Guide ยท Edinburgh visitor levy
Which month does a stay go in on the levy return?
The month the guest checked out. A stay goes in the return for the quarter when the guest checked out, and the portal asks for revenue from guests who checked out during the period. So a stay from 28 September to 3 October goes in the October to December return, in October.
Examples
| Stay | Return | Month |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 5 November | October to December | November |
| 29 November to 2 December | October to December | December |
| 28 December to 2 January | January to March | January |
| 25 September to 2 October | October to December | October |
The whole stay goes in the checkout month, including the nights from the month before. Don't split it.
What the council says
The council's guidance says a stay that crosses two quarters goes in the return for the quarter when the guest checked out. It doesn't spell out the rule for months. The return form asks for revenue "for all guests that checked-out during this period", so using the checkout month for each monthly figure keeps everything consistent. That's what I did on my own return.
The first return was different
The levy started on 24 July 2026. Stays that began before 24 July aren't liable at all, even if the guest checked out after that date. So a stay from 22 to 25 July 2026 is left out completely.
Don't confuse it with the booking date
The booking date only matters for one thing: stays booked and paid (in part or full) before 1 October 2025 are exempt, and go in their own line on the return. For everything else, it's the checkout date that counts.
Get the dates right automatically
My free guide shows you how to sort your stays yourself, and its prompt walks you through it, putting every booking in the right month and flagging anything at the edges of the quarter.
Sources: City of Edinburgh Council, Visitor Levy Scheme guidance (Version 2, August 2026); the visitorlevy.scot return form. This is general help with the process, not tax advice.