Scotland - Edinburgh Tourist's Now Pay Tax

Further to our previous news items regarding the adoption of the option to raise local Tourist Taxes we can confirm the tax is now live in Edinburgh. UKHospitality are continuing to campaign about the impact in particular about the impact of the levy on affordability and competitiveness, warning that higher accommodation costs risk making domestic breaks more expensive for consumers.

Edinburgh council website confirms the parameters as follows-

The Edinburgh Visitor Levy

• is a 5% payment on the cost of the paid, overnight accommodation. It will be charged before VAT and will not be charged on extras like parking, meals, drinks or transport
• is only charged on the first 5 nights’ stay
• is charged at the same rate every day of the year, indefinitely, for stays from 24 July 2026 onwards. Stays on or after 24 July 2026 which were booked and paid for (in part or full) before 1 October 2025 will not be subject to the levy

And confirm it includes:

• holiday/short-term lets including residential properties with licenses for
• home sharing
• home letting
• secondary homes

See link to accommodation providers guide:  https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/37836/edinburgh-visitor-levy-scheme-information-for-accommodation-providers