For an eligible Edinburgh stay, the published scheme uses 5% of the accommodation charge before VAT, capped at five nights. Start with the price and stay evidence, not a platform payout.
“Edinburgh tourist tax” and “Edinburgh Visitor Levy” refer to the same scheme. Use the free Edinburgh Visitor Levy calculator alongside the examples below. If you are not VAT registered, do not remove a notional VAT amount from your price.
Gather the inputs
Check stay dates, booking and first-payment evidence, cancellation status and exemptions. Identify whether the source price includes VAT, levy or extras. Preserve the breakdown so nothing is deducted twice. Standard cleaning needs different treatment from optional services: see the cleaning-fee guide.
Three nights at £100
Assume an eligible August 2026 stay booked and first paid in June 2026. The operator is not VAT-registered, with no cleaning charge or extras. The £300 accommodation charge gives £15 levy. At 2% retention on that levy, £0.30 is retained and estimated net levy is £14.70.
Eight nights at the same £100 rate
Under the same assumptions, eight nights cost £800, with the first five nights providing £500 of eligible accommodation. Expected levy is £25, retention £0.50 and estimated net levy £24.50.
When nightly prices vary, keep the nightly breakdown. Multiplying the total by five-eighths works for this example because every night costs the same. Do not assume averaging variable prices is interchangeable with checking chargeable nights.
Compare the right figures
For the eight-night example, compare a platform's collected levy with £25, not £24.50 after retention. Keep VAT on the levy distinct. Download example records or follow the reconciliation.
The free calculator explains one stay. Your account can process batches and flag missing data. Consistent software results still depend on correct source records and the applicable official rules. Refunds, uncertain dates and stays crossing periods need particular care.