The First Domino Falls in Edinburgh

STR Unpacked · Jul 23, 2026 · 2m · transcript

Tomorrow, the UK gets its first statutory tourist tax. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Edinburgh's visitor levy goes live Friday 24 July:

➡️ 5% on the accommodation cost, charged before VAT

➡️ First 5 nights only, year-round, whole council area

➡️ Applies to short lets, self-catering and aparthotels, not just hotels

➡️ Under the VAT threshold? Still liable. UK guests? They pay too.

Operators are the collectors. You charge it, you file it, first payment due October.

One detail worth checking today: stays booked and paid before 1 October 2025 are exempt. Your August calendar is a mix of levy and no-levy bookings.

The…