---
title: "The Folly of Taxing New Media"
summary: |-
  If Canada ever decides to impose a “Netflix tax,” it will find itself on the wrong side of a losing battle.
date: "2014-12-06"
issues: ["Taxes and Budget", "Internet"]
authors: ["Alan McQuinn"]
content_type: "Op-Eds & Contributed Articles"
canonical_url: "https://itif.org/publications/2014/12/06/folly-taxing-new-media/"
---

# The Folly of Taxing New Media

As part of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) review of its TV and broadcast regulations, several stakeholders have raised the idea of requiring over-the-top (OTT) video providers — such as YouTube and Netflix — to finance Canadian content. What these concerned parties do not realize is that by choosing to exact fees from online providers, the CTRC would only succeed in reducing innovation and consumer choice, while trying to enforce the unenforceable.

---
*Source: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF)*
*URL: https://itif.org/publications/2014/12/06/folly-taxing-new-media/*