Statement from Rob Stephens, Co-Founder and General Manager of Avalara MyLodgeTax
Expedia’s announcement Nov. 4 that it intends to purchase HomeAway for $3.9 billion in cash and stock illustrates that the travel industry is changing. The number of vacation and home rentals on the market continues to grow, establishing this lodging option as an increasingly important travel segment.
New technology and innovative companies have opened up this market by making vacation and home rentals easier and more accessible. Clearly, travelers love the option, fueling even more demand and growth. Expedia’s move to purchase HomeAway further validates the increasing popularity and importance of this travel segment in the future of the travel industry.
Congratulations to Brian Sharples and the HomeAway team for assembling a vast inventory of online rental properties across the globe. Avalara is fortunate to be a part of the industry’s growth, and grateful to partner with HomeAway and other market leaders to help owners and managers navigate the sharing economy by providing technology that can solve their tax compliance challenges.
This is exciting time in a growing and maturing industry, and we’re proud to be a part of it.
Best,
Jamie Andersen for Avalara MyLodgeTax
(949) 502-6200 x 210
Rob Stephens, Co-Founder and General Manager of Avalara MyLodgeTax
Finance expert for the rapidly growing short-term lodging marketplace, Rob Stephens co-founded Avalara MyLodgeTax (formerly HotSpot Tax) in 2002 out of his own necessity to understand and manage hotel tax compliance with his rental property. Avalara MyLodgeTax is the leading provider of tax compliance solutions for the vacation rental industry. Avalara MyLodgeTax simplifies compliance and manages the licenses and hotel occupancy tax filings for thousands of vacation rental owners and managers across the United States. Rob’s passion and know-how with complicated lodging tax compliance in the vacation rental industry has presented him with regular speaking engagements at industry events. Rob has owned and managed his own vacation rental in Vail, CO since 1999.
More about Avalara MyLodgeTax: Avalara MyLodgeTax manages the complexities of a short-term vacation rental owner’s tax requirements to they don’t have to. MyLodgeTax determines the vacation rental taxes and reporting requirements, applies for required rental and business licenses, manages license renewals, calculates taxes, files returns and pays amounts dues, handles all notices and correspondence with tax agencies, and guarantees tax rates, licenses and returns are accurate and timely.
