Apartment rental site Airbnb has said it is 'looking into' potential VAT issues in the UK as well as seller of travel law in Iowa.
In a statement, the company says it operates within the laws of every state and country where it does business and 'if deemed necessary' will register for both.
European VAT legislation is enormously complex and airbnb could fall under a number of different laws depending on the terms and conditions in place with hosts and whether they are VAT registered themselves.
The company could also be held responsible under laws around electronically supplied services.
Travel industry VAT specialist Damon Wright says Airbnb could have a registration issue if it's generating revenue on sales over the internet of accommodation in the UK from non-VAT registered customers.
Wright, who is an associate director with accountancy firm Grant Thornton UK, urges companies to seek specific advice especially where the potential revenues involved could be significant.
Airbnb's own terms and conditions state hosts must be in compliance with all applicable laws and tax requirements and are responsible for determining local indirect taxes.
In August the Iowa Secretary of State said it believed Airbnb would be subject to its travel law if it conducted business with Iowans.