Regulatory Notices → Fees, Taxes, and Surcharges

Information about government taxes, fees, and wireless surcharges you may see on your Zirrus bill.

About Taxes, Fees, and Wireless Surcharges

Your Zirrus bill includes access charges for your monthly service plan, any recurring charges associated with any optional services you are enrolled in or subscribed to, applicable state and federal taxes, government fees, and Zirrus wireless surcharges.

Taxes, government fees and Zirrus wireless surcharges may vary by the state and locality of your service address and are subject to change.

Government Taxes and Fees

Government taxes and fees are set by federal, state, and local governments; they are subject to change; and are included on your monthly bill.

Universal Service Charges

• All telecommunications service providers must contribute to the federal Universal Service Fund, which helps people in rural and high-cost areas, and income-eligible consumers, get access to telecommunications services at reasonable rates through programs and initiatives such as the Connect America Fund, Lifeline and the E-rate program for schools and libraries.
• A "Universal Service" line item may appear on your telephone bill when your service provider chooses to recover USF contributions from you, the customer. The FCC does not require this charge to be passed on to you, but service providers are allowed to do so. These charges usually appear as a percentage of your phone bill.

911 and TRS Charges

• 911 – To help local governments pay for emergency services such as fire and rescue.
• Telecommunications Relay Service – To help pay for relay services that transmit and translate calls for people with hearing or speech disabilities.

Zirrus Wireless Surcharges (Administrative Fee)

Zirrus wireless administrative fees help to defray costs associated with regulatory obligations such as E911, payments to other carriers to deliver calls, and wireless local number porting.

These are not taxes nor government-imposed fees. The amounts and what is included are subject to change.