The town of Tributon decides that it needs to increase revenues, so it passes a tax on all media. The money generated by the tax will be used for special downtown beautification efforts. The Tributon newspaper tries to argue that a tax applied to them would be a First Amendment violation. If the tax hike is challenged, according to precedent a U.S. court would find the tax constitutionally permissible because media must pay taxes, just like any other business.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

While it is true that media must pay taxes just like any other business, a special tax on media singling them out, or one that favors one medium over another, will not be allowed to stand. Unless there can be some reason shown why they need to be taxed differently, the Court has told us such taxes are presumed unconstitutional.

The Town of Tributon Decides That It Needs to Increase