Payments & taxes · for tenants

Tourist taxes — Malta eco-contribution, Kurtaxe and more

Malta eco-contribution built in; define any other tourist tax, city tax or Kurtaxe per person, night, stay or % of price with dated rates and caps.

Tourist taxes differ a lot. Malta has one country-wide eco-contribution. In Germany each town sets its own Kurtaxe or Gästebeitrag — or none at all. Some places charge per person and night, others a percentage of the price. The guest portal handles this with tax definitions that you assign to each property.

How a property finds its tax #

Each property has a Tourist tax setting (Settings → Properties → Settings):

• Automatic — country default uses the definition the platform marks as default for the property's country. For Malta this is the eco-contribution.
• No tourist tax — nothing is charged.
• A specific definition — one of the platform definitions or one you created.

The amount is calculated with the rate valid on the check-in date, from the adults (and, if set, children) of the booking. If the guest reports more adults in the online check-in, the higher number counts; a lower number only counts when you correct it on the booking.

Malta eco-contribution (built in) #

Under-18s are exempt. The contribution is collected by the accommodation provider and paid to the Malta Tourism Authority every quarter — the dashboard prepares the MTA eco return for you.

Announced for 2027: Malta's Budget 2027 (26 October 2026) announced €10 per guest aged 18+ per night for short lets, capped at €80 per person per stay (8 nights), and €8 / €64 for hotels, from 1 January 2027. The built-in definition switches once the legal notice is published.

Zero tax (built in) #

A ready-made definition that charges nothing. Useful for properties outside any tax area or while you check the local rules.

Create your own definition (e.g. a Kurtaxe) #

1. Settings → Tourist taxes → + New tax definition.
2. Name it (for example Kurtaxe Westerland), enter who receives it (Gemeinde Sylt), the country and the town.
3. Add one or more rate periods:
4. Valid from / until — add a new line when the rate changes; old bookings keep their rate.
5. Basis — per person per night, per night (whole booking), per stay, or % of the booking price.
6. Rate, Max nights (0 = no cap), Adult from age (for example 16 or 18) and a Child rate (0 = children exempt).
7. Save, then assign it to the property under Settings → Properties → Settings → Tourist tax.

Seasonal rates (summer/winter) are simply several periods with from and until dates.

Report #

Settings → Tourist taxes → Tourist tax report sums up due, collected and absorbed (waived) amounts per definition for any date range, with a CSV download for your municipality or accountant.

Frequently asked questions #

What if the guest corrects the number of adults at check-in? #

More adults than booked: the tax goes up and the guest pays the difference. Fewer adults: the booked number still counts until you check it and correct the booking — so nobody can lower the tax by typing a smaller number.

Can I charge the tax but show it under another name? #

Yes. The guide editor's Tourist tax text controls what guests read; the definition's name appears on receipts and in reports.

Who maintains the Malta rates? #

The platform operator. Platform definitions are shared by all hosts, so one update keeps everyone correct.