Booking.com
Overcharging guests on long stays
The levy only applies to the first 5 nights. Booking.com charges it on every night, so anyone staying 6 nights or more overpays. Refunding them is down to you.
Free guide for Edinburgh short-let hosts
Do your Edinburgh visitor levy return in 30 minutes
I'm an Edinburgh host and I've filed my own. My free guide shows you how to do it yourself, step by step. Or skip the hassle: paste my prompt into ChatGPT or Claude and it walks you through the whole thing, one step at a time.
- Do it yourself: every step and every box, in plain English
- Or let AI walk you through it with my copy-and-paste prompt
- Avoid the 3 mistakes that cost hosts money
Mike Davis, Edinburgh host for 3 years
Rated 4.89 on Airbnb and 9.1 on Booking.com
The sums are easy. These 3 mistakes aren't.
I found all three in my own accounts. A levy calculator won't catch any of them.
Airbnb
Paying the levy out of your own pocket
Airbnb didn't collect the levy on my bookings made before its tax setting was switched on. I still owed it to the council, so it came out of my earnings.
Booking.com
No levy on the cleaning fee
The cleaning fee counts towards the levy. Booking.com wasn't charging guests the levy on mine, but I still owed it, so I covered the difference.
Two ways to do it
The guide gives you both. Pick whichever suits you.
Let AI walk you through it
Paste my prompt into ChatGPT or Claude. It asks a few questions, shows you where to click, works out your figures, checks them with you and guides you through the portal box by box. The free plan is all you need. With a paid plan, it can even do the clicking for you.
Do it yourself
Follow the guide with a calculator or a spreadsheet. Every rule, every download and every box on the return, with a worked example.
What's in the guide
- My AI prompt, kept up to date on its own page, that walks you through every step
- What to download from Booking.com and Airbnb, and the one figure on each you need
- The rules that catch people out: the 5-night cap, cleaning fees, which month a stay goes in
- How to work out the figures yourself, with a worked example
- The 5-minute check before you submit
- The return, box by box, and when to save so you don't lose your work
- How to spot guests you've overcharged
Hi, I'm Mike
I spent ten years in hospitality, running restaurants in Edinburgh and a ski chalet in the Austrian Alps. Then I qualified as a Law Accountant, checking solicitors' files, and went on to found My Probate Partner, which helps families in Scotland sort out someone's estate after they die, without a solicitor's bill.
Three years ago I started hosting my flat in Newhaven, Edinburgh, while I'm away working from my laptop abroad. It's set up to run itself, so it takes almost none of my time.
When the levy arrived, I found three problems in my own settings that were quietly costing me money. I fixed them, worked out my return, and wrote down every step. The guide is what I wish I'd had.
My Edinburgh flat
4.89 on Airbnbfrom 28 guest reviews
9.1 on Booking.comfrom 74 guest reviews
My Probate Partner, my other business
5.0 on Trustpilotfrom 465 reviews
Award winnerEstablished Business of the Year (Scotland), Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2024
Rather not do it alone?
Your first return, done with me
The guide gets your return right. In a 60-minute video call, we'll do it together on your computer, and fix the platform settings that are costing you money.
- Your return finished and ready to submit
- Airbnb set up so guests pay the levy, not you
- Booking.com charging the levy on your cleaning fee too
- A list of guests you've overcharged, and how to refund them
- Help setting up your visitorlevy.scot account, if you haven't yet
- Next quarter, you do it yourself in under half an hour
£99 one-off, 60 minutes
Booking opens soonWant one sooner? Send me a message.
The guarantee: if your return isn't ready to submit by the end, you choose a free follow-up session or your money back.
Questions
Is the guide really free?
Yes. Enter your email and I'll send you a link straight away. It takes you to your guide: the AI prompt, and the do-it-yourself guide, which you can also download as a PDF. I'll also send occasional tips and offers for hosts, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Do I need to pay for ChatGPT or Claude?
No. The free plan of either is enough for it to walk you through. You only need a paid plan (Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus) if you want it to do the clicking in your browser for you.
Do I have to use AI?
No. The guide shows you how to do it all yourself, with a calculator or a spreadsheet. The prompt is there if you'd rather save yourself the hassle.
Is it safe to use AI for this?
The prompt tells it to ignore guests' names and never to ask for your passwords. You always log in yourself, and if it's doing the clicking for you, it never submits or pays. You do that.
Does the cleaning fee count?
Yes, if every guest has to pay it. Optional extras that guests can choose not to buy don't count.
Which month does a stay go in?
The month the guest checked out. A stay from 28 September to 3 October goes in October, in the October to December return.
I haven't set up my visitorlevy.scot account. What do I do?
The council explains how on its information for businesses page (edinburgh.gov.uk/business/information-businesses). You can work out your figures first and set up the account afterwards. If you'd rather not do it alone, I can help you set it up in a session.
When is the next return due?
Returns are due by the 30th of the month after each quarter. The October to December 2026 return is due by 30 January 2027. The portal shows each deadline and the payment date.
What if I have more than one property?
The guide works for any number. Run the prompt once for each property's return.
Is this tax advice?
No. I'm a host who has filed his own return, and I help with the process: getting the right figures out of your platforms and into the portal. You stay responsible for your return. If your situation is complicated (VAT registered, a letting agent involved), check with the council or an accountant too.
What happens in the session?
We meet on Zoom for 60 minutes. You share your screen, log in to your own accounts, and we do your return together, start to finish. Then we fix your Airbnb and Booking.com settings. You get a short prep checklist when you book.
What if my return isn't finished in the session?
You choose: a free follow-up session or a full refund.
Next return due 30 October 2026
Get the guide now and you could be done tonight.