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We do not charge any unnecessary extra fees, but we are required to collect taxes and regulatory fees mandated by federal, state, and local governments. These fees differ by location, and may change. Your bill will itemize these fees and taxes and provide explanations. Simply hover over the item in the list for details.
In this article, we will cover the most common mobile taxes and fees that appear on a regular monthly Ting bill.
Most states and localities collect a flat rate per line/activation for E911 services, ranging from about $0.50 to $3.00. If you see a second E911 tax line item on your bill, you may live in an area where an additional tax is levied on that flat-rate fee. The flat rate may vary within a state, and certain jurisdictions impose other local emergency services fees.
On average, Ting customers pay about $0.79 in E911 monthly taxes on a bill of about $30.
Where the tax is not a flat rate, states levy it on a percentage basis.
These fees help cover the cost of the FCC's enforcement and policy-making work. All wireless providers are required to remit these funds, which range from about $0.02 to $0.06 per month on a bill of about $30.
All carriers remit this fee, and it helps to fund the following:
In addition to the federal fee, some states also levy a USF fee.
Along with sales tax (we'll get to that), this fee represents a relatively large portion of the tax/surcharges (around 30% of the total amount taxed in many cases), with an average cost of $1.03 per month on a bill of about $30.
The Telecommunications Relay Service is a telephone service that allows persons with hearing or speech disabilities to place and receive telephone calls, typically via a text-to-voice service and an intermediary call center through which the call goes. This tax goes to the US Federal Government to pay for the service.
See the FCC consumer guide for more information on this program.
States and local governments levy a range of other taxes and fees, including:
Generally, the Telecommunications Sales Tax, Sales Tax, and Statutory Gross Receipts are all taxes on monies received for carrier services. On average, they will come to $0.96, $1.28, and $1.00, respectively, per month on a bill of about $30. While these can make up a fairly large portion of the tax/surcharges on a monthly bill (25-30% of the taxes and fees), the Telecommunications and Gross Receipts taxes are not widely levied.
License and Utility Users' taxes are related to fees carriers remit for using utilities like cable, electricity, and others. Neither is widely charged, but on average, it will amount to $1.25 and $1.00 per month, respectively, for a bill of about $30.
Certain states and local governments levy taxes and fees for specific public works or programs, such as the Teleconnect Fund in California or the Residential Service Protection Fund Surcharge in Oregon.
We do not have a system or program to process purchases exempt from tax collection and remittance. Ting customers who are 501(c)3 organizations or are otherwise tax-exempt must submit individual claims for their purchases through the standard reimbursement process mandated by their state or local government. For example, in New York, they can use Form AU-11, and in California, they can use Form CDTFA-101.