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Federal USF increasing to 15.3 %

Ridiculous.

Actually, I think he has to pay into it.

This must be some sort of "stimulus" that we all get to contribute to, just the thing needed during economically challenging times. Extract more money from the real world in order to make it more prosperous. Kind of like destroying a village in order to save it.

reply to RockyBB

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reply to RockyBB
When I was a student many years ago at SUNY StonyBrook, students who lived on campus but who did not purchase the meal plan, were charged a "cooking fee" of (IIRC) $ 50.00 a semester.

I suspect that the reasons were to push people towards the meal plan, and maybe to help pay for the electricity our hot plates were using. (This was pre-microwave).

But the reason the University gave was that the money would be used to buy stoves for the dorms for future students (!!!)

That's similar to what the Federal USF is about.....

reply to RockyBB
The whole mentality stinks with USF and companies.
Excerpted from FCC.gov..
"Some consumers may notice a “Universal Service” line item on their telephone bills. This line item appears when a company chooses to recover its USF contributions directly from its customers by billing them this charge. The FCC does not require this charge to be passed on to customers. Each company makes a business decision about whether and how to assess charges to recover its Universal Service costs. These charges usually appear as a percentage of the consumer’s phone bill. Companies that choose to collect Universal Service fees from their customers cannot collect an amount that exceeds their contribution to the USF. They also cannot collect any fees from a Lifeline program participant"

If this is suppose to be a between the companies and the USF why is the consumer involved at all. Why should it be a business decision to rape customers The FCC does not require this charge to be passed on to customers. What part of the bold sentence is not understood!

In this tax and spend society, braindead customers and greedy management hords in companies this is only getting worse. I think this all goes back to the income tax being passed one Christmas Eve when no-one was paying attention. Once that pandora's box opened everything else was easy for the government to get into our pockets regardless if we want it or not. USA was once just fine for a long time before the Income Tax was passed.
Today only a handful of people care the rest would be willing to just give and give because government knows whats best for their brainwashed pea sized brain.

The FCC does not require this charge to be passed on to customers, but the accounting/finances dept. of most companies does.

reply to neftv

reply to OmagicQ

reply to OmagicQ
I sure hope that these companies are not writing these fees off for tax purposes as a donation to charity because we the consumers are paying for it and the companies would be reaping the kickback.

To make an equal analogy. Let's say I am being forced to donate $1000 to the Red Cross because the government wants me too (they doing it with USF) in the same frame of mind of the accounting/finances dept or Marketing dept do I go turn this around collect a Red Cross fee from every family member and close relative? How well do you think that is going to fly?

reply to hok
I been trying to work a way around USF with my Cell phone. If I got a data only service would I still be paying this USF fee?
So far my Fios internet only connection does not have this and my present VOIP provider seems to have it embeded in the monthly total price that I wanted to keep.

reply to neftv

If you have ever filled an income tax schedule out for business, you would know this, for example, there are different taxes levied on motor fuel by different level of governments, together with freight cost should be added together as cost of goods sold.

On the other hand, business related license fees from all government agencies as well as cost in collecting taxes and fees, bookkeeping, accounting and payable are consider expense.

Cost of good/service sold and/or cost of doing business can always be written off for tax purpose. It has nothing to do with whether customer pays or not. Any payment received whether it is from customer or otherwise is consider gross receipt and subject to reporting.