Tear Down This Wall
9/27/2006, 09:33 AM
Anyone else here in charge of company finances? We moved our company about six weeks ago from one area of Dallas to an area further north, but still in Dallas proper. We moved to a set of buildings that SBC said they couldn't service for internet (I still don't understand that one, but....).
So, we had the option to switch to one of two internet providers that operated in the new buildings. Today, I got the first bill and was stunned, but not surprised, by the 10 different taxes, fee, and assessments just to have the internet lines. I guess SBC used to just stick them in the package and not break them out. (Or, there were just so many damn pages to the old SBC bills - front and back - with so many different numbers I just ignored it).
But, anyway here are our taxes and fees:
Taxes and Fees Amount
Federal Excise Tax $ 0.27
911 Equalization Surcharge $ 9.44
Municipal Fee $ 12.89
State Sales Tax $ 32.01
City Sales Tax $ 4.60
Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Reimbursement $ 2.64
TX USF Charge $ 8.50
City District Tax Charge $ 4.60
Utility Gross Receipts Assessment $ 0.20
Federal Universal Service $ 5.70
Total Taxes and Fees $ 80.85
I guess I never really stopped to ask myself, WTF is all of this stuff? Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Reimbursement? Eh? City Sales Tax and City District Tax Charge? WTF? Plus, a Municipal Fee? Isn't a city part of the municipal?
Anyway, it's not just the national politicians that have their fingers in your pocket. The state and local people will nickel and dime you to death as well. Cockroaches.
So, we had the option to switch to one of two internet providers that operated in the new buildings. Today, I got the first bill and was stunned, but not surprised, by the 10 different taxes, fee, and assessments just to have the internet lines. I guess SBC used to just stick them in the package and not break them out. (Or, there were just so many damn pages to the old SBC bills - front and back - with so many different numbers I just ignored it).
But, anyway here are our taxes and fees:
Taxes and Fees Amount
Federal Excise Tax $ 0.27
911 Equalization Surcharge $ 9.44
Municipal Fee $ 12.89
State Sales Tax $ 32.01
City Sales Tax $ 4.60
Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Reimbursement $ 2.64
TX USF Charge $ 8.50
City District Tax Charge $ 4.60
Utility Gross Receipts Assessment $ 0.20
Federal Universal Service $ 5.70
Total Taxes and Fees $ 80.85
I guess I never really stopped to ask myself, WTF is all of this stuff? Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Reimbursement? Eh? City Sales Tax and City District Tax Charge? WTF? Plus, a Municipal Fee? Isn't a city part of the municipal?
Anyway, it's not just the national politicians that have their fingers in your pocket. The state and local people will nickel and dime you to death as well. Cockroaches.