Streaming holiday movies or music? Chicago taxes it as the same rate as enjoying the same thing in person. The 9% amusement tax has included streaming services since 2015.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants voters to raise the city’s tax on million-dollar property sales, which would include any sale on a restaurant such as Mr. Beef, the inspiration for the hit show “The Bear.”

Bad habits are tough to break, and Illinois lawmakers can’t ditch their habit of depending on sin taxes to raise revenue.

Taxing people’s bad habits is a tough way to raise reliable revenue, but Illinois keeps trying to do just that.

Excise taxes have failed to improve Illinoisans’ health while creating an undue burden for those with the least. But lawmakers have yet to kick the habit.

Excise taxes have failed to rehabilitate Illinois’ failing fiscal health. But lawmakers have yet to kick the habit.

The upward march of Illinois’ core cost drivers – pensions and government worker health insurance – cannot be paid for by tax hikes on small groups. Without reform, tax hike proposals on all Illinoisans will continue flowing from the Statehouse.

Eventbrite will comply with the expanded Chicago amusement tax, and begin collecting and remitting the 9% citywide tax May 2.

Imposing more Mickey Mouse taxes in Illinois is just goofy, but that’s what a proposal in Springfield would do to users of the new Disney Plus and other streaming services.

PlayStation users will now see an extra 9 percent tax applied to some purchases on the platform.