Surcharge Rates
There are a number of surcharges and taxes assessed on telecommunications services by the State of California, city and county governments, and federal agencies to support various public programs, public safety, or local governments. Telecommunications carriers collect these taxes and surcharges from their customers and must remit these funds to the appropriate agencies or authorities.
New Flat Rate Surcharges - April 2023 and Beyond
On April 1, 2023, telecommunications carriers were required to begin collecting a flat rate surcharge of $1.11 for every active access line (telephone line) in California to support California’s six Universal Service programs, known as Public Purpose Programs. The CPUC adopted this access line-based surcharge mechanism in CPUC Decision (D.)22-10-021. This $1.11 surcharge rate will remain effective until the CPUC issues an order modifying the rate.
This surcharge applies to all telephone corporations including wireline, wireless (prepaid and postpaid), and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
|
Effective Date |
Flat Rate Surcharge Amount * |
Percentage of Total Flat Rate Surcharge |
Amount of Total Flat Rate Surcharge |
||||||||||
| 5/1/2025 | $0.90 | 50.44% | 0.00% | 6.60% | 0.00% | 14.46% | 28.50% | $0.45 | $0.00 | $0.06 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.26 |
| 1/1/2025 | $1.11 | 54.19% | 0.00% | 7.09% | 0.00% | 15.54% | 23.18% | $0.60 | $0.00 | $0.08 | $0.00 | $0.17 | $0.26 |
| 9/1/2024 | $1.11 | 35.60% | 11.25% | 10.23% | 0.00% | 22.46% | 20.46% | $0.40 | $0.12 | $0.11 | $0.00 | $0.25 | $0.23 |
|
4/1/2023 |
53.99% |
9.62% | 7.54% | 0.00% | 16.04% | 12.82% |
$0.60 |
$0.11 |
$0.08 |
$0.00 |
$0.18 |
$0.14 |
|
*Assessed for each active access line
**Amounts are shown rounded to the nearest cent
Legacy Surcharge Rates Based on Intrastate Revenue - Prior to April 2023
Prior to April 1, 2023, the CPUC had six individual surcharges, one for each of the Public Purpose Programs. Since January 1, 2019, the rates illustrated below applied to ALL telecommunications services - including intrastate prepaid wireless services which was previously subject to the Prepaid MTS Act. Click on the Surcharge to access the Adopting Resolution.
|
Effective |
DDTP* |
TOTAL | |||||
| 02/02/2022 | 4.750% | 1.11% | 0.700% | 0.000% | 0.780% | 1.019% | 8.359% |
| 12/01/2020 | 4.750% | 0.500% | 0.700% | 0.000% | 0.780% | 1.019% | 7.749% |
| 09/01/2018 | 4.750% | 0.500% | 0.350% | 0.000% | 0.780% | 0.560% | 6.94% |
| 03/01/2018 | 4.750% | 0.500% | 0.350% | 0.000% | 1.080% | 0.560% | 7.240% |
|
12/01/2016 11/01/2016 10/01/2015 08/01/2015 06/01/2015 02/01/2015 01/01/2015 10/01/2014 04/01/2014 02/01/2014 10/01/2013 04/01/2013 12/01/2012 |
6.680% 7.144% 7.894% 6.194% 4.794% 4.644% 4.344% 2.924% 2.584% 2.284% 2.584% 2.804% 2.780% |
||||||
|
07/01/2012 |
2.269% | ||||||
|
11/01/2011 |
1.869% | ||||||
|
05/01/2011 |
1.729% | ||||||
|
12/01/2010 |
1.879% | ||||||
|
05/01/2010 |
1.989% | ||||||
|
01/01/2010 |
2.009% |
* DDTP: This surcharge is designated "CA Relay Service and Communications Devices Fund."
The end-user surcharges are assessed on consumers' intrastate telecommunications services except for the following:
-
Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS);
-
Charges to other certificated carriers for services that are to be resold;
-
Coin sent paid telephone calls (coin in box) and debit card calls;
-
Customer-specific contracts effective before 9/15/94;
-
Usage charges for coin-operated pay telephones;
-
Directory advertising;
-
One-way radio paging; and
-
Services used by incarcerated people (beginning 4/1/2023).
The end-user surcharges are collected by the telecommunications carriers. They, in turn, remit the surcharges as directed by the Commission.