Numerous Qantas Hotels customers have voiced their frustration on the AFF forum about no longer receiving tax invoices when booking accommodation.
In the past, when you booked and paid for a hotel through Qantas Hotels, the booking confirmation email would include a tax invoice as an attachment. But Qantas suddenly stopped providing these tax invoices in June.
Qantas Hotels booking confirmation emails still include details of the booking and a payment summary, but not a receipt showing proof of payment. This has caused various issues for customers who need to claim the expense from their employer or retain a receipt for tax purposes.
According to the ATO, Australian businesses must provide a tax invoice for sales over $82.50, if a customer asks for one, within 28 days. This tax invoice must include various details including the seller’s identity and ABN, the date, a description of items sold and the GST amount if applicable.
So, why did Qantas Hotels – an Australian business – stop issuing tax invoice receipts?
Qantas sources Australian hotels from Expedia
Qantas Hotels (and Qantas Holidays) are effectively travel agents that source Australian hotels from Expedia. Australian Frequent Flyer understands that Qantas recently changed its process for Australian hotel bookings, and that it stopped providing tax invoices at Expedia’s request.
Since this change, Qantas Hotels has been instructing customers who require a tax invoice to request this directly from the hotel during their stay.
On bookings where the customer pays the hotel directly, this is reasonable. But Qantas Hotels has stopped issuing receipts for prepaid bookings where the customer pays Qantas Hotels directly.
Issues with requesting invoices directly from the hotel
Unfortunately, numerous AFF members have run into problems when trying to get a tax invoice directly from the accommodation provider.
Some members found that the hotel would not issue a tax invoice because the customer had paid Qantas Hotels directly, and therefore the sale was between the customer and Qantas Hotels. In other cases, invoices issued by the hotel did not exactly match the amount that the customer paid to Qantas Hotels.
This is going to be a mess. How can any travelling business man explain his company expenditure when you cant get a tax invoice to match who and what was paid.
In response to our questions, Qantas said it was working with Expedia to investigate the reported cases of differing amounts and will work with affected travellers to rectify this.
The airline also referred us to the Qantas Hotels terms & conditions, which state:
Goods and services are not provided by Qantas Hotels and are provided by other service providers as set out in your booking. Qantas Hotels is acting as agent for the service provider and your agreement is made with that other service provider and not with Qantas Hotels.
What does Expedia say?
Australian Frequent Flyer also requested comment from Expedia, which initiated this change. Expedia told us in a statement:
In Australia, we’ve streamlined Expedia Group’s bookings to maintain flexibility for travellers. With this change, we have requested that our distribution partners, including Qantas, cease issuing tax invoices on our behalf for bookings involving hotels in Australia. Partners, including Qantas, will instead provide a payment summary in the travellers’ booking confirmation. Travellers can request a tax invoice directly from the hotel in Australia during their stay.
It appears that this change may also affect Australian hotel bookings made through other Expedia Group brands. These include Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Wotif and Ebookers.
Expedia also supplies rooms to Jetstar Hotels.
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