The smart application Airbnb has caused a revolution in tourism. Thanks to it, flats that used to be inhabited by local inhabitants became mini-hotels. During a ‘short-term lease’, customers, usually tourists, would pay considerable amounts of money to stay in the property for just a couple of nights, without significant taxation. Thus, property owners could earn significantly more money for just a little less certainty that the property will be occupied. However, in tourist destinations like Prague, there is always someone looking for a place to sleep in. Now, the Prague city court made a decision, that is meant to destroy the tax loophole apps like Airbnb or Booking.com have been abusing. This could destroy the whole business model of the app, since up until now, flat owners have not been recognized by the law as entrepreneurs, and so their activities were not taxed like a business. Now this will change, and short-term lease will be taxed just like a hotel room, which have been at a disadvantage until now. This new change in the law will especially impact those Airbnb owners, who lease more than one property, since they are at a big danger of earning more than 1 million crowns per year, at which point they would have to pay back 15% to the government in taxes.
