Tax Netflix but no Netflix tax
KAMLOOPS — Netflix should be taxed but not as earlier proposed with a so-called “Netflix tax.” That proposal would have seen increased costs to access the internet. A more properly named “internet tax” would have targeted more than just Netflix. It would have increased costs to access banking, education, commerce, health, social media, and email, and a myriad of services becoming ever more essential to daily life.
Netflix should be taxed, not only because similar Canadian services are taxed but because revenue collected would pay for Canadian content. Heritage Minister Melanie Joly has opted out of taxation and instead has agreed to the investment of $500 million by Netflix for Canadian production.
The announcement is not news. Netflix already shoots films for American consumption like Bates Motel in Vancouver -not much of a Canadian story. The only difference in the announcement is that the amount to be spent was specified.
However there’s no guarantee of Canadian stories, only production. That bothers Quebec where culture is linked to language.