Maine Adds Sales Tax to Streaming Subscriptions in 2026

This may make you not want to 'Netflix and Chill"

As if the big streaming services cracking down on password sharing isn't enough, Maine residents will be paying a little bit more to watch their favorite movies, and binge watchable shows.

There is no doubt that streaming services like Netflix really come in handy during a long, cold, bleak Maine winter, but it doesn't come without a price.

As of January 1st, 2026, Maine is now adding a sales tax to streaming subscriptions like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, and Disney+. That means if you’re paying $20 a month for your favorite shows, you might notice it costing a dollar or so more each month. The change comes from a new law that updated Maine’s tax rules, meaning lawmakers decided it was time to treat streaming services the same as cable or satellite TV, which have always been taxed.

The reason behind it is mostly about raising money for the state. Officials expect the new tax could bring in over $10 million a year, which helps fund state programs.

Obviously, no one is thrilled about forking over extra money, especially when most of us already have multiple subscriptions, but basically, it’s just updating the system for the way people actually watch TV and listen to music these days.

In the end, it’s a small change on your bill, but it’s a sign of how taxes are catching up with the digital world. Maine isn’t alone in this, over 30 other states already tax digital streaming services.

This tax hurts a little bit more, when you factor in the price increase that Netflix already put on customers at the beginning of 2025,

Last year, their new pricing in the standard plan without ads raised prices by $2.50! that is an increase from $15.49 to $17.99 per month. It had been three years since Netflix upped the pricing of the Standard tier.

Hulu & Apple TV also bumped up the cost of a monthly subscription in 2025, as well.

In a perfect world, we would be able to find all the shows we love in one convenient place, for one flat, affordable price, but that day is clearly not here yet.

On the bright side, there is no shortage of content to enjoy in 2026.