NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tomorrow is tax day, and Airbnb shared some numbers they contributed to 2023 tourism tax dollars in Tennessee ahead of the occasion.
In 2023 in Davidson County, Airbnb got to almost $18 million in tourism taxes from their hosts. In Tennessee as a whole, the number collected and remitted in 2023 reached $135 million. Since 2018, more than $425 million has been collected for all of Tennessee.
A part of these dollars is being given to the Barnes Fund.
What does the Barnes Fund do?
It helped create a housing trust fund that issues grants to nonprofit housing developers, thanks to legislation passed in Tennessee in 2015. It also gives one percent of local occupancy taxes from short-term rentals in Nashville to a housing trust fund, which helps create more affordable housing units in Nashville.
According to Airbnb, since the Barnes Fund started more than $15 million has been generated for affordable housing.
For more of our tax day coverage, you can read about the reporting Carrie Sharp did on a free tool the IRS is offering in Tennessee this year. There is also a helpful article from our national team on what to do before tax day.
Here’s a story offering a great example of how a common cause, and a little creativity, can “intersect” to improve quality of life. Our South Nashville reporter Patsy Montesinos shares how some neighbors decided to take action, following the tragic death of a 77-year-old in a hit-and-run along Antioch Pike earlier this year. See how they used “tactical urbanism” to make the area a little safer for all.
- Rhori Johnston
