FAQs: Billing & Taxes
Do you support ACH payments?
At this time, Phone.com does not support ACH payments.
If I add an outside IP Phone through your company, are there any set up fees?
Yes, a one time set up fee of $9.95 per phone will apply.
I am on a monthly plan. Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan any month?
Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade your plan as often as you need.
If I run over on minutes - how much is each additional minute? Or does the bulk minute purchase make more sense for an occasional overage?
The specific additional minute rate for your plan can be found on the Pricing and Plans page.
If I receive a call from a pay phone on my 800 number, what is the charge?
Calls from payphones to toll free numbers are + $0.99/call.
Can you give me some idea of what the phone taxes on a virtual number average.
Included taxes are based on federal, state, county and city percentages. These percentages can fluctuate on a monthly basis.
Can I change the billing date for my account?
We can change your service from monthly to annual or vice versa, upon request. Please contact our customer support for more information.
Do outbound calls to toll-free numbers count against my minutes ?
Yes, minutes will be deducted from your plan when calls are placed to toll-free numbers.
Is there a charge for call forwarding?
Phone.com will not charge any extra fees to set your number to forward to a local or included International location. However, if you are forwarding to an outside cell phone, please note that minutes will be deducted from your cell phone plan and therefore, additional charges may accrue. If you are forwarding to a non-included International location, specific international rates will apply from Phone.com when forwarding.
What is the cost if you exceed your minutes?
Do you issue a warning if you are close to your limit?
Additional usage begins at $0.049/minute depending on your selected plan. Your Call Logs are available 24/7 within your online control panel to help you monitor the minute usage. Phone.com does not notify you via email when you near or exceed your limit. Options to add unlimited extensions or bulk minutes are available at any time to help offset additional usage costs.
How do I set the account billing to automatically email me when there is a new invoice?
We will send you an invoice each month before the due date. Please note that the email address on file must be valid to receive our notifications.
I am a tax exempt account but I still see taxes on my bill?
Please understand that not all taxes are included in the tax exemption status. It is up to you as the tax exempt account holder to let us know which taxes we should not be charging you.
For a review of your tax exemption status, please send your documentation to:
- support@phone.com
- or fax to (858) 777-9888
making sure to include the taxes you feel should be exempt from your bill.
Some of your competitors do not charge the taxes, why does Phone.com bill its customers?
Taxes are new to the VoIP industry and we're making sure to follow all local jurisdiction and federal taxation laws. We are required by these areas to charge taxes based on the address listed within the administrative contact on file in your account.
I am moving to another state, will my taxes change?
The taxes are based on the administrative contact billing address on file in your account. When this is updated, the taxes for that local area will take effect.
Why does the tax portion of my bill fluctuate every month when I have not changed my service plan with you?
Taxes fluctuate due to various city, county, state and federal tax adjustments that occur throughout the year.
There is a new tax on my invoice, where can I find more information?
To learn more, visit the Phone.com Billing and Taxes FAQ or contact your local jurisdiction.
How do I find out how much taxes I will be paying every month?
Taxes will be approximately 5% to 20% of your bill each month, depending on your base plan. Please note taxes can fluctuate.
What is the Utility Users Tax?
The utility users tax is a tax imposed on the users of the following utility services in an unincorporated area of the County:
- Intrastate, interstate and/or international telephone, cellular or wireless communication services.
- Electrical energy services.
- Gas services delivered through mains, pipes, or mobile transport.
- Video and cable services.
Are there additional taxes on international rates?
Yes, the USF (Universal Service Fund) tax is applied, plus all other applicable taxes. Please see our Terms of Service for more information.
What is the FCC Regulatory Fee (VoIP)?
Regulatory fees are mandated by Congress and are collected to recover the regulatory costs associated with the Commission’s enforcement policy rule making and international activities.
What is the Federal Universal Service Fund?
According to the FCC , the Federal Universal Service Fund was created to do the following:
Promote the availability of quality services at just, reasonable and affordable rates for all consumers
Increase nationwide access to advanced telecommunications services
Advance the availability of such services to all consumers, including those in low income, rural, insular, and high cost areas at rates that are reasonably comparable to those charged in urban areas
Increase access to telecommunications and advanced services in schools, libraries and rural health care facilities
Provide equitable and non-discriminatory contributions from all providers of telecommunications services to the fund supporting universal service programs
What is an Excise Tax?
Excise taxes are imposed at the provider level and are indistinguishable from a sales tax to the consumer. However, many excise taxes are considered part of the sale or gross receipts and are therefore taxes by sales and/or gross receipts taxes.
How do I apply for Tax Exemption status?
Please send all required tax exemption documents to us:
- via email at support@phone.com
- or fax to (858) 777-9888.
Make sure that your Phone.com account username or phone number is listed so we know which account to apply to.
Once we receive the documentation, it is reviewed by our billing department. We will update you when the exemption has been applied to your account. Please note that the tax exemption status must be renewed on an annual basis.
What are all those taxes on my bill?
FCC Regulatory Fee (VoIP)
Regulatory fees are mandated by Congress and are collected to recover the regulatory costs associated with the Commission’s enforcement policy rule making and international activities.
FUSF (VoIP)
Telecommunications companies must pay a percentage of their interstate end-user revenues to the Federal Universal Service Fund. This percentage is called the contribution factor. The contribution factor changes four times a year (quarterly) and is increased or decreased depending on the needs of the Universal Service programs. The FCC's Office of the Managing Director manages the quarterly Universal Service Fund (USF) contribution factor process and lists current and past contribution factors on its Contribution Factor & Quarterly Filings Website.
Quarterly Administrative Filings: Quarterly Administrative filings are submitted each quarter to the FCC by the Universal Service Administrator. The quarterly administrative filings contain information about the needs of the Universal Service fund in the upcoming quarter. The FCC uses this information to calculate the contribution factor.
Utility Users Tax
The utility users tax is a tax imposed on the users of the following utility services in an unincorporated area of the County:
- Intrastate, interstate and/or international telephone, cellular or wireless communication services.
- Electrical energy services.
- Gas services delivered through mains, pipes, or mobile transport.
- Video and cable services.
Who must pay the utility user's tax?
The utility users pay the tax to the utility services suppliers. The utility service suppliers collect the tax and remit it to the Tax Collector's Office.
E911 Tax
E911 is the enhanced 911 tax, It is a monthly tax on switched access (hard) lines, radio access (wireless telephone numbers) lines, and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. New legislation requires both state and county enhanced 911 (E911) excise taxes be paid to the Department of Revenue. The legislation also extends state and county E911 taxes to interconnected VoIP service lines and increases the state and county E911 excise tax rates. State rate is around 25 cents per month for each switched or radio access line. The county E911 tax may vary.
Regulatory recovery fee
For each Number (virtual or otherwise), Phone.com charges a “Regulatory Recovery Fee”. This charge recovers our costs of contributing to and/or participating in various Federal, state and local regulatory programs, including FCC Regulatory Fees. The amount of this fee may be fixed or variable (i.e. based on a percentage of billed revenue).
What is the Communications Service Tax or the Telecom Sales Tax?
Local sales tax rates on telecommunication services. This tax is assessed at a percentage set by the state, and is not normally the same amount as the state sales tax.
What are the District Tax, Football District Tax, Transit Tax, Crime Control Tax, and Poison Control Fund tax?
Some jurisdictions charge a special telecommunications sales tax usually to support a school district, new construction of sports, entertainment complexes or similar purposes. This tax can be assessed as either a percentage a flat rate per line
What is the Municipal Right of Way tax?
Tax on local telephone services designed to cover the cost of managing and maintaining municipal rights of way. They are charged as a flat per line fee each month.
What is the Statutory Gross Receipts tax and the State Infrastructure Maintenance Fee?
This tax is collected to pay for the maintenance of the pubic equipment that is used by telecommunication customers. This tax is assessed at a percentage set by the state or municipality.
What is the TRS or Telecom Relay Service tax?
Assists people with hearing and/or speech disabilities who use text telephones to communicate with people using standard voice telephones. It is charged as a set percentage of your intrastate service.
What is the Telecommunications Infrastructure Maintenance Fee?
Telecommunications infrastructure maintenance fees (TIMFs) are imposed on persons in the business of transmitting, supplying, or furnishing telecommunications and all associated services in Illinois for compensation (i.e., telecommunications retailers).
What is the San Francisco Access line Tax?
"Access line” means any connection whether by wire or by wireless technology, from a customer location to a provider of telephone communications services offered to the public for compensation. “Access line” includes the assignment of a 10-digit telephone number under the North American Numbering Plan for the purpose of providing telephone communications services, including without limitation voice over. Internet protocol telephone communications services, using such telephone number.
What is the Florida Communications Service Tax?
Communications services tax applies to telecommunications, cable, direct-to-home satellite, and related services. The tax is comprised of two parts: the Florida communications services tax and the local communications services tax.
What is the Gross Receipts tax?
The concept of a gross receipts tax (GRT) is deceptively simple. A GRT is a tax on all income received by a business without any deductions for costs of doing business. Accordingly, GRT’s are not based on ability to pay, but are owed whether or not a business is profitable. In the few states that have a gross receipts tax, the rate is typically lower than a corporate income tax rate due to the much larger tax base.
Are there additional taxes on international rates?
Yes, the USF (Universal Service Fund) tax is applied, plus all other applicable taxes. Please see our Terms of Service for more information.
Are there taxes on each bill, like a cell phone?
Our terms and conditions state that they are charged a recovery and USF fee. These are mandated by the FCC. As stated in our Terms of Service:“[Customer is] responsible for, and shall pay, any applicable federal, state, municipal, local or other governmental sales, use, excise, value-added, personal property, public utility, regulatory (including Universal Service Fund) and/or other taxes, fees and charges now in force or enacted in the future, that arise from or are imposed as a result of your subscription, payment or use for or of the Service. Such amounts are in addition to all other charges for the Service and will be billed to your account.”
