Italy's financial police have seized €779 million (equivalent to just over 9.1 billion kronor) from the accommodation rental website Airbnb. This follows suspicions that the site withheld the sum in tax, Italian media report.

According to the judiciary, Airbnb has failed to pay a tax introduced in Italy in 2017, amounting to 21 per cent of the revenue that landlords receive from short-term rentals via the internet.

The sum seized is based on an estimate that landlords in Italy received approximately €3.7 billion from such contracts between 2017 and 2021. According to the law, it is the rental site's obligation to collect and pay the tax.

Airbnb, which has its European headquarters in Ireland, has not commented on the seizure, reports news agency AFP.

Source: TT-DI.SE