Government Watchdog Group Urges Maine Senate to Reject Streaming Services Tax

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kara Zupkus (224)-456-0257

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance is urging state lawmakers in Maine to oppose L.D. 1967, a proposed tax on streaming services.

The bill, which has already passed the state House, will soon be considered by the state Senate.

Recent polling of Maine voters from Saint Anselm College shows that 69 percent of voters oppose the streaming tax. According to the Streaming Innovation Alliance, the proposed taxes and fees could raise the cost of streaming by as much as 40 percent. This would be a massive tax increase on Mainers who subscribe to streaming services, who, according to the Saint Anselm poll, comprise nearly three quarters of voters in the state.

TPA President David Williams offered the following comments:

“As taxpayers are already feeling the burden of higher costs of living and rampant inflation, the last thing they want is another tax on the services they utilize every day,” Williams said. “More and more people are switching to streaming from traditional entertainment types. Indeed, recent polling shows that more than twice as many Maine voters subscribe to streaming services as subscribe to cable TV. Many people also often subscribe to multiple streaming services at once, and L.D. 1967 would force them to pay more for all of them.

“This bill, simply put, is not in the best interest of Maine residents. Lawmakers should overwhelmingly reject LD 1967.”