cell phone surcharge

[bonnie&clyde]

anyone ever look at their phone bill, I just did since im thinking about switching from Sprint and I noticed that I was getting charged $20+ a month for surcharges....aint that a bitch

[Grimpala]

The plans are cheap, its all the taxes and fees that nickel and dime you to death.

[abecx]

Texas prides itself on not having a state tax, but they sure do tax damn near everything else.

Texas Universal Service Fund Surcharge (TUSF)

Why is it on the bill?
Public Utility Regulatory Act, Chapter 56; Texas Legislature, in 1987 and 1999; U.S. Congress via the FCC in 1996.

Who gets the money?
The largest portion of the TUSF goes to provide assistance to local telephone companies providing service in high-cost rural areas. Other monies are allocated to fund the Relay Texas and specialized equipment programs for the hearing-disabled, and to fund discounts on telecommunications services for low-income customers. At this time, it is estimated that the TUSF for fiscal year (FY) 2005 will total approximately $625 million. Of that amount, it is estimated that 92% will be allocated to local telephone companies serving high cost and rural customers; 3% to fund discounts to low-income customers; and approximately 2% to fund programs for the hearing-disabled. The remaining percentage pays for administration of the fund.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) is currently conducting proceedings addressing the TUSF. As a result of those proceedings, consistent with state law, increases in the TUSF will be offset by reductions in the access charges that long-distance companies pay to local telephone companies, and by reductions in the toll charges that local telephone companies charge their customers. Long-distance companies must pass through these access charge reductions to their residential customers on a proportionate basis.

[Chili]

Texas prides itself on not having a state tax, but they sure do tax damn near everything else.

You say that now, but just wait until you buy a house!

[mstng86]

You say that now, but just wait until you buy a house!

Truth!

Hello 10% increase!

Hell there are people in my hood with 25% increase in home value.

[abecx]

You say that now, but just wait until you buy a house!

That was the big one I was referring to, Wylie went up 12% on average. I was paying about equal in CA state tax as what people are paying in property tax here.

[Forever_frost]

This is why I enjoy Ag exemption.

[Chili]

That was the big one I was referring to, Wylie went up 12% on average. I was paying about equal in CA state tax as what people are paying in property tax here.

Yeah. If I combined my income tax and property tax in CA they were still less than my property tax here, with comparable salary and home.

[Chili]

This is why I enjoy Ag exemption.

Do you have to have animals for that?

[Nash B.]

Do you have to have animals for that?

That's one way. You can also grow crops. Only the land being used for agriculture will have the reduced tax, though.

http://comptroller.texas.gov/taxinfo/proptax/agland/part2.pdf

[Baron Von Crowder]

The land has to be used in the production of livestock (cattle, goats, horses, sheep, etc.) or timber. It may be county dependent, but it takes a while to get it applied, and they'll charge you back taxes up to 5 years if you take the livestock off the land and are no longer eligible for the exemption.

You're a good person to ask, Ive heard horses dont count?

[slow99]

Yeah. If I combined my income tax and property tax in CA they were still less than my property tax here, with comparable salary and home.

Wasn't even close for me, I'm far better off in TX.

[Nash B.]

You're a good person to ask, Ive heard horses dont count?

Yeah, horses count. I got the ag and timber sales tax exemption mixed up with property with agricultural use. You pretty much just have to have them on the property to have it appraised as ag use. The property tax adjustment doesn't require production, but the ag and timber sales tax exemption does.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Yeah, horses count. I got the ag and timber sales tax exemption mixed up with property with agricultural use. You pretty much just have to have them on the property to have it appraised as ag use. The property tax adjustment doesn't require production, but the ag and timber sales tax exemption does.

when I was a kid, we had horses, and got the ag exemption. I was told by someone that I trust to not spew bullshit that horses didnt count, and havent fact checked it. It wouldnt surprise me if it had changed in the last 15-20 years.

[Nash B.]

The PDF that I linked lists horses in the definition of livestock. Before I bought the land I built my house on, it had horses. They were off it for the year or 2 it took to build the house, and I got a letter from the county that I owed the difference for 5 years plus interest. I called and explained why the horses had been taken off but that they were back, and they just sent somebody out to take pictures of the horses on the land.