In the ongoing debate over age-verification laws and their impact on the adult industry and free speech, a Utah lawmaker has taken a fresh approach. This week, Calvin Musselman, a Republican state senator, proposed a bill aiming to levy a new tax on pornographic websites operating within Utah's borders.
The legislation seeks to impose a 7% tax on total revenue generated by the sale and distribution of material deemed harmful to minors if produced or operationally based in Utah. Additionally, the proposal mandates these adult sites to pay a $500 annual fee to the State Tax Commission. Scheduled for enactment in May if passed, the anticipated funds collected through this tax would be allocated to Utah’s Department of Health and Human Services to enhance mental health support services for teenagers.
Despite multiple inquiries, Musselman did not provide comments on the bill.
This marks another stride in a broader movement within American conservatism aiming to tighten regulations on adult content. Recent months saw Alabama initiating a similar 10% tax on adult entertainment companies following new age-verification laws, which compel users to upload identification to confirm they are not minors before accessing adult content. Concurrently, Pennsylvania is considering imposing an additional 10% tax on online adult content purchases, supplementing the existing 6% sales tax on digital products, according to an October memorandum from two state senators.
Historically, the concept of taxing adult content is not new. In 2019, Republican Arizona senator Gail Griffin proposed a tax on adult content distributors to finance the border wall, a notable project during Donald Trump’s presidency. Today, age verification rules are in place in 25 states across the US.