By Troy Gillard

hotels can keep levy amounts through June 30

Additional relief for Alberta’s tourism industry

May 26, 2021 | 1:57 PM

The Alberta government is allowing accommodation providers to keep the tourism levy amounts they collect for an additional three months.

To ensure money stays in the pockets of Alberta’s job creators, the province says hotels and other lodging providers will be able to keep tourism levy amounts collected between April 1 and June 30.

Officials say this three-month extension of the abatement period, which originally ended on March 31, will free up to $8 million in additional cash flow for the sector to employ staff, continue operations and provide valuable services through the spring and summer seasons.

“With the vaccination rollout well underway there is hope on the horizon, but the reality is that COVID-19’s impact on our tourism industry is still being felt. That’s why we are taking action to ensure our tourism job creators have the support they need now to get to the other side of this pandemic and help our economy recover,” said Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.

Short-term rental hosts that list their properties on online marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo and began collecting the tourism levy on April 1 will also be eligible to keep tourism levy amounts collected during the latest three-month abatement period.

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Hotels, short-term rental hosts and other lodging providers that have already remitted tourism levy amounts collected on or after April 1 will receive a refund from Alberta’s Tax and Revenue Administration.

Businesses are still required to file returns as per the Tourism Levy Act and will be expected to resume regular tourism levy payments on amounts collected on or after July 1.

For more information, visit alberta.ca/tourism-levy.