Bookkeeping for Airbnb & VRBO Hosts
Short-term rental income feels passive until you realize you're running a hospitality business with platform fees, cleaning revenue, occupancy taxes, and platform-issued 1099-Ks that rarely match your actual deposits. Simple Books Now untangles every payout statement and keeps your Flagler County short-term rental records audit-ready. Luisa's Enrolled Agent credential means tax implications are built into your bookkeeping from day one โ not discovered in April.
Book a Free ConsultationAirbnb and VRBO hosts face a unique financial challenge: income arrives in platform payouts that bundle nightly revenue, cleaning fees, resolution payments, and platform fee deductions into a single deposit that bears no resemblance to your actual booking revenue. Reconciling those payouts line by line, separating gross rental income from pass-through cleaning fees, and correctly reporting platform-collected tourist development taxes is work that goes far beyond entering numbers into a spreadsheet.
Florida adds another layer of complexity. Flagler County and the state both impose Tourist Development Taxes and Florida sales tax on short-term rentals, and the rules on what platforms collect versus what you must remit yourself shift regularly. As an Enrolled Agent authorized to represent taxpayers before the IRS, Luisa understands how the IRS scrutinizes short-term rental schedules โ including the 14-day rule that can flip your rental from taxable income to tax-free, and the material participation tests that determine whether losses are deductible.
The Financial Challenges We Solve
Platform Payout Reconciliation
Airbnb and VRBO payouts combine booking revenue, host service fee deductions, cleaning fee pass-throughs, and refunds into a single transfer. Without line-by-line reconciliation of every payout statement, your gross rental income will be wrong โ and a 1099-K from the platform may not match your books, raising red flags if you're ever reviewed.
Florida Tourist Development Tax Compliance
Florida imposes a 6% state sales tax plus county Tourist Development Tax โ currently 5% in Flagler County โ on short-term rentals of six months or less. Airbnb collects and remits these taxes on your behalf for most bookings, but direct bookings, VRBO listings, and off-platform arrangements may leave you responsible for collection and remittance. Missing a filing period carries penalties.
Cleaning Fee Revenue Treatment
Cleaning fees charged through the platform are generally treated as rental income, not a separate service revenue stream, but how they are reported on your tax return depends on whether you pass the fee directly to a cleaner or pocket it. Misclassifying cleaning revenue or netting it against cleaning expenses without proper documentation is a common error that distorts your taxable income.
1099-K Discrepancies
Platforms issue 1099-Ks reporting gross payment volume, which often includes amounts the platform collected and remitted for taxes or refunded to guests. If you report a lower number on your return without a clear reconciliation explaining the difference, the IRS matching program will flag the discrepancy. Luisa builds that reconciliation into your books monthly.
Mixed Personal and Rental Use
Using your short-term rental property personally for any nights creates a mixed-use allocation requirement. Expenses must be divided between rental use days and personal use days, and the IRS has two different calculation methods that produce different results. Choosing the right method and documenting personal use nights accurately can mean thousands of dollars in deduction differences.
More Than a Bookkeeper โ A Federally authorized Enrolled Agent
Most bookkeepers record transactions and hand you a report. Simple Books Now does that โ and more. Luisa is a Federally authorized Enrolled Agent: the highest credential the IRS grants. She can represent you in audits, file your returns, and negotiate directly with the IRS โ with year-round tax strategy built into your bookkeeping from day one.
For a business owner in your industry, that means one professional who understands your numbers and handles your complete financial picture. No handoffs. No gaps. No surprises at tax time.
- Federally authorized by the IRS โ represents you in audits, collections & appeals
- Bookkeeping + tax strategy in one engagement โ no coordinating between vendors
- Direct access to Luisa โ no junior staff
- Flat monthly rate โ no hourly billing surprises
- Works with clients in all 50 states
- Books delivered by the 15th of each month
- Year-round availability, not just at tax time
Everything We Handle for Your Business
Bookkeeping
Monthly reconciliation, clean financials, and reports delivered every month.
Learn more →Tax Resolution
IRS notices, back taxes, audits, and payment plans โ handled directly by our EA.
Learn more →Catch-Up Bookkeeping
Behind on your books? We'll get you caught up at a fixed project price.
Learn more →Bookkeeping FAQ
If you rent your property for 14 days or fewer in the calendar year, the rental income is entirely tax-free and does not even need to be reported on your return โ this is the "vacation home exclusion" under IRC Section 280A. However, the moment you cross 15 rental days, all rental income becomes taxable. Luisa tracks your rental days monthly so you always know exactly where you stand.
For bookings made through Airbnb's platform, Airbnb does collect and remit Florida state sales tax and the Flagler County Tourist Development Tax. However, if you accept any direct bookings outside the platform, you are responsible for collecting and remitting those taxes yourself, including registering with the Florida Department of Revenue. Failing to remit tourist taxes on direct bookings is a compliance risk many hosts overlook.
You can deduct a proportional share of mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and HOA fees based on the percentage of days the property was rented versus total days used. Direct rental expenses โ platform fees, cleaning costs, supplies, listing photography, and professional management fees โ are fully deductible against rental income. Guest amenities like coffee, toiletries, and welcome gifts are also deductible.
The 1099-K Airbnb issues reports gross payment volume processed through the platform, which typically includes tourist taxes the platform collected, cleaning fees, and sometimes amounts that were refunded to guests. Your actual taxable rental income is usually lower than the 1099-K figure. Luisa reconciles every payout statement throughout the year so there is a clear, documented explanation for any difference between the 1099-K and what you report.
Most short-term rentals go on Schedule E, which treats the activity as passive. However, if you provide substantial services to guests โ daily cleaning, concierge-style assistance, meals โ the IRS may treat the activity as a business reported on Schedule C, subjecting net income to self-employment tax but also opening access to the QBI deduction. As an Enrolled Agent, Luisa evaluates which treatment fits your specific operation and produces the best defensible outcome.
Ready to Get Your Short-Term Rental Books in Order?
Book a free consultation with Luisa and let an Enrolled Agent-backed bookkeeper handle your platform reconciliations, tourist tax compliance, and year-round rental records.
Book a Free ConsultationNo obligation · 30-minute call · Federally authorized Enrolled Agent