be affected by SEER and/or misterb&b’s reporting?
Absolutely not. The information reporting does not modify any income tax requirements/rules previously applicable to your misterb&b income.
What are the tax requirements/rules applicable on my misterb&b revenue?
We strongly advise you to contact a local tax expert, for any questions regarding applicable income tax regulations. misterb&b is not permitted to provide tax advice.
Data privacy
On which legal basis do you share my information? What if I refuse to consent to the reporting of my information?
Privacy laws authorize information transfer when based on a compelling legal obligation. This is the case here - misterb&b must comply with SEER by collecting and reporting your taxpayer information. Your consent to the reporting is without effect here, and is not required before reporting.
Who exactly will misterb&b transmit my information to?
misterb&b will transmit all SEER-related information to the Australian Taxation Office.
How will my information be processed by the Australian Taxation Office?
The Australian Taxation Office will use this information to populate your personal tax return and to support audit controls.
I do not consent to information-sharing with the Australian Taxation Office. On which legal basis do you share my information?
Privacy laws (including, the Privacy Act 1988) authorize information transfer when based on a compelling legal obligation.
What if I delete/deactivate my misterb&b account or exercise my right for data deletion?
The information required to be collected and shared by the SEER will be transmitted anyway. In the event that you wish to delete your account/information, misterb&b is required by SEER to save and share all the information necessary to comply with its obligations.
Privacy laws allow companies to save personal information from deletion where it is necessary to respect other legal obligations. Accordingly, the relevant information will be deleted when it is no longer needed to comply with our SEER obligations.