“Amusement Tax” To Be Now Paid By PlayStation Users In Chicago

PlayStation users in Chicago will now have to pay nine per cent tax to look forward to.

So, if you’re a PlayStation gamer in the area, get ready to cry as the city’s infamous “amusement tax” is here. For those who don’t know about Amusement tax, it’s basically a tax on entertainment. Like, on video games, theatre performances, streaming services etc.

Like most other companies, Sony also fought and didn’t comply with the tax for a while, until falling prey to it. Now Sony PlayStation users will be paying an extra nine per cent tax on not only games but PlayStation Music, Plus, Vue and other services by Sony.

USGamer states that PlayStation owners are already getting billed and receiving notifications about the Amusement Tax from Sony, which is speculated to start from November 14 this year. The tax didn’t always apply to PS users but after 2015 clarification and an expanded definition, it has.

Xbox and Nintendo users have already been paying a tax for a while, as Sony was the longest to hold out of this taxation. Apple also continues to fight the rule, noting that it violates the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which prohibits governments from collecting any taxes on e-commerce.

This means that a brand new AAA game will cost an extra $6-7 a pop, which may seem less, but that adds up. This is a really hard pill to swallow as some PS gamers in some states don’t have to worry about the extra tax cost at all.