New Netflix Tax Now Upcharges Subscribers for Watching 'Stranger Things'

Are you ready for a price jump on your Netflix bill? Well, if you live in Florida, that monthly cost is about to climb.

Netflix has been a staple in the streaming category for years, as it invented the idea of being able to watch movies and videos on demand with the click of a button instead of going to a store to rent a film. Now, there are tons of other competitors, such as Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more. While having the original cost of $7.99 for one platform used to be affordable, now, with so many platforms to pay for and price hikes on each of them, streaming is becoming too costly for many.

Recently, Netflix increased their costs as well. 

Netflix raised the price of its most expensive subscription tier by 10% to $23/month, while its lowest ad-free tier went up to $12/month. Currently, the cheapest subscription plan starts at $7/month with ads, and password sharing is no longer allowed for users and families who are not living in the same household. If users are sharing their passwords, Netflix is increasing the billing cost to the highest subscription tier without warning or confirmation.

Now, CBS has confirmed that a state tax will be raising the cost of Netflix in Florida, “the streaming giant emailed users this week to alert them about an additional “state service tax.” The tax — specifically Florida’s communication services tax (CST) — applies to sales including cable and satellite television, video and music streaming, mobile services and the like, WTSP reported.” This change will begin on February 15, one day after Valentine’s Day.

“We hope you’re enjoying everything Netflix has to offer. Starting on February 15, 2024, additional state services tax will be applied to your monthly subscription. You can read more about how taxes affect your Netflix membership here,” the email reportedly read.

As per the Florida Department of Revenue guidelines, businesses are required to detail and distinctly present state taxes on customer invoices, ensuring they do not absorb or alleviate customers from any portion of the communications services tax. This means that subscribers looking to watch some of the more iconic shows like Stranger Things, Wednesday, Squid Games, Bridgerton, and more will have to pay more if they are living in Florida.

We recently shared that Netflix dropped their 2024 highlight reel, which showcased what is coming in 2024 on the platform. The big announcement and push was certainly that Squid Game will be debuting its second season this year, but other shows like Bridgerton were also highly promoted, as it will also be debuting a new season. While Squid Game has been the most-watched show in Netflix history, many have been awaiting more information regarding the final season of Stranger Things as well as the second season of Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday, directed by Tim Burton.

Neither show was shown on the sizzle reel, which highlights that both shows are likely coming out in 2025 or later. While some fans may be saddened by the news, it does make sense as the SAG-AFTRA strike did push back production by more than 100 days. Now, Stranger Things has just begun filming, and Wednesday will begin in April in Ireland.

A Netflix spokesperson told 10 Tampa Bay: “We’ve notified our members in Florida that they will start to see state services tax applied to their monthly bill beginning February 15. Netflix subscriptions in Florida are subject to both local and state tax as part of the Florida Communications Services Tax.”

The company did not explain why the charge is going into effect now.

Would you continue to pay for Netflix if the price of your current bill went up unexpectedly?