Tokyo, August 27, 2018 - Kyoto City (Kyoto Prefecture) and Rakuten LIFULL STAY, Inc., the Rakuten Group vacation rental service provider, have signed the “Agreement between Kyoto City and Rakuten LIFULL STAY, Inc. on the collection of accommodation tax (hereafter ‘the Agreement’)”. Through this Agreement the company will act as a collection agent for the tax on lodgings in Kyoto City.
Based on the Agreement, Rakuten LIFULL STAY will collect accommodation tax from users of the Vacation STAY, vacation rental and accommodation booking site run by Rakuten LIFULL STAY and other accommodation booking sites with which Rakuten LIFULL STAY has formed partnerships both in Japan and around the world. As a special collection agent under the Kyoto City Accommodation Tax Ordinance, Rakuten LIFULL STAY will collect accommodation tax, file tax returns and make payments to Kyoto City.
From October 1, 2018, Kyoto City will impose a municipal accommodation tax in order to generate income to benefit local tourism through promoting the city’s attractiveness as a top international travel destination.
Rakuten LIFULL STAY offers a wide range of accommodation and vacation rental-related services, including the Vacation STAY website, Rakuten STAY charged with branding and management service for vacation rental properties and shared accommodation. In Kyoto, in addition to the providing the Vacation STAY service, Rakuten LIFULL STAY is also engaged in a restoration project*1 using crowdfunding to acquire and renovate traditional townhouses known as “Kyo-machiya” built over 50 years ago in Kyoto and letting them out in their entirety as Rakuten STAY KYOMACHIYA lodgings.
Regarding the Agreement
Title: Agreement between Kyoto City and Rakuten LIFULL STAY, Inc. on the collection of accommodation tax
Contents:
(1) Agreement to provide information to Kyoto City concerning accommodation tax collection, the amount of accommodation tax and other matters related to lodging facilities in Kyoto registered on Vacation STAY
(2) Collection of accommodation tax for nights booked on Vacation STAY and other accommodation booking sites which Rakuten LIFULL STAY has formed partnerships with both in Japan and around the world
(3) Monthly declarations to Kyoto City of the amount of accommodation tax to be collected and other necessary matters
(4) Payment of accommodation tax to Kyoto City by accommodation tax payment slip at a bank
(5) Submission to Kyoto City of information on lodging facilities necessary for tax declaration and checking and notifying each lodging facility on accommodation tax assessment
(6) Recording and retaining of information related to the number of stays, tax payable and other matters of each lodging facility (Retention period: 7 years)
*1 Rakuten LIFULL STAY and Crowd Realty collaborate on developing and supplying accommodation properties using crowdfunding:
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2018/0221_01.html
Kyoto City
Office Location: 488 Kamihonnojimae-cho, Teramachi-dori Oike Agaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
Representative: Daisaku Kadokawa, Mayor of Kyoto
Website: http://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/
Rakuten LIFULL STAY，Inc.
Office Location: 3F Otemachi Financial City Grand Cube, 1-9-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Munekatsu Ota Representative Director
Business Description: Providing services related to vacation rental platform and others
Date of Establishment: March 2017
Website: https://www.rakuten-lifull-stay.co.jp/