Carney Holds Firm on Digital Tax Reversals Despite Trade Deadlock
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Prime Minister Mark Carney refuses to reconsider the elimination of the digital services tax and streamer contributions after trade talks with the U.S. collapsed.
Prime Minister Mark Carney stated during question period on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, that he will not reverse his decisions to eliminate the digital services tax and Canadian content contribution requirements for streaming services, as first reported by CityNews Toronto.
The digital services tax was designed as a three-per-cent levy on revenue generated from Canadian users by major technology firms, specifically naming Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber, and Airbnb. Carney previously decided to scrap the tax last year, just before the initial payment deadline, in an effort to restart trade negotiations with the United States.
Additionally, the government announced in June that it would remove the financial contribution requirements for streamers, which had been established by the CRTC under the Online Streaming Act.
Despite these concessions, reporting via The Canadian Press indicates that the United States continued to object to the Online Streaming Act during the most recent round of trade discussions. Carney cited this ongoing friction as one of the primary reasons his government ended negotiations in August. During a House of Commons session, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet questioned whether Carney would reconsider these policy shifts given the lack of progress in trade talks.