Telephone Charges

Telephone Taxes, Fees, and Other Charges. Taxes for this, Fees for that, what do they all mean?

9-1-1 Charges

• 911 Emergency Operational Fee – This fee of $2.50 on all telephone devices is approved by resolution via authority of the Mackinac County Board of Commissioner. The funded revenue is used to support the 911 program and emergency dispatch services within Mackinac County.
• 9-1-1 Emergency System Billed for Mackinac – This fee is paid to your local telephone company, not the County, for their costs in providing 9-1-1 network services. This rate is regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission. The current fee is $0.25 per line.

Other Charges

• Number Portability Surcharge – A Federal charge that funds a system that allows you to keep your local telephone number when switching from one local service provider to another.
• Federal Universal Service Fee – A Federal fee used to fund programs for schools, libraries, low-income consumers, rural health care providers and to subsidize telephone service in high-cost rural areas.
• Federal Excise Tax – All local and long distance services are subject to 3% federal excise tax.
• State and Local Sales Tax – All local and long distance service are subject to a Michigan 6% sales tax.
• Federal and State Access Charges – This federally ordered charge is billed by your local telephone company to pay part of the cost of supplying a phone line into your home or business. It is designed to help local phone companies recover the cost of providing “local loops” which refers to outside telephone wires, underground conduit, telephone poles, and other equipment and facilities connecting you to the telephone network. Neither the FCC nor any other government agency receives the proceeds from this fee. The FCC places a maximum cap on this charge.