Yes, this is what it’s coming to. A Washington state representative, Ross Hunter, is proposing a bill that would tax consumers for watching streaming media. The bill is only supposed to effect brick-and-mortar companies in Washington state (whatever that means). But you still have to wonder, where’s the representation?
In other words, what am I receiving from the government in exchange for paying tax to watch streaming media? You pay tax when you register your car so you can drive on decent roads. You pay property tax on your home so your kids can go to school. And you pay various income taxes to help pay for Social Security and Medicare.
But what exactly are you gaining by paying tax to watch a streaming video?
Well, nothing of course, at least directly. I’m sure that if a bill like this were ever to actually pass, the money would go into a bucket where it would be distributed to multiple places. That’s another way of saying it’s designed to shore up budget deficits across the board.
And I also imagine that legislation like this will be tough to pass. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see more legislation like it start popping up. Tax or fees for email have been rumored for years (coinciding, interestingly, with mounting losses by the U.S. Post Office).
But I think ultimately public outcry will do legislation like this in. And it’s already started at the grass-roots level.
One of the first on board is a site called StopTheStreamingTax.com. It’s being put together by the folks over at StreamingMedia.
Be sure to check it out (it’s actually under development at the time of this writing) if you think being taxed for watching streaming content…is quite frankly…ridiculous.