New York State Assembly Wants You To Pay Tax For Streaming Services

Well, that escalated quickly. The New York State Assembly announced its version of the budget Thursday, March 16, 2023, and it wants to tax residents for streaming their entertainment. As a hard-working New Yorker, who is dealing with inflation the best I can, it's appalling that they want to tax us for the small things that make our lives a little bit more tolerable.

**This article includes the author's opinion.

If it's not bad enough already, Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services have already increased rates, cut services, and just made it harder to enjoy their products. Now, the New York State Assembly wants to add insult to injury. According to WKBW, a 4% sales tax could be added to our streaming costs. The NY State Assembly included the tax in its version of the 2023-24 state budget.

In my opinion, adding a tax, even a 4 percent tax, to something that brings joy, entertainment, news, and information to New York families to compensate for inflation, is too much to ask. Working families are also dealing with inflation. The money working people used to make doesn't stretch as it did, now the Assembly wants to tax one of the small leisures we enjoy.

If the Assembly wants to raise money for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the New York City region and mass transit systems across the state, they should find another way to do it. Many of us don't even benefit from those public transportation systems. And, don't get me wrong, I understand how important mass transit is, especially in New York. But respectfully, hands off my entertainment. After a long day of work, paying more than I do already to relax and unwind for a couple of hours watching my favorite shows, is a hard pill to swallow.

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