# Gov't cell phone secret?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-cell-phone-secret/52455>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 30, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-cell-phone-secret/52455 "2001-01-30T21:21:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Centerline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Centerline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Centerline)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-cell-phone-secret/52455/1 "2001-01-30T21:21:27Z")

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Wow, I just looked at my cell phone bill carefully:

Out of my charges with no airtime overage or roaming, the basic charges for two cell phones with taxes amount to $74.72. Out of that I am paying taxes of $24.06! Thats a whopping 32.2% in taxes! For all that, the government is busy trying to regulate my use of the cell phone?

Here are the taxes:

County Sales tax  
County Surcharge  
Federal Excise Tax  
Federal Univeral Service Fund  
Special Tax  
State Gross Receipts Tax  
State Sales Tax  
State Telecom Excise  
State 911  
Roaming Tax if there was roaming  
and then there apparently is a tax on the original Access Charge (the basic service fee), which, if I am reading this bill correctly, seems like all the other taxes are compounded on TOP of this tax!

Question, is this correct? Are those taxes legit? What ARE they for? (I understand Sales Tax and State 911, but all the rest?) Am I out of my mind?

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-cell-phone-secret/52455/2 "2001-01-30T21:32:12Z")

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Call your cell phone ompany. Ask them to review your bill. If they won’t, or “don’t find any mistakes” take it to the office of a rival cell phone outfit. If this second outfit finds something fishy, contact a local Consumer affairs agency & ask for help. Or call your State Legislator.