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PlayStation Begins Collecting Amusement Tax From Chicago Users (chicagotribune.com)
schwit1 writes: PlayStation users in Chicago on Wednesday began paying a 9 percent tax on streaming content as the gaming company starts complying with a city levy. The Sony-owned company joins other streaming services including Spotify, Netflix and Hulu in complying with the charge, which took effect three years ago. The city's amusement tax, which used to apply mostly to concert and sporting event tickets, was extended to include streaming services in 2015. That includes charges paid for playing games, according to Chicago's Finance Department. Some tech companies have fought the additional 9 percent charge. Apple filed a lawsuit against the city in August alleging the tax on its music streaming services was illegal and discriminatory. That suit is pending in Cook County Circuit Court. Meanwhile, Apple is not collecting the tax. In 2015, a group of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Spotify, XBox Live and Hulu users sued Chicago in Cook County, alleging the tax violates federal law. The judge ruled in the city's favor in May, and the streaming service users appealed the decision. The case is pending in state Appellate Court.
Because Chicago users are not amused about this.
As if anyone who can isn't already trying to leave Chicago.
Lowering spending and face the fact your pension system was created of false hopes and unicorn dreams. The pension system is one of Chicago's biggest drains and if not dealt with will basically require never ending tax raises until it collapses anyway. The promise of the pension (based on nothing ore than magical wishing and crossing fingers of an ever growing population/economy) is no longer valid and sustainable.
Either slash the pensions to nothing (and yes that hurts people on it) to try to give the current people an economic chance or keep raising taxes (which also hurts people) until those who have money and/or mobile decide to simply leave making the situation worse (which based on numbers of people leaving being greater than those coming in seems to be their choice).
Just like taxes on Gasoline, Cigarettes, Alcohol and Gambling. This is just an other Sin tax, where we are taxing people for products that are deemed by society to be bad for it, but is too popular to ban.
The issue is, the Tax will raise the price of the product, but demand will not be affected by an amount, so it is just free money to the City. And if people just stop using such services, there isn't going to be a public outcry because they don't need it.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Young gamers look up from screen ...
"Hey, I thought socialism meant that other people paid more. WTF???"
There have been a number of games I've bought in the past that brought no amusement whatsoever.
I'm thinking something like a tax refund if the game you buy gets below 50% on Metacritic.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
You voted for it! You encourage voracious government for massive spending, as Shakespeare might have said, "As you like it!"
Times are better than ever before. Government spending should be shrinking. Yet it grows.
It's almost as if it has nothing to do with need and everything to do with buying votes!
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I wish I got as much pleasure responding to my own posts...
I do not see where there is much of a legal argument that Chicago cannot assess taxes like this on their residents
The argument is not that Chicago cannot assess taxes like this on their residents, but rather that they have no authority to force companies outside their own jurisdiction to serve as tax-collectors. If Chicago wants to assess a tax on the citizens of Chicago for playing Sony's games that is strictly between the Chicago government and the people who live there. Sony should have no obligation either to report on the people playing their games or to collect and remit the tax.
"The state is that great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everyone else." - Bastiat
if the gamers don't make much money. Progressive taxation is one of the features of Democratic Socialism. This is a regressive tax, it's not something a socialist would support.
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I don't think the bible specifically mentions anything about tobacco
You are correct. However, The Bible has plenty of warnings against intentionally harming your body and others' with addictive substances.